Inspiring meeting with Shell to Sea campaigners

sligo | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Friday February 20, 2009 20:36

by robert

Pat O’Donnell and Maura Harrington addressed a public meeting in Sligo on Thurday evening. They gave an inspiring presentation of a campaign that even after ten years of intense struggle could not be broken.

The evening started with Pat showing some video-footage of last years struggle in Broadhaven Bay with the pipe-laying ship Solitaire. He then explained his own involvement in the Shell to Sea campaign and the developments that have happened to him in the attempt to protect his livelihood as a fisherman against the attacks of Shell.
He also stressed the need to consistently inform people on local level all over Ireland about the real situation surrounding the give-away of the gas in Irish waters to multinational companies. He told about his experiences in talking to people nationwide and how important it is to get the real story out and break the monopoly of disinformation of the mainstream media.

Maura then recalled the overall history of the Shell to Sea campaign from its very beginnings some ten years ago up to now. She particularly pointed out how the local community in Erris would have been regarded as a soft target by the multinationals and the government, and how this would have been proven to be all so wrong. She described the occupation of Erris by garda forces acting in the name of Shell and how despite all efforts made by Shell and the state resistance locally would still be strong.
She recalled the history of the gas give-away referring to Ray Burke’s and Bertie Ahern’s dealings in favour of the big oil companies and put this into context to the current economic crisis.

Pat and Maura claimed the entire project should be brought back into negotiation so that eventually the people in Ireland would benefit from the gas and oil in Irish waters and not a consortium of profit driven multinationals.

Expectations were expressed that a renewed attempt will be made later in spring to put the pipeline into place and both speakers said that the local community would be prepared to put up all possible resistance again. They also called for support from all over the country and emphasized that everyone coming to Erris to show their solidarity would be always welcome.

In the mean time it would also be of assistance if people would simply get the real story out in their own communities all over Ireland.

People attending the meeting expressed great satisfaction with the Shell to Sea campaign being strong as ever in Erris. It was said that the campaign and the learning processes of the community in Rossport were a great example of social progress from which all local groups who are confronted with the arrogance of power in profit driven planning could benefit.

A revival of the Sligo Shell to Sea group was suggested and steps to get organized will be made in the next weeks. Anyone in Sligo/Leitrim interested to get involved may send a short e-mail to soha2000@gmx.net or get in touch with Robert at 071 9150428.

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Comments (3 of 3)

Politicians at Sligo meeting (or lack of)

by Inspired - None

Sat Feb 21, 2009 01:30

Very good meeting. Not too many politicians or political parties represented though. Breezer was there, some guy from Sinn Fein in Ballymote and I was told after some fella from a new group in Sligo called eirigi.

Breezer was the only councillor as far as I know. None of the shinner councillors turned up for whatever reason.

Gas robbers

by Chrissie

Sun Feb 22, 2009 21:41

It may now be starting to dawn on Shell & their goons, large & small, that they cannot defeat the people's opposition to their plans. Shell to Sea!

Gas Times.

by Arm-a-Gedden

Mon Feb 23, 2009 00:05

It may now be starting to dawn on Shell & their goons, large & small, that they cannot defeat the people's opposition to their plans. Shell to Sea!

The Shell to Sea delegation that attended and took part in yesterdays march in Dublin got a very warm welcome from everybody, there were only words of encouragement, and support from the other protesters and that of the onlookers.

Times have changed considerably in a very short peroid of time, this time last year people had security now nobody has any security,thousands have lost their jobs unfortunately for them, and they do have my sympathy,no job can also lead to no home, and no family this is a terrible shame. However people are begining to wake up to the fact that the S2S campaign are not what they have been portrayed as, but they are fighting the cause for us all and in these harsh ecconomic times they smell the gas revenue. Shell and their Goons are taking notice, it is back firing on them did they really think they could get away with it.

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Inspiring meeting with Shell to Sea campaigners

Comments (3 of 3)