Rossport Solidarity Camp was born in June of this year. It is the first protest camp around an ecological theme to take place in Ireland for several years.
The camp began after local opponents of Shell’s plan to build an unprecedented high pressure gas pipeline through the hamlet of Rossport invited us there to back up their struggle.

The main activities of the campers have been picketing the Rossport compound, building and maintaining the camp, and helping the families of the prisoners.

The campaign has won significant victories:

• June 18th onwards there have been no deliveries of construction materials to the compound at Rossport.
• June 30th onwards pickets closed the Rossport compound and the refinery construction site at Ballinaboy.
• In August Shell was forced to cancel the arrival of the Solitaire, one of the world’s largest pipelaying ships, due to a planned blockade by fishermen.
• On September 30th the Rossport Five were released, because of popular pressure.

In Spring we are into a new “construction season” when Shell again will try to build this pipeline and refinery, and we need to get the maximum number of people on the ground in Mayo ready to help stop this. Bear in mind most of this development was supposed to be built this year.

In March Rossport Solidarity Camp will be re-launched for the 2006 “construction season” - late Spring, Summer, early Autumn. From March onwards we are looking for more people to come to the camp, be it for 3 days, 3 weeks, or 3 months. All are welcome, you don’t need to be an “expert”, everyone can take part in this, most people who have been on the camp have had as their previous sum total of camping experience the occasional trip to the likes of Witness. Many also have had no previous experience of campaigning

Older Camp Stories:

• The Rossport Solidarity Camp
• Photos from a Summer of Resistance in Erris
• A Few Days of Struggle in North West Mayo
• Rossport Solidarity Camp
• Shell bus blockaded in Glengad

It was first revealed to the NCAD Students Union on Thursday 20th October, by an anonymous source, that the Board of NCAD were strongly considering the possibility of relocating the college to the Belfield campus of UCD. Students have reacted swiftly to this largely unwelcome development. The Campaigns officer of the NCAD SU submitted this report on the first student action taken in opposition to the proposed move.

On Thursday (27th October) we held our silent protest as all members of staff went to the 'Questions and Answers' meeting regarding the proposed closure of our Thomas Street campus... The silence lasted only until the meeting began, to be followed by 3 hours of colourful and noisy opposition to the move! Hundreds of students lined the corridors around the meeting and shouted slogans, many directly to Colm O'Briain, the director of NCAD, one of the main men involved in the proposal of this plan. As of yet, there's no official word from the government in relation to the move.

Local Counciller's have been contacted and many are in opposition to the proposed plan, and will meet with City Council officials and Colm O'Briain on November 11th. . . . Local business' have been contacted and are all generally in disbelief about these plans, and are entirelly opposed to the porposal. Our local Centra even got involved at the protest with the manager bringing boxes of bottled water to the students in order to encourage us to continue the protest.

As the staff finished their meeting, the protest again moved to the entrance in order to allow staff to hear our opinions as they left. With music and chants ringing loudly through the campus, the staff walked through and applauded our protest, thanking us for having enough respect for ourselves, the staff, and the local community. The director, Colm O'Briain, left through the fire escape and walked around the campus in order to avoid having to face the students!

Overall, we believe the protest was hugely successful, and we promise the staff of NCAD, the local business' of the area, and the local community who benefit so much from the college's presence that we will continue to fight for an independent National College of Art and Design on Thomas Street!

Background Information On Proposed NCAD Move to UCD Campus