Book ban protestors 'are not welcome in East Clare'
A group of locals from Scarriff, Co Clare, holding rainbow flag during the protest against LGBT+ books in public libraries. Picture: Breandán Baguio
Locals in Scarriff in Co Clare are the latest to stave off protesters who are travelling the Shannon by boat in an ongoing campaign against LGBT+ books in public libraries.
Similar protests forced the closure of Cork City Library in recent weeks, while Limerick City Library and the library in Killaloe — which was closed for the weekend — were targeted over the weekend.
Local Fianna Fáil councillor and Cathaoirleach of Killaloe Municipal District Tony O'Brien said the protesters “weren’t well received” and “are not welcome in East Clare”.
Mr O’Brien said they “illegally” camped on Inis Cealtra (Holy Island) in Lough Derg during the weekend.
On the island, they also erected a banner which read: “There are only two genders: male and female” on the 24m-high round tower, which is believed to have been built in the 11th or 12th century.
Mr O’Brien said they “desecrated” the protected structure and national monument, which is one of the main tourist attractions in East Clare, saying it was also “totally illegal”.
“Ninety eight per cent of the people I’ve spoken to do not want these types of people or this kind of action in our locality,” he said.
Protesters set up camp next to the cemetery on the island where people from Clare are still laid to rest today.
“It’s a graveyard where our loved ones are buried and to think that that is their mentality that they will inflict their beliefs and their agenda on people and go to those extremities. They’re certainly not welcome in East Clare,” he said.
Mr O’Brien described the locals who counter-protested as “very peaceful and dignified”.
Similar to recent incidents in Limerick City and Killaloe, locals spearheaded by a group known as “The Banner Against Spanners” were there to show solidarity with library workers in Scarriff ahead of the protester's arrival.
On docking, the boat was met by locals waving rainbow flags, while more stood by at the local library.
One such counter-protester was Breandán Baguio, who said quite a few locals were keeping an eye on the group's whereabouts, knowing they were heading to Scarriff after erecting a banner at a closed Killaloe Library on Saturday.
He said it was important LGBT+ youth see support for the community.
“It was a vigil, where a group of us stood holding rainbow flags across from them and it was quite simply to show that we're here,” he said.
He said the group arrived to an empty and closed library, “showing the futility of what they’re doing”.
“There was no real engagement from our group. It was really just a case of standing in silence, and we stood in defiance of them and what they stand for,” he said.
The protesters arrived during the local harbour festival, with Mr Baguio saying they were “ignored” for the most part.
“There were one or two people who supported them and what they stood for and that’s their own opinion and belief system,” he said.
Mr Baguio said it “showed a lack of respect for our heritage” that the protesters camped on Inis Cealtra and erected a banner.
“It's a sacred place,” he said before adding: “It was quite disrespectful of them to do that.”
Another East Clare local, Geraldine Grimes, came to Scarriff to show solidarity, saying any homophobia or transphobia was “insidious and dangerous”.
Ms Grimes also said people have the right to go to work and to be safe and free from harassment.
Ms Grimes said she spoke to library staff on Saturday who said they were “scared” of future protests.
“They've seen the footage of what happened in Cork and what have you,” she said.
Ms Grimes said it was “uplifting” to see locals she had not met before who were willing to “stand up”.
The group of campaigners have since suffered a leak in their boat, having to remove water by use of buckets while on their trip to towns along the Shannon, which they described as a “sovereign voyage”.
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