Protest planned over jailed pipeline objectors

A nationwide protest is to take place today to highlight the plight of the five men jailed over their objections to a gas pipeline in Co Mayo.

Hundreds of supporters are set to picket Shell and Statoil garages across the country as the row over the jailing of the men deepens.

Micheal O’Seighin, Vincent McGrath, his brother Philip, Willie Corduff and Brendan Philbin from Rossport in Co Mayo are being held in Cloverhill prison in Dublin for refusing to obey an injunction taken out by Shell.

“It is not good enough for the Government to wash their hands of the Corrib Gas debacle and allow Shell to ride roughshod over the people of Rossport,” Martin Ferris, a Sinn Féin TD, said.

The five men were put in Cloverhill prison last week for obstructing the construction of the pipeline across their land and have stated publicly that they are determined to continue their opposition to the pipeline.

Shell E & P Ireland is seeking to pump gas at high pressure from the Corrib gas field along the pipe to an onshore refinery at Bellanaboy in Mayo as part of a €990m project.

The jailed men want Shell to build the gas refinery offshore because they fear that pumping unrefined gas past their homes will lead to a health and safety risk.

The President of the High Court, Judge Joseph Finnigan, has warned the five men that their fate is in their own hands.

The judge said it was up to the men to purge their contempt of court to be freed from jail.

The jailing of the five men has brought national attention to the campaign against the pipeline, which has been going on since work on it began in 1998.

Protests are planned to take place in Dublin, Kerry, Cork, Waterford, Galway, Leitrim, Waterford, Laois, Kilkenny, Kildare and Westmeath between 5-7pm today.

“Serious issues have arisen at every stage in this process going right back to the original granting of licenses and the allocation of the site at Bellanaboy, all of which are shrouded in mystery,” Mr Ferris said.

“The five men should be released immediately. The Government should initiate an independent review of health and safety risks and institute a thorough public investigation into every aspect of Shell’s involvement in this project right back to the shoddy deal that gave them control over the Corrib Field in the first instance.”