éirígí Tir Chonaill

Éilínn éirígí scaoileadh Pat O’ Donnell

25/03/10

(English version follows)

Beidh agóid náisiúnta ag éileamh ceartais ar son iascaire Pat O’ Donnell, atá faoi ghlas, ar siúl Dé Sathairn (27ú Márta) taobh amuigh de phríosún an Chaisleáin Riabhaigh, Co. Ros Comáin. Agus é ag labhairt sna laethanta ag teacht suas chuig an imeacht eagraithe ag Shell chun Sáile, deireann urlabhraí éirígí Thír Chonaill Mícheál Mac Giolla Easbuig gur chóir an tUasal O’ Donnell a scaoileadh saor ón bpríosún láithreach agus nár chóir an córas ceartais 26 contae a úsáid chun obair shalach an chomhlachta bhreosla ilnáisiúnta Shell a úsáid. Faoi láthair tá Shell gafa le hoibreacha ullmhúcháin do bhaint gháis atá 80km ó chósta Mhaigh Eo. Tá an comhlacht gafa le taiscéalaíocht gás eile agus olacheantair as cósta Dhún na nGall.

Dúirt Mac Giolla Easbuig, "Tá O’Donnell anois sa dara mhí de bhreith seacht mí mar gheall ar chionta oird phoiblí áibhlithe. Tá sé seo mar gheall ar an seasamh poiblí, agus é seo amháin, a thóg sé in aghaidh Shell atá ag fórsáil píplíne, atá ag iompar amhghás le hardbhrú, tríd cuan Chnocán na Líne agus istír i gcoinne mianta na ndaoine agus tromlach chónaithe an cheantair. Cáineadh an fear seo sna meáin agus casadh a shaol agus saolta a theaghlaigh bun os cionn ar fháth simplí, nach ligeann sé do Shell an pobal ina bhfuil sé ina chónaí a scriosadh."

Chuir sé le seo, "Gabháladh é féin agus a mhac gan mhoill agus iad ag iascaireacht, gan chúiseamh ag teacht amach as. Tógadh a shlí bheatha uaidh nuair a tháinig grúpa fear cumhdaithe ar bhord a bhád iascaireacht agus choinnigh siad é féin agus a chriú faoi dhíriú gunna, fad is a chuaigh roinnt den drong isteach i seomra an innill, scrios siad a bhád ag fágaint Pat agus a chriú le bheith tarrtháilte ó rafta tarrthála fad is a chuaigh a shoitheach faoi uisce. Ag agóidí in aghaidh gníomhuithe Shell rinne na Gardaí ionsaithe foréigneacha ar an Uasal O’Donnell ag fágaint é le gortaithe ar a aghaidh agus fiacla briste agus mar thoradh ar sin creideann a lán daoine anois go bhfuil na Gardaí sa cheantar ag feidhmiú i mbealach atá ar son Shell. Ní hiad seo gníomhuithe fórsa póilíneachta atá neamhlaofa nó neamhchlaonta."

"Tá muid i lár géarchéim gheilleagrach gan fasach sa tír seo agus níor chóir don stát a bheith comhpháirteach i dtabhairt amach na céadta billiúin euro d’ola agus de ghás le haghaidh leasanna ghnóthaí phríomháideacha. Ba chóir don stát é a úsáid le haghaidh muintir an oileáin seo agus go mbeadh sé athscagtha ag an bhfarraige i mbealach sábháilte agus neamhdhíobhálach don timpeallacht ar aon dul leis na cleachtais idirnáisiúnta is fearr."

Chríochnaigh sé: "Iarraimid in éirígí ar an méad is mó daoine agus is féidir freastal ar agóid Shell chun Sáile Dé Sathairn taobh amuigh de phríosún an Chaisleáin Riabhaigh ag a 3.30i.n., chun éileamh ar scaoileadh láithreach an Uasail O’Donnell agus chun ceartas dó féin agus do na daoine a dhéanann sé ionadaíocht do a bhaint amach. Tá dóchas ann go seolfaidh an agóid seo teachtaireacht, ní amháin le haghaidh tacaíochta ar son an Uasail O’Donnell, ach teachtaireacht chuig Shell agus an rialtas 26 contae nach féidir leo siúl ar mhuintir na hÉireann le haghaidh leasanna chomhlachtaí ilnáisiúnta eachtracha agus a scairshealbhóirí."

Is féidir le duine ar bith atá ag iarraidh taisteal chuig an agóid dul i dteagmháil liom ar 0868845476 chun socruithe a dhéanamh."

éirígí Call for O'Donnell's Release

A national protest demanding justice for jailed Mayo fisherman Pat O'Donnell, is to be held this coming Saturday ( 27th March ) outside Castlerea Prison, County Roscommon. Speaking in the run up to the event organised by campaign group Shell to Sea, éirígí Tir Chonaill spokesperson Micheál Colm Mac Giolla Easbuig says that Mr O'Donnell should be released from jail immediately and that the Twenty-Six County justice system should not be used to do the dirty work of multi-national fuel company Shell. Shell are currently involved in preparatory works for the extraction of gas 80km off the west coast of County Mayo. The company is also involved the exploration of other gas and oil fields off the coast of Donegal.

Mac Giolla Easbuig said, “Pat O'Donnell is now in the second month of a seven month jail sentence on trumped up public order offences. This is solely because he has taken a public stand against Shell who are forcing a pipeline, carrying high pressure raw gas, through Broadhaven Bay and ashore against the wishes of the majority of the residents of the area. This man has been vilified in the press and his life and that of his family turned upside down for the simple reason that he steadfastly refuses to let Shell run roughshod over the community in which he lives.”

He added: “He and his son have been arbitarily arrested while fishing, with no charges arising. He had his livelihood taken from him when a group of masked men boarded his fishing boat and held him and his crew at gunpoint, while some of the gang went into the engine room and scuttled his boat leaving Pat and his crew to be rescued from a liferaft as his vessel sank. At demonstrations against Shell's actions Mr O'Donnell has been violently assaulted by Gardai leaving him with facial injuries and broken teeth, leading many to believe that Gardai in the area are acting in nothing more than a pro-Shell manner. Hardly the acts of an unbiased, impartial police force."

"We are currently in the midst of an unprecedented economic crisis in this country and the state should not be complicit in the giving away of hundreds of billions of euros worth of oil and gas to private business interests. Rather it should be used by the state for the people of this island and refined at sea in a safe, environmentally friendly manner in line with best international practices."

He concluded: “We in éirígí are calling for as many people as possible to attend this Saturdays Shell to Sea protest outside Castlerea Prison at 3.30pm, to demand the immediate release of Mr O'Donnell and to secure justice for him and the people he represents. The hope is that this protest will send a message, not only of support to Mr O'Donnell, but a message to Shell and the Twenty-Six County government that the Irish people will not be walked on for the interests of foreign multi-national companies and their shareholders. Anyone wishing to travel to the protest can contact me on 0868845476 to make arrangements.”