Water supply protestors due in High Court

Five protestors who breached a High Court order by blocking work on a new water supply in Co Limerick could be sent to jail tomorrow if they do not give an undertaking to end their protest.

Each of the five protestors is due to appear before the High Court in Dublin tomorrow to explain why they breached a previous court order and prevented work from proceeding on the Shannon Estuary water scheme.

The Pallaskenry protestors are fighting to retain their existing water supply, which they say comes from a pure spring source at a nearby lake, Bleach Lough.

More than 1,000 householders are supplied with water from Bleach Lough which has served homes in Palleskenry and Kildimo for 50 years.

Residents connected to this supply claim the River Deel - the source of the new water supply - is one of the most polluted rivers in Ireland.

However, Limerick County Council insists that the treatment of the water supply from the River Deel is "on a par" with any other supply in the country.

The Council has also stressed that the supply from Bleach Lough is not adequate to cope with modern demands.

Summonses were served last Friday evening on five people who were part of a group which prevented workers on the River Deele Extension Project from completing the final stages of the new water scheme.

The stand-off began on May 30 after protestors campaigning against the new water supply forced contract workers to down tools.

Last week, Limerick County Council served notice of a High Court injunction against seven named protestors who had prevented the work from proceeding.

However, several of the protestors named in the injunction defied the High Court order and again blocked work on the new water scheme.

A spokesman for the Council confirmed on Friday that summonses have now been served on five individuals to appear before the High Court tomorrow.

“Notices to appear in court on Monday morning have now been served and it is now in the hands of the court,” said the Council spokesman.

One of the protestors due in court today after he defied the High Court order, Donal O’Brien, said he was prepared to go jail if he was held in contempt of court.

“I don’t want to go to jail but we have been forced into this situation. If I am brought before a court I will have no problem apologising to the judge but I won’t be able to give an undertaking that I will end the protest in Pallaskenry. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to do that,” said Mr O’Brien.

The campaign has received the support of one of the Rossport Five, Micheál Ó Seighin, who joined protestors at the "white line" last week in Pallaskenry.

Mr Ó Seighin spent 94 days in jail after he blocked work on the Shell Corrib gas pipeline in Co Mayo.