New Events

Mayo

no events posted in last week

Blog Feeds

Anti-Empire

Anti-Empire

offsite link North Korea Increases Aid to Russia, Mos... Tue Nov 19, 2024 12:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link Trump Assembles a War Cabinet Sat Nov 16, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link Slavgrinder Ramps Up Into Overdrive Tue Nov 12, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link ?Existential? Culling to Continue on Com... Mon Nov 11, 2024 10:28 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link US to Deploy Military Contractors to Ukr... Sun Nov 10, 2024 02:37 | Field Empty

Anti-Empire >>

Human Rights in Ireland
Promoting Human Rights in Ireland

Human Rights in Ireland >>

Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link Have We Finally Reached Peak Woke? Sat Mar 15, 2025 17:51 | Will Jones
Have we finally reached peak woke? Have we developed a vaccine to the woke mind virus? Like a dying religion, it's certainly in retreat. But some disciples of Wokus Dei are still clinging on.
The post Have We Finally Reached Peak Woke? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Migrant Who Sexually Assaulted Woman Stays in UK After Claiming He is Gay Sat Mar 15, 2025 15:00 | Will Jones
A Pakistani man who was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman and lived in Britain illegally for 11 years was allowed to stay after he claimed he was gay, despite offering no evidence.
The post Migrant Who Sexually Assaulted Woman Stays in UK After Claiming He is Gay appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Reform Would Win Local Elections ? But Angela Rayner Cancelled Them Sat Mar 15, 2025 13:00 | Will Jones
Reform UK would be on course to win in May?s local elections ? except Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has axed key votes. "They're terrified of us. The whole system is rotten," the party said.
The post Reform Would Win Local Elections ? But Angela Rayner Cancelled Them appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Declined: Chapter 12: Theo Sat Mar 15, 2025 11:00 | Molly Kingsley
Chapter 12 of Declined is here ? a dystopian satire by Molly Kingsley about the emergence of a social credit system in the UK. This week: amid threats to have their children removed, Poppy goes missing from school.
The post Declined: Chapter 12: Theo appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link There?s a Whole Lotta Political Engineering Goin? On Sat Mar 15, 2025 09:00 | James Alexander
There's something distinctly illiberal about what goes under the name 'Political Science', says Prof James Alexander. Half its practitioners want to control our thoughts and the rest wonder why no one trusts government.
The post There’s a Whole Lotta Political Engineering Goin’ On appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Lockdown Skeptics >>

Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?124 Sat Mar 15, 2025 05:56 | en

offsite link "Kristallnacht" against the Alawites in Syria Sat Mar 15, 2025 05:38 | en

offsite link Is Donald Trump managing the possible collapse of the ?American empire??, by Thi... Tue Mar 11, 2025 06:59 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?123 Fri Mar 07, 2025 14:41 | en

offsite link Arab League summit for Gaza Fri Mar 07, 2025 11:53 | en

Voltaire Network >>

Solidarity with the Chief at Castlerea Prison – Protesting Pat O'Donnell's jailing by Shell

category mayo | rights, freedoms and repression | news report author Sunday March 28, 2010 15:29author by FSB! - Shell to Sea Report this post to the editors

50 days and counting into his Shell-imposed imprisonment, Shell to Sea shows support for their hero and friend

After a week when nearly all the court cases against Shell to Sea campaigners were defeated, withdrawn or thrown out, over a hundred opponents of the Great Oil & Gas Robbery from all around the country gathered outside the gates of Castlerea Prison this Saturday afternoon to protest the continuing imprisonment of their good friend and Shell to Sea colleague Pat O'Donnell.
Banners on display at the gates
Banners on display at the gates

As the bright Spring afternoon in Castlerea turned to early evening, Pat's supporters gathered at the entrance to the prison with an array of very colourful banners. The court victories of the previous week contributed to the optimistic spirit that animated the growing crowd. Many motorists on their weekend business beeped their support for the protest as they passed the prison gates. After nearly an hour of friendly chat, catching up with news and waiting for latecomers, the event proper got underway soon after 4p.m.

A quartet of traditional musicians from the Chief's native Erris began with a short set of reels. Among them was Vincent McGrath, himself formerly a hostage held by Shell (one of the Rossport Five), like Pat is now. Then Maura Harrington (who also has been jailed for Shell – several times in fact) gave a short speech which recalled the key issues at stake for Erris and Ireland (and the world) during this campaign. The people then formed up into a line with their placards, flags and banners, and they marched to the prison walls and re-formed just outside the entrance way, in front of the sentry room's windows.

