Shell to Sea's Long Walk from Rossport to Dublin begins

mayo | environment | news report

Saturday July 29, 2006 22:08

by EC - RSC

rossportsolidaritycamp at gmail dot com

Despite the moist weather over sixty walkers turned out for the first leg of Shell to Sea's awareness raising Long Walk from Rossport to Dublin.

damp walkers pose outside Shell's compound in Rossport this morning

Over sixty Shell to Sea campaigners, Erris residents and members of Rossport Solidarity Camp braved the damp conditions of a Mayo summer this morning to participate in the first leg of the Long Walk from Rossport to Dublin City. The crowd of walkers gathered outside the gates of Shell’s semi-abandoned compound in Rossport amid soft Atlantic showers for the walks kick off at half ten.

After a few words of encouragement from local TD Jerry Cowley and two decades of the rosary led by Mary Horan and Caitlín Sheighin the walkers were liberally sprinkled with holy water before taking the first few steps on the road east to Dublin.

This morning’s opening leg of the Long Walk wound ten kilometres from Shell’s Rossport compound along the route of the never to be built pipeline, into Rossport village and on towards the refinery site at Bellanaboy. Much needed sandwiches and tea was dispensed to wet walkers on arrival at the trailer at Bellanaboy where an ongoing picket has stopped Shell’s work at the site for over a year.

Tomorrow’s leg will bring walkers from Bellanaboy to Bellacorrick on the border of Erris. Around six core walkers from Erris Shell to Sea and Rossport Solidarity Camp plan to walk the whole way to Dublin with many more intending to walk part of the way, for a few days or miles. Many others are helping with support work, carrying food and water, organising meetings or doing media work.

the long road to Dublin stretches out

tae and sandwiches at the trailer Bellanaboy

customised visi-vest

and another customised visi-vest

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Comments (4 of 4)

nice one!

by krossie - wsm/dublin s2s

Sun Jul 30, 2006 21:11

Beir Bua!

Krossie

ROLL OUT THE SUPPORT, GREET, MEET AND WALK!

by Supporter - S2S

Sun Jul 30, 2006 19:42

Walk schedule:
Saturday July 29th Rossport Bellanaboy
Sunday July 30th Bellanaboy Bangor-Erris Bellacorick
Monday July 31st Bellacorick Crossmolina Ballina
Tuesday August 1st Ballina Foxford Straide
Wednesday August 2nd Straide Ballyvarry Bohola Swinford Charlestown
Friday August 4th Charlestown Carracastle Ballaghdereen Frenchpark
Saturday August 5th Frenchpark Bellanagare Tulsk Strokestown
Sunday August 6th Strokestown Termonbarry Longford
Monday August 7th Longford Edgeworthstown Rathowen Ballinalack Bunbrosna Ballinafid Mullingar
Wednesday August 9th Mullingar Kinnegad Clonard
Thursday August 10th Clonard Moyvalley Enfield Kilcock
Friday August 11th Kilcock Maynooth Leixlip Lucan Liffey Valley
Saturday August 12th Liffey-Valley Kilmainham Dublin (City Centre)

All stages due to begin at 0800 and finish at 1700 (5.00pm) approx. except;
Rossport - Bellanaboy 1030 - 1330 (1.30 pm)
Longford - Mullingar 0630 - 1900 (7.00pm) approx.
Liffey Valley - City Centre 0800 - 1400 (2.00pm) approx.

Keep an eye on www.shelltosea.com for more details.

The Shell to Sea campaign have organised the walk from Erris to Dublin for the first two weeks in August. We need all the logistical, promotional and financial help we can get. Can anyone offer accomodation, meeting space and organising, press support, finance, food, friendship along the way?

>>>Please get in touch with us: info@shelltosea.com / More info

Things looking up!!

by cool j

Sun Jul 30, 2006 03:50

As the campagin goes from strengh to strenght, so does next weeks weather prospects - Looking increasingly warm and dry from the west next week ;).

STAGE 001

by JM

Sat Jul 29, 2006 23:33

Rossport

I had this prepared earlier but EC got there first. Well done to the rapid response team!

(29/07/06)

Today saw the first completed stage of The Long Walk from Rossport to Dublin, just under 10 miles (15.6 km) between the Shell compound in Rossport and the proposed refinery site in Bellanaboy.

At 1040 in the morning an official figure of 68.5 walkers (plus several cars) braved the wild and wet weather to begin the trek. After bilingual prayers and a few short words from Mayo TD Dr Jerry Cowley, the walk began.

Hi-viz jackets, bottles of water and raincoats were the order of the day. The company made good time after two months of hard training, and arrived in Bellanaboy on schedule, where the usual supply of tea and sandwiches were enjoyed by all.

Next stop tomorrow: Bangor Erris, and on to Bellacorick.

Damp walkers raring to go