While the actions of Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan hold the Nations attention as the Rossport Five remain in detention, an Indymedia favourite (Judge Mangan) was in action again last week - this time finding in favour of peace activist Conor Cregan who was charged with S. 6 of the Public Order Act. Court Reporter provides a blow-by-blow account of the action which sees contradictory Garda evidence, "Erased tapes, missing evidence, Conor's third arm, and the invisible red book", all playing their part in this courtroom drama.

From the Report:
Mr. Cregan : [reads] “On arrival I saw D. Sgt Joe O’Brien and Detective Garda Fahy struggle with Owen Rice and Conor Cregan” . How were they struggling?
Sgt Harran : Trying to hold on to them
Mr. Cregan : D. Sgt O’Brien said he was holding Mr. Rice.
Sgt Harran : I can’t say who was holding who.
Mr. Cregan : Who was holding Mr. Cregan?
Sgt Harran : I can’t say who was struggling with whom. Garda Culliton went to D.Sgt O’Brien, I went to Det. Fahy
Mr. Cregan : How long did it take you to get there?
Sgt Harran : We arrived at 1.15. It took 2 minutes to get to the scene.
Mr. Cregan : Where were you sitting?
Sgt Harran : In the back of the patrol car
.........................
Mr. Cregan: Where in the patrol car were you sitting when you arrived?
Garda Culltn: Front passenger.
Mr. Cregan: So you would have had a better view than Garda Harran in the back
Garda Culltn: Yes
Mr. Cregan: Did you talk to me
Garda Culltn: No
Mr. Cregan: . Why was there no verbal contact?
Garda Culltn: As I recall you were writing in a book as we were going the station.
Judge [to Mr. Cregan] : It’s a matter for you to decide, but this witness has not incriminated you, you don’t need to pursue this line, if it may incriminate you.
Mr. Cregan: That’s okay Judge. You say there was no struggling.
Garda Culltn: Correct

History of the Case:
Dec 8th 2003, December 11th 2003, December 12th 2003, Jan 17th 2004, Jan 17th 2004, Jan 18th 2004, Feb 13th 2004, Feb 13th 2004, Feb 17th 2004, Feb 18th 2004, Feb 23 2004, Feb 24 2004, March 1st 2004, May 22 2004

Seo thíos an ráiteas a d'eisigh Cúigear Ros Dumhach inniu in éis na hArd-Chúirte, agus a léigh an Dr Mark Garavan amach ar a son: "The freedom the Rossport 5 require is the freedom and obligation all citizens have, the freedom to use all peaceful means to protect themselves, their families and their neighbours. We are in prison because we intend to protect our lives, our families and our neighbours from potential disaster. We cannot agree to a proposal that proposes to ban us from continuing to protect our lives by opposing the Shell works. In light of recent developments, Shell's word is hardly legal tender." [Posted on behalf of: Vincent McGrath, Philip McGrath, Willie Corduff, Brendan Philbin agus Micheál Ó Seighin on July 25th / 12:58pm ]

"Since the 19th of June all deliveries of construction materials to the Sicim-Roadbridge compound at Rossport have been halted. Since the 30th of June that compound has been closed to engineers, managers, white collar workers and all other employees of Sicim and Roadbridge. The Rossport compound is the base of operations for the construction of the over land pipelines. Installation of the pipelines was due to begin on the 25th of February. It hasn't. Since the 30th of June pickets, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, have closed down the refinery construction site at Ballinaboy, which is effectively the only part of the on shore development that any work has been done on.That work has been merely the removal of peat to the peat storage facility at Srahmore. Once we get into late Autumn, due to climatic conditions, or rain in English, and geologic conditions, better known as bog, major construction work will have to cease." Right Back The Way You Came In. Again!

