Second summer of conflict looms as ship returns to lay final pipes

With the Shell protests escalating, both sides agree the reappearance of the Solitaire vessel will be decisive, writes Scott Millar.

LOOKING out of his window surveying Broadhaven Bay John Monaghan is pensive.

He knows that any day now the idyllic peace will be interrupted when the world’s largest pipe-laying vessel, the twenty story high and 100,000 tonnes, Solitaire will loom on to the horizon.