Anti-war activist hands himself over to gardaí

An anti-war activist has handed himself over to gardaí, insisting he was being imprisoned for waging peace.

Founder member of the Galway Alliance Against War Niall Farrell yesterday surrendered himself at Mill St Garda Station in Galway to begin a two-week sentence.

Along with peace activist Margaretta D’Arcy he had been convicted and fined at Ennis District Court on June 24. The pair were convicted of entering a part of Shannon Airport which is closed to the public.

Both were ordered to sign a bond promising that they would not trespass at the airport again. They refused to pay the fine or to sign the bond and Ms D’Arcy was re-imprisoned before being released.

Farrell had been on holiday in Berlin in recent weeks and contacted gardaí to confirm that he would present himself yesterday.

At a rally in Eyre Square beforehand, Farrell told a crowd off about 50 supporters that exactly 100 years ago Ireland had been drawn into the First World War and 100 years later people were still campaigning against war.

Farrell has written to the minister for justice demanding he be treated as a political prisoner while in prison.