Dempsy Says Shell Breached Consents | A Few Days Of Struggle In North-West Mayo | Labour Demand Dail Debate | Dempsey Gets It In Glenties | SF Take It To Europe | Norway Gets The Message | Shell VS People Power

Dublin Rossport Demonstration Photos: 1 | 2 | 3
Day Of Action Photos

A group of female Nigerian asylum seekers who are all living in a direct provision hostel on Lower Gardiner Street will next Tuesday hold a joint meeting which they initiated with help from Residents Against Racism in the ATGWU hall in Dublin. In a significant first for this country, the meeting will be addressed exclusively by Nigerians seeking asylum and campaigning for fairer treatment for asylum seekers in Ireland. The speakers include FGM campaigners, womens rights campaigners, anti corruption campaigners and other political activists and they hope to communicate the reality of living in modern Nigeria.

RECENT INDYMEDIA IRELAND STORIES ON THIS ISSUE
Interview With RAR Activist Just before last Mass Deportation To Nigeria
An Illegal Deportation Takes Place
Female Asylum Seekers March From Dail To Department Of Justice: Photo Report July 14 2005
Two Nigerian Women Explain Why They Protested Deportation Regime On July 14th 2005

Hill of Tara (top) clearly visible from M3 construction site in the the Tara-Skryne Valley

More Tara News: *Co Meath Sinn Féin County Cllr. Joe Reilly (SF) On The M3 Interchange / Debate On Campaign Tactics *Indymedia Tara Archive *Upcoming Tara Related Protests

''Further photographs taken Saturday July 16th show more caterpillar marks on the 15 foot high topsoil grinding down any possible finds that might emerge. The large digger on site has been replaced by a much smaller one but the marks of the caterpillar wheels clearly show that they were caused by a much larger machine. The test trenching report stated that there was an expected “19 century (?) house” on this site and this is carefully marked out on site. But this is not to say that other materials are not hidden in the topsoil of what is recognised as one of the richest archaeological landscapes in Europe.

Most archaeologists agree that 50%-80% of artefacts are found in the topsoil. If another Derry na Flann chalice or a Tara brooch appears there is not much hope of finding it crushed beneath one of these monster machines.

The Minister of Environment has shown that he is no such thing. We have no Minister for Heritage. The Ministry that M.D Higgins so carefully built up has been destroyed, Dúchas is dismantled and the NRA is given responsibility for archaeology. The same NRA along with Meath County Council are completely insensitive to the concerns of the local people over the methodology employed here. Where is the Research Documentation that should accompany such a dig?

Public money is being wasted on this unnecessary excavation. This is not proper research archaeology. This is wanton destruction and vandalism of our most important archaeological, literary, historical and sacred landscape and it must be stopped now.''

Updates On Rossport 5 Saga | A Day In The Struggle | Galway Protest Photoreport | Belmullet Rally Photo Series | Ex Gama Workers Support Rossport 5 Picket | DCTU Call For Release Of Rossport 5 | Shell To Sea Picket Norwegian Embassy | Second Cork Blockade Of Shell | The Story Behind The Inprisonment Of The Rossport 5 | Get Your Ass To Erris

The change proposed to the High Court order today is a welcome advance extracted from Shell. Shell has accepted, by implication, that it is in breach even of the rolling consents granted to them by ex-Minister Frank Fahy.

We welcome Shell’s promise to abide by the consent and hope that this indicates a new attitude on their part to what behaviour is tolerable in a democratic society.

It is regrettable that this decision to abide by the law has been extracted from Shell as a result of the action of our legal team, and is not a voluntary conversion. What a commentary this is on accepted business ethics, when such behaviour is practised with impunity.

We are in jail, as a last resort, to protect ourselves and our families, our neighbours and our area, from potential destruction by gas pipeline rupture. That remains our position, our one and only requirement: no-one can do less.

Pipelines rupture: no pipeline engineer intends this to happen but it does, with sickening frequency. The outlandish pipeline here proposed, to be forced in close proximity past our houses, is the stuff of nightmares. What they do to us, they will do to you.

The solution we are proposing, i.e. a shallow offshore platform, is the only positive one. It means yes to gas, yes to jobs, but yes to health and safety.

Posted on behalf of: Philip McGrath, Brendan Philbin, Vincent McGrath, Willie Corduff and Micheál Ó Seighin

Complete Indymedia Ireland Coverage Of Shell VS Rossport 5