The Salthill Air Show in Galway

by Bronstein - Liberal Catholic Ceili Band Tue Apr 26, 2005 01:56

Did organisers of airshow post this? Are they trying to provoke people into protesting as a way of providing free advertising for their event? Or am I paranoid?

by Peter Elliot Tue Apr 26, 2005 15:21

No one would post this on this site, it was done by a member of the board trying to stir shit.

by Anon Tue Apr 26, 2005 15:55

It would be good if some of the people down there, made up a few large posters showing graphic pictures of the human carnage that these so-called glorious flying machines actually inflict on people elsewhere around the world and help connect the dots for those at the show.

The pictures below are just a small sample of the daily carnage brought upon people by war planes.

Just remember, there will always be billions available to build the next fighter plane, but largely nothing for those on the receiving end.

Victim of a bombed bus, Kosovo

Cluster bobm victim, Gulf War

Charred victim of bombing along roadside

Another cluster bomb victim, Gulf War

Someone's home, Kosovo

by A10 Wed Apr 27, 2005 21:32

The first photograph was from Kosovo all right .After the Serbs shot up that bus with plain old boring AK47s.So which is it? Serb paramilitary massacare or accidental bombing???Do yourselves no favours by trying to recyle the pics.

by Phelim - Galway Alliance Against War Tue May 24, 2005 21:56 gaaw at eircom dot net

Galway Alliance Against War has been actively and successfully criticising the salthill Airshow for several years for it's reliance on warplanes; many of which have been been busy killing mostly civilians in recent years.
We are trying to get Galway city Council to make it's (generous) grant conditional on the absence of warcraft. Not only will the Council not do that, they refuse even to receive a deputation from GAAW stating our position. Apparently the Airshow is very good for "Salthill traders".
Nonetheless the campaign has had an effect. The use of warplanes in the show is now an annual topic of debate in galway and the local media have commented on this both last year and this year in relation to the council's negative attitude to hearing every viewpoint.

by Al Tue May 24, 2005 22:18

People like fighter jets. Its that simple, people like films like Topgun. kids loves all this stuff just like they like playing with toy soldiers.

by Bronstein - Liberal Catholic Ceili Band Fri May 27, 2005 11:26

Council will not meet objectors to war planes in air show
Michelle McDonagh

Galway city councillors have refused to meet a deputation from a local anti-war group which is objecting to the continued inclusion of war planes in the annual air show in Salthill.

The Galway Alliance Against War requested in 2003 and 2004 that the council discontinue its subvention to the air show if it continued to include war planes. Despite the inclusion of such planes, the council continued to provide the subvention.

"This year the Galway alliance would like to make the same request as we believe that an otherwise entertaining spectacle is being spoiled by the totally inappropriate inclusion of war planes," it said .

The Galway air show attracts some 100,000 people to Salthill each July, and is a vital source of revenue for the area.

Cllr Niall Ó Brolcháin (Green Party) proposed that a deputation from the group be permitted to address the council. He was seconded by Cllr Billy Cameron (Labour), who said there were plenty of other aircraft that could be flown at the show apart from war planes.

However, eight councillors voted against allowing the deputation into the chamber, with five voting for.

Mayor Catherine Connolly said it was a sad day for Galway that the council would not let a deputation tell it why it did not want war planes flying over the city, particularly in light of the current situation in Iraq.

Cllr John Mulholland (FG) said he would be very keen for the air show to continue and progress. The Red Arrows, probably the most prolific pilots in the world, had been a very important part of the show over the past two years.

Cllr Brian Walsh (FG) said he would be against meeting the deputation as its main purpose would be to try to convince the council to withdraw funding for the show. The event was a great source of revenue for Salthill, and brought thousands of people to the resort.

Cllr Colette Connolly said she could not see why the councillors would not just listen to the arguments of the deputation. She said it set an extremely bad precedent.