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July 2013

Oil and gas drilling off west to intensify as about 10 firms interested

By: 
Barry O Halloran - Irish Times

Oil and gas exploration off Ireland’s west coast is likely to step up over the next year despite ExxonMobil’s exit last week.

The oil major abandoned a well it had drilled in the Dunquin licence about 150km from the southwest coast after finding just residual quantities of oil and some water there. A spokesman said it had no further plans to drill in Irish waters.

Posted Date: 
31 July 2013

Anti-fracking protesters halt Sussex shale gas operation

By: 
Robert Booth - The Guardian

Activists in Balcombe block lorry carrying equipment for drilling operation that is due to start next week

Anti-fracking campaigners claimed a surprise victory on Thursday against attempts to extract oil in the home counties.

Dozens of protesters blockaded a drill site outside the West Sussex village of Balcombe. The drill was operated by Cuadrilla, the energy company headed by former BP chief Lord Browne.

Posted Date: 
31 July 2013

Mayo farmer to face criminal damage charge over Shell protest

By: 
the journal.ie

Gerry Bourke is insisting he did nothing wrong, and is vowing to keep up his protest against the Corrib Gas Project.
Gerry Bourke – a farmer from Aughoose in County Mayo – is insisting he has no case to answer after being hit with a criminal damage and trespass charge in relation an incident at Shell Ireland’s tunnelling site in the village.

Posted Date: 
26 July 2013

OSSL owner Neil Rooney blogging on Shell deception

By: 
Neil Rooney - RoyalDutchShellPLC.com
 
  1. #2 Neil Rooney
    on Jul 24th, 2013 at 16:42
Posted Date: 
25 July 2013

News Release: Aughoose Farmer arrested for opposing Shell

News release - Issued by Shell to Sea - Thursday 25th July 2013

AUGHOOSE FARMER ARRESTED FOR OPPOSING SHELL

Early yesterday morning, Mayo farmer Gerry Bourke was arrested by Gardaí  at his home in Aughoose, Co. Mayo.  He was held for 6 hours at Belmullet Garda station before being charged with criminal damage and trespass at Shell's tunneling compound at Aughoose.

Mr Bourke was questioned by Garda Hugh Egan, who was previously recorded joking about raping female anti-Shell campaigners in 2011.  Garda Egan was briefly moved to Castlebar in the immediate aftermath of the recording being made public, however he remains actively involved in policing Corrib protests. [1]

Gerry Bourke has opposed the imposition of the Corrib Gas project in his village over the past decade and has previously spoken out regarding the occupation of the area by Shell and IRMS security. [2]

Shell's tunnel creates another dangerous hole

By: 
ErrisCamera - YouTube

On the 19th of July, the latest Shell sinkhole appeared in Sruwaddacon estuary above Shell's tunnel. Sruwaddacon estuary is a special area of conservation and special protection area, and this video shows spoil spewing out onto the sea bed. This video proves that Pat Rabbitte's statement in the Dáil that the holes are around 50cm deep is false. This shows a picture of stick 1m long being placed in the hole (and no bottom could be felt).
http://www.shelltosea.com/content/video-rabbitte-admits-d%C3%A1il-speech-sinkholes-sending-him-sleep

Previous sinkhole video can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hvz2l...

Posted Date: 
21 July 2013

Heatwave hits Seanad as deputies get hot under the collar

By: 
Miriam Lord - Irish Times

The Senators don’t pack up until next week, although acting cathaoirleach Denis O’Donovan wearily told them if they didn’t speed up they wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while

When is a sinkhole not a sinkhole? When it’s a depression.

Posted Date: 
19 July 2013

Video: Rabbitte admits Dáil speech on sinkholes is sending him to sleep

By: 
Hugh O'Connell - TheJournal.ie

It wasn’t the most invigorating answer to a Dáil question that the Communications Minister was delivering in the chamber today as he himself admitted.

PAT RABBITTE HAS confessed to nodding off as he delivered an answer to a Dáil question in the chamber this afternoon.

Posted Date: 
19 July 2013

New revelations in Shell Corrib Gas Corruption Scandal

By: 
John Donovan - RoyalDutchShellPLC.com

Now Superintendent Thomas Murphy has approached OSSL saying that he is going to investigate. He has presented himself “as an independent person to the ongoing issues in Co Mayo” with clean hands. I can only guess that he did not receive a share of the free booze received from Shell by hundreds of his fellow County Mayo Garda police officers. With all due respect to Superintendent Murphy, he can hardly be described as “independent”. However, if Superintendent Murphy decides to press ahead, the first person he should approach is Detective Chief Superintendent John Gilligan. He should ask Gilligan if he personally helped unload a delivery of alcohol at Bellmullet Garda station. (He did) If Gilligan declines to answer without first seeking advice from his lawyer, that alone would speak volumes. Superintendent Murphy may also wish to ask Gilligan and the other Garda who offloaded the free booze, who paid for it, who delivered it and who ended up drinking it?

Screen Shot 2013-04-06 at 16.43.01

Posted Date: 
18 July 2013

‘Sinkholes’ in Corrib project not dangerous

By: 
Marie O'Halloran - Irish Times

Minister says holes are ‘depressions’ from air releases during maintenance work

Posted Date: 
18 July 2013