Public Talk by Imprisoned Peace Activist Margaretta D'Arcy

limerick | anti-war / imperialism | event notice Sunday April 27, 2014 19:28 by shannon-watch

Shannonwatch, in conjunction with The Bottom Dog publication, are proud to host a public talk by peace activist, writer and actress Margaretta D'Arcy in the Mechanics Institute, Hartstonge St., Limerick on Thursday May 1st at 7pm. Margaretta served almost 10 weeks of a three month prison sentence for protesting the use of Shannon Airport by US military, and was only released on March 22. She will talk about her life of activism and the ongoing campaign to rid Shannon of the US military.

Margaretta is a member of Aosdána and is well known for addressing issues relating to Irish nationalism, civil liberties and women's rights in her work. In January of this year she was imprisoned for a September 2012 peace action on the runway at Shannon Airport, after she refused to sign an undertaking not to return to the restricted areas of the airport. She has repeatedly pointed out that the runways at Shannon are directly linked to illegal wars, renditions and ongoing breaches of international law, and that she has a duty to try to end this.

Margaretta and Niall Farrell face another trial on June 24th for going onto the runway at Shannon again in September 2013.

Margaretta who was was born in London worked in small theatres in Dublin from the age of fifteen and later became an actress. Married in 1957 to English playwright and author John Arden, they frequently collaborated. They settled in Galway and established the Galway Theatre Workshop in 1976. The couple wrote a number of stage pieces and improvisational works for amateur and student players, including The Happy Haven (1960) and The Workhouse Donkey. She has written and produced many plays, including The Non-Stop Connolly Show. She has also written a number of books, including Tell Them Everything, Awkward Corners (with John Arden), Galway's Pirate Women: A Global Trawl and Loose Theatre: Memoirs of a Guerrilla Theatre Activist.