Shell to Sea Galway St Patrick's Day

galway | miscellaneous | news report Thursday March 25, 2010 17:18 by Kevin Rattigan - Galway Shell to Sea galwayshelltosea at gmail dot com

St Patrick’s Day saw Galway Shell to Sea organise a city-wide day of action and outreach. Massive crowds flocked to the city for the culmination of the Galway St. Patrick’s week festival and parade. The all-Ireland Irish language marathon “Rith 2010” also finished in the city centre on the same day. Given all this, Galway S2S felt such an opportunity was not to be missed to inform people about the plight of Rossport and the war Shell, Statoil and Vermillion Oil are waging against its residents with full support of the Irish State. The abhorrent jailing of Pat O’ Donnell was much publicised also. Over 400 copies of the excellent “Someday Independent” were distributed, along with copies of the Afri documents, DVDs and more. 6 banners were hung throughout the city’s busiest intersections, including directly over the parade route.

At one point, one particularly pig-headed member of the Garda Síochana took a copy of the Someday Independent from the hands of a Shell to Sea activist, only to scrunch it up and throw it in the bin in front of us. Upon being confronted about this, he became increasingly hostile and eventually told the same activist that he was either going to take a €50 fine or be arrested for a public order offense and face court! Not wanting to land in Mill St. on St. Patricks Day, the fine was begrudgingly accepted-despite the fact that NO offence had occurred. Political policing, sure the Gardai have plenty of practice at it. The commotion caused by the Gardai’s attempt to criminalise us only created more interest in our issue, providing a further clear example of the Gardai’s overall antagonistic attitude towards the public that day. Despite this set back, the day was a huge success and the Shell to Sea message was met with some great support, despite the corporate media’s sustained attempts to demonise us.
The Rith 2010 slogan, “ní neart go cur le chéile” applies to us in all walks of life and through building and active S2S group here in Galway, we aim to prove this and to achieve justice for the Rossport community once and for all.

Ba ar Lá Fhéile Pádraig a d'eagraigh Shell Chun Sáile Ghaillimh gníomhaíochtaí agus poiblíocht ar fud na cathrach. Shlógaigh na sluaite chuig an chathair le haghaidh buaic na Féile Pádraig i nGaillimh. Chríochnaigh an ''Rith 2010'' i lár na cathrach ar an lá céanna freisin. Dá bharr seo ar fad, chinn Shell Chun Sáile Ghaillimh nach bhféadfaí ach an deis iontach sin a thapú le daoine a chur ar an eolas maidir le cruachás Ros Dumhach agus an cogadh atá ar bun ag Shell, Statoil agus Vermillion Oil in éadan mhuintir na háite le lántacaíocht an stáit. Rinneadh móran poiblíochta fosta ar phriosúntacht náireach Pat O'Donnell. Scaipeadh 400 cóip den ''Someday Indepenent'' ar dóigh, chomh maith le cóipeanna na gcáipéisí Afri, dlúthdhioscaí agus tuilleadh. Crochadh sé mheirige in airde ar fud na gcrosbhealach ba ghnóthaí sa chathair, díreach os cionn slí na paráide san áireamh.

Ag pointe amháin, thóg amadán glan de chuid an Gharda Síochána cóip den ''Someday Independent'' as lámha gníomhaí Shell Chun Sáile, agus chaith ansin sa bhosca brúscair díreach os ár gcomhair. Agus dúshlán s'aige a thógáil d'éirigh sé níos gangaidí agus faoi dheireadh dúirt leis an ghníomhaí go nglacfadh sé le fíneáil 50 euro nó a bheith gafa as cion oird phoiblí agus a dhul chun na cúirte! Gan a bheith ag iarraidh landáil ar Shráid an Mhuillinn ar lá 'le Pádraig, glacadh go drogalllach leis an fhíneáil – d'ainneoin nach ndearnadh coir ar bith! Póilíneacht pholaitiúil, leoga tá moll mór taithí ag na Gardaí chuige sin. Spreag an raic a chruthaíodh le hiarracht na nGardaí coirpigh a dhéanamh dínn níos mó suime i bhfeachtas s'againne, rud a thaispeáin aríst eile sampla soiléir de mheon binbeach na nGardaí i leith an phobail i gcoitinne an lá sin. D'ainneoin an dul ar gcúl seo, rath mór a bhí ar an lá agus fáiltíodh le tacaíocht mhór roimh theachtaireacht Shell Chun Sáile, d'ainneoin iarracht leanúnach an mheáin chumarsáide chorparáideach muid a dhamnú.

Baineann an ghairm ag Rith 2010 '' Ní neart go cur le chéile'' linn ar fad na slíte beatha uilig atá againn agus le grúpa gníomhach Shell Chun Sáile thógáil anseo i nGaillimh, tá sé de chuspóir againn sin a chruthú agus ceartas a bhaint amach do phobal Ros Dumhach faoi dheireadh thiar thall.

Galwayshell2sea@gmail.com