Irish Times: Mayo gas pipeline jailings

“I salute the protesters of Mayo for their courageous stand against the shameful intimidation visited upon them by the Shell oil company.”

Saturday 2 July 2005

Madam, – I salute the protesters of Mayo for their courageous stand against the shameful intimidation visited upon them by the Shell oil company.

Shame on Shell. Shame on the judge who committed these brave people to prison because, as he is reported to have said, “he had no other choice”. Shame on our Government which stands aside in silence having been complicit in giving yet another multinational the opportunity to make huge profits at the expense of the health and welfare of our people. Shame on local public representatives who, as usual, seem to have the gift of speaking out of both sides of their mouths. On the one side, they call for the release of those imprisoned and on the other side, they speak in support of this project.

It is time for those of us who care to show our solidarity with the campaigners by placing a total boycott on all Shell products. – Yours, etc,

PADDY MULCAHY,

Courtlands,

Silversprings,

Cork.

Madam, – Shell’s reaction to the jailing of five residents of Ros Dumhach was to claim that it would consult all “stakeholders” in the Erris high-pressure pipeline situation. This gobbledegook tries to hide the fact that this operation ultimately benefits only Shell shareholders.

Due to a questionable decision by a discredited former Minister, the people of Ireland have no stake in the vast Corrib gas field at a time when soaring energy prices make national resources more important than ever.

Apart from some employment (as yet unquantified and possibly small), the only stake in the villages of Poll a Tomais and Ros Dumhach is a high-pressure metal stake to be driven through the fields and past the houses of small farmers and fishermen, whether they like it or not, ripping through the fabric of community in the strongest Gaeltacht area of North Mayo. “An te ata thIos, buailtear cos air” is the order of the day: small farmers and fishermen are easy prey. Management-speak and washing of hands by the relevant Minister on RTE radio will not hide this fact. – Is mise,

EAMON O CIOSAIN,

Arda Weston,

Leamhcan,

Co Bhaile Atha Cliath.

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