Ballumun tower block

"Hotel Ballymun" is "a unique short stay hotel" which is open to the public between 31st of March to the 27th of April 2007. It is located on the top floor of the Clarke Tower, one of the last remaining tower blocks in Ballymun, an impoverished suburb in North Dublin which has been extensively "regenerated" over the last few years.

The project was commissioned by Breaking Ground, the Ballymun Regeneration per cent for art scheme and it intends to "re-consider the utopian architecture of 1960’s Ballymun and encourage the practice of salvaging and re-imagining objects, spaces and resources from the past, which can be re-used inventively to meet contemporary needs."

However, the project is not without its critics. One indymedia contributor has launched a brutally frank attack on the project and similar artistic endeavours in the suburb, likening them to "showing an episode of "MTV Cribs" in deepest sub-saharan Africa - as if to say, here is what we have in our part of the world, you have none of this, we bet you'd like it but you're poor so fuck you."

New: an alternative view in photo story from hotel ballymun

Related Links: Hotel Ballymun Website | Affordable Housing in Ballymun: affordable for whom? | Out of site, Out of mind -Travellers in Ballymun | Open Forum meeting about Traveller accommodation in Ballymun | Ballymun Locals Take Action Against Privatisation | VIDEO: "mmm skyscraper i love you..." McDermott Tower comes crashing down in Ballymun | Residents protest in Ballymun | From Ballymun to Los Angeles - public housing residents meet at the Project Arts Theatre

Everything Must Go!

Concerns about the safety of Shell’s pipeline in Rossport are well known. But that’s not all that’s at stake. Not by 400 billion euro. The oil companies exploiting Ireland’s west coast have got some of the sweetest deals in the world and that doesn’t happen by accident.

This article looks at how the Irish state has been busy rolling over for the last thirty years so the multinationals can grab the riches that should belong to us all.

Related Links: ICTU head calls ponders nuclear power | Eirigi Natural Resources | SP on climate change | Rossport: a community resisting the multinationals | Peak oil and Energy Resources |

This morning myself and a number of my comrades from the WSM along with members of Eirigi occupied the roof and reception of Corrib House to draw attention to the state giveaway of Irelands natural resources. Outlined here is my understanding of why we need to act to regain control of our resources.

Over 200 gardai have been stationed indefinitely in a small community in the West of Ireland who are resisting the construction of an on land refinery and dangerous high pressure pipeline. There have been violent scenes as the states forces step in to ensure the construction goes ahead. While many people focus on the safety of the pipeline a greater controversy is going unnoticed, that our government has given away 8 billion euro worth of gas, enough to provide the needs of the entire nation for the next 20 years, to a private company who are only obliged to sell 30% of this back to us and that will be at normal market prices

Related Links: Audio report of Tuesday's occupation | Indymedia Mayo Archive | Shell to Sea | Rossport Solidarity Camp | éirígí | WSM |

Bellanboy Refinery

Sixty Shell to Sea protesters entered the proposed refinery site at Bellanboy this afternoon causing work to be stopped. The protesters entered the site at gate three on the Bellanaboy-Belmullet road at 3:30pm due to serious concerns about untreated water leaving the site, refusing to leave until their concerns are addressed.

Approximately thirty Gardai followed protesters onto the site instructing them to leave which they refused to do. Gardai initially attempted to forcibly remove protesters from the site but desisted once reminded that they too were trespassing on private property.

Related Links: Indymedia Mayo Archive | Shell to Sea | Rossport Solidarity Camp |

On the afternoon of 19th March Cosantori Siochana held a wreath laying ceremony, to mark the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, at Shannon Airport. Deirdre Clancy of the Pit-Stop Ploughshares laid the wreath at the site of the old Customs Post at the Airport. The group also laid flowers with the names of several of those who lost their lives in the ill-fated war in Iraq

Deirdre spoke of the importance of keeping the focus at Shannon Airport, “We owe it to ourselves to stand up against the militarisation of Shannon Airport and future generations and to the past who stood up against imperialism in an Irish context. We owe it our fellow human being to stand up stand up for their right not to be a slaughtered.” Later she praised local activists for organising the event

Related Links: Cosantori Siochana | Anti-War Ireland | IAWM | Indymedia Anti-War Stories | Black Shamrock | Irish Peace Activist speaks at Hungarian Peace Rally | AirportWatch Wiki