Anniversary of the Jailing of the Rossport Five

mayo | environment | news report Saturday July 01, 2006 19:05 by Eif (text), Eif, P, and Aron (photos) - Rossport Solidarity Camp

Thursday 29th June

Thursday was a busy day for many in the north-west of Mayo. The shock generated by last year’s jailing of five men for attempting to safeguard their families and assert their democracy has since mutated into a steadfast determination to oppose Shell’s undemocratic profit-generating, PR master-plan of a pipeline. But such hard work on the ground deserves a bit of a hoo-ha now and then, and Thursday’s activities provided both.

John Monaghan hands in letter of protest at council offices

Des Mahon, county manager of Mayo, must have been hiding from the rain, however, when fifty or so people arrived on the county office doorstep during the morning to hand him a letter. And with TV cameras including RTE and TV3 about, poor Mahon might regretfully missed the chance to see his face all over the news. Many are concerned about phosphorous and aluminium levels in the local water supply, and claim to having been left with an incomprehensable lack of contact from the council on the matter. If the county council doesn’t act soon, an angry letter will be the least of Mahon’s worries.

The next port of call for the residents of Rossport, the surrounding villages and supporters of the Shell to Sea campaign was the village of Straide to the museum and grave of Michael Davitt of the Land League, whose centenary anniversary is this year. Solemn and inspiring speeches suited the occasion and Shell to Sea spokesperson Mark Garavan, Vincent McGrath rose to the task. Garavan asserted that Davitt's achievements and this shared history are an inspiration for the campaign. Davitt's campaign for justice has been affirmed by history. The Shell to Sea campaign is inspired by the couage Davitt had to challange his begrudgers and critics. Though the speed and accent of McGrath's speech as Gaeilge was lost on my leaving-cert-Irish ears, I garnered from it the 'neart' to make it through a bout of the rosary in the lashing rain, and we were off.

A convoy of around 55 cars beeping and blustering through the north-west of Mayo may have come as a shock to visitors, yet the people of Erris (and I suspect the PR honchos at Shell HQ) have had plenty of opportunities to taste the unflinching and unyielding constituations of the Shell to Sea campaigners and their ilk. The RTE van got caught up in the excitement somewhere around Bellacorrick...

A barbeque, face-painting and traditional music were the late afternoon festivities at the Bellanaboy compound. A laughing crowd gathered around a car listening to details of Bertie's and Trevor Sargent spat over Fahy's foibles is no joke, I imagine, to those types in suits who are concerning themselves with upcoming elections. Another spin with horns a-blazing, this time around the local villages, met local barking dogs and children with their mammies waving from the doorsteps. The procession ended in Rossport itself, before returning to the barbeque for some bia agus ceol into the evening.

Terence Conway with his latest sign

Vincent McGrath delivers oration at Davitt’s grave

Laying wreath at Davitt's grave

Convoy