The crowd spent over half an hour at the prison entry, displaying their banners and chanting their slogans of support for Pat. Maura Harrington spoke again, this time highlighting Pat's conditions of imprisonment and the toll his being in jail is exacting on his family. While the staff at the prison have been quite considerate of Pat, he has been refused transfer to Loughan House, where a more open regime applies. Visiting Pat at Castlerea Prison has been difficult for his family, particularly for his youngest daughter. Maura reminded people too that Pat's jailing keeps him away from the sea and Broadhaven Bay, his place of work since his youth, and that for his defence of his native seas Pat has been jailed by Shell's government and slandered by Shell's judges and had his normal enjoyment of convivial family life interrupted.

After some more chanting and banner displaying at the entranceway, the protestors re-formed into marching order and returned to the outer gates of the prison, ending the protest just after half past five. The people took some time to head away, preferring for a time to chat some more but also to take down the bright tableau of posters and banners in support of Pat that adorned the prison gates for two hours or more on a sunny bright spring afternoon.

Letters, cards and other tokens of solidarity with Pat O'Donnell can be sent to him at the address below:
Pat O'Donnell,
Castlerea Prison,
Harristown,
Castlerea,
Co. Roscommon.

Related Link: http://www.shelltosea.com

Shell's cops are always around
Shell's cops are always around

The gathering crowd before the protest
The gathering crowd before the protest

Music for Pat at the prison gates, played by his neighbours and friends from Erris
Music for Pat at the prison gates, played by his neighbours and friends from Erris

author by FSB! - Shell to Seapublication date Sun Mar 28, 2010 15:39author address author phone Report this post to the editors

More photos from the march at Castlerea Prison.

Maura Harrington addressing the assembled crowd
Maura Harrington addressing the assembled crowd

Marching in to the prison gateway - 1
Marching in to the prison gateway - 1

Marching in to the prison gateway - 2
Marching in to the prison gateway - 2

Marching in to the prison gateway - 3
Marching in to the prison gateway - 3

Marching in to the prison gateway - 4
Marching in to the prison gateway - 4

author by FSB! - Shell to Seapublication date Sun Mar 28, 2010 15:46author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Some more photos from Saturday's solidarity demo for Pat 'the Chief' O'Donnell.

Marching in to the prison gateway - 5
Marching in to the prison gateway - 5

Marching in to the prison gateway - 6
Marching in to the prison gateway - 6

Displaying banners outside the gateway and sentry room
Displaying banners outside the gateway and sentry room

Old favourite banner on display at Castlerea Prison
Old favourite banner on display at Castlerea Prison

Maura Harrington speaking again, outside the prison sentry room
Maura Harrington speaking again, outside the prison sentry room

author by FSB! - Shell to Seapublication date Sun Mar 28, 2010 15:50author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Last photo of the day's event. Solidarity to Pat - Shell to Sea!

The march returns to the prison's outer gates
The march returns to the prison's outer gates

author by Niallpublication date Sun Mar 28, 2010 19:04author address author phone Report this post to the editors

.

2010_0328castlereademo0006.jpg

2010_0328castlereademo0011.jpg

2010_0328castlereademo0014.jpg

2010_0328castlereademo0017.jpg

2010_0328castlereademo0020.jpg

author by Niallpublication date Sun Mar 28, 2010 19:21author address author phone Report this post to the editors

.

2010_0328castlereademo0024.jpg

2010_0328castlereademo0054.jpg

2010_0328castlereademo0059.jpg

2010_0328castlereademo0097.jpg

2010_0328castlereademo0127.jpg

author by Séamuspublication date Mon Mar 29, 2010 09:32author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Story with video and pics.

Related Link: http://www.eirigi.org/latest/latest290310.html
author by éirígí Sligeach - éirígí Sligeachpublication date Mon Mar 29, 2010 16:43author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Moe photos

dscf2418.jpg

dscf2368.jpg

dscf2441.jpg

dscf2449.jpg

dscf2390.jpg

Related Link: http://www.eirgisligeach.blogspot.com
Number of comments per page
  
 
© 2001-2025 Independent Media Centre Ireland. Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for non-commercial reuse, reprint, and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere. Opinions are those of the contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by Independent Media Centre Ireland. Disclaimer | Privacy