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.