Today in Mayo: Shell attempt to seize land is defeated

mayo | environment | news report

Wednesday June 15, 2005 19:03

by Terry - Shell to Sea

info at shelltosea dot com

Shell attempt to enter lands in Rossport, Mayo, to lay surveying posts for their pipeline, is defeated by local residents, again!

Today June 15th Shell attempted to access the lands of those Rossport residents who do not want them there.
Three jeeps, about ten engineers, and a Garda squad car were in attendance. While trying to get onto the land of Philip McGrath they were told they did not have permission and left, likewise with some lands for which Willie Corduff has power of attorney. The police took names but took no other action. This was the first attempted entry since March 1st and the first attempted entry after the High Court granted temporary injunctions banning the landowners from stopping Shell from entering their lands.
They then went further up the pipeline route to the townland of Gortacragher and the farm of Brid McGarry, and likewise she denied them access without the proper consents. Paul Gallagher, a Shell Employee, then made an official complaint to the two Garda, saying they had a Compulsory Acquisition Order and Interim Injunction allowing them access. The Garda just took names.

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Comments (9 of 9)

garda taking names

by jim bob

Wed Jun 15, 2005 20:54

the garda shouldn't even be taking names.
If there;s a dispute over a high court decision on access to the land, that's a civil matter, not a criminal matter.

The garda, while perfectly entitled to observe and ensure that there is no violence, is not entitled to act on behalf of Shell in a civil matter.

he;s not entitled to take names or gather information for any shell court action.

He is only entitled to take names if he suspects anyone of being up to criminal activity.

Fair play to ye for standing your ground (literally) against these feckers who've robbed our natural resources with the connivance and assistance of the state

Civil versus Criminal

by Niall

Wed Jun 15, 2005 21:18

I believe Jim Bob is right, the guards don't have any business getting involved in this civil matter unless someone does something criminal, and they will tell you that themselves, or at least they should because that's what they told myself and Philip McGrath, landowner, on the Saturday night of the Solidarity Gathering in Mayo when we were speaking to them.

Shell-Statoil and the Gardai

by M.M. McCarron - osi

Thu Jun 16, 2005 00:05

majella_mccarron at yahoo dot co dot uk

Is Shell - Statoil encouraging the Gardai to break the law? Whatever will they attempt next?

Legal knowledge and help needed

Thu Jun 16, 2005 00:14

Shell have previously been granted a high court injunction against the locals which prevents them from going on to their own land to stop Shell moving in.
The locals have said they will ignore that injunction and are prepared to go to jail to defend their land.
They defended their land today and prevented Shell from entering.
Can anyone advise as to what the likely effect of that will be? Will they be taken to court, and if so how? What avenues can Shell use against them now? Can the guards arrest them and if so on what charge?
Although they are prepared to fight on, they are worried tonight about the consequences of their acton today.

Aswell as any legal advice/knowledge anyone can offer, can we get more help in the form of legals/solicitors/barristers volunteering not necessarily for court cases, just for advice and to be at the end of a phone line.

contempt of court

by Jim Bob

Thu Jun 16, 2005 11:24

the first thing that can happen is that Shell can report the landowners for contempt of court for refusing to bow down to the court order which basically told them to roll over and play dead for Shell.

Stressed to the last.

Thu Jun 16, 2005 13:22

Today Thursday at 9.30am Shell tried to move in again on their land, without success. There was a rush by the locals to block them. They succeeded but one of the women collapsed and had to be taken to the local doctor. Doctor's diagnosis ... "Stressed to the last".
Husbands and wives, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters still out on the road and in the fields anticipating Shell's next move and preparing to block them.
This is fuckin' outrageous.

'bout time

by Edward de Búrca

Mon Jun 27, 2005 14:05

an_burcach at yahoo dot co dot uk

it's about time that locals stood up to big corporations. It will indeed be interesting to see what further measures are taken by Shell via the authorities to circumvent local will. It would be surprising if they gave up that easily.

Is e rud an aisteach e, freisin, nach bfhuil nios mo deanta ag an taire Mc Dowell in aghaidh na leirsitheori sin. Ta suil agam nach gcaithfidis isteach na tuáille chomh luath sin agus go leanfidis orthu chuir in eadan an comhlacht il-naisiunta sin.

EdeB

Contempt of court

by beware the risen people

Mon Jun 27, 2005 20:47

Shure with de courts de way dey are is it any wunder dat people are holding dem in contempt ..... dey don't deserve any better ......

Gortacragher

by roger w

Wed Jan 16, 2008 18:07

just been reading the comments on Shell and the Gortacragher incident. I totally admire the stand that the residents have made for their lands, environment and children's future.
I had the pleasure to visit this area last weekend and was astounded by the beauty . fair play to you and keep up the good work .

I was so astounded by the area itself that we are to purchase a cottage here and when asked if I was fearful of the shell line crossing the lands answered;

Irish people have met with insurmountable odds throughout the ages and have laughed in the face of tyrants. Shell is but another tyrant to be mocked and laughed at along with the corrupt, hypocritical irish government whose financial wrong doings are tantamount to fiscal rape of the irish people.

Maybe there is an inevitability about it all and Shell will get teir way eventually but if we do not try to better the world for our kids then what kind of legacy do we leave them.

I only hope soon that some of us irish people have the courage and drive to stand up to the spoofs in the Dail and let Ireland stand once more on the high moral ground it once occuppied

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Today in Mayo: Shell attempt to seize land is defeated

Comments (9 of 9)