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July 2015

Anti-apartheid priest supports Corrib gas project community

By: 
Lorna Siggins - Irish Times

Fr Michael Lapsley addresses community at public talk and workshop in Co Mayo

An Anglican priest who lost both his hands and his right eye over his opposition to apartheid in South Africa has offered his support to the community affected by the Corrib gas project in north Co Mayo.

Posted Date: 
27 July 2015

Anti-Shell protesters cleared of violent-disorder charges

By: 
Mayo News

A jury has found two anti-Shell protesters not guilty of violent-disorder charges after a nine-day trial in Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
Gerry Bourke (50) of Aughoose, Pollathomas, and Liam Heffernan (30) of Kilnagear, Belcarra, Castlebar, were both charged with violent disorder following a protest at a Shell compound at Aughoose, Pollathomas, on June 23, 2013.
The two men pleaded not guilty to the offences, and following a trial before Judge Petria McDonnell, the jury of eight women and two men took less than two hours to unanimously find them both not guilty.

Posted Date: 
24 July 2015

Shell accused of providing £25,000 in alcohol to police

By: 
Richard Hartley-Parkinson - Metro.co.uk

Shell has been accused of supplying £25,000 in alcohol to Irish police officers by two suppliers to an Irish gas project.

Desmond Kane and Neil Rooney both claimed in court that they were told by someone from Shell E&P Ireland to buy the alcohol, according to the Irish Journal.

Rooney told Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court that he was asked by senior pipeline engineer Conor Byrne to make the delivery in 2007.

Posted Date: 
24 July 2015

Men tell court they supplied alcohol to Belmullet Gardaí for Shell

By: 
Anton McNulty - Mayo News

Two former suppliers to the Corrib gas project told a jury they supplied UK£25,000-worth of alcohol to gardaí in 2007 on behalf of Shell E&P Ireland.
The allegations were made by Desmond Kane and Neil Rooney, co-owners of OSSL, which had previously supplied personal protective equipment for the Corrib gas project in north Mayo. Both claimed that a person from Shell E&P Ireland asked them to buy alcohol in Northern Ireland and store it in a container at the back of their premises in Bangor Erris.

Posted Date: 
24 July 2015

Shell asked for £25,000 worth of alcohol to be delivered to gardaí in Mayo, court told

By: 
The journal.ie

The detailed claims were made in a Mayo court last week.

TWO FORMER SUPPLIERS to the Corrib gas project told a jury they supplied £25,000-worth of alcohol to gardaí in 2007 on behalf of Shell E&P Ireland.

The allegations were made by Desmond Kane and Neil Rooney, co-owners of OSSL, which had previously supplied personal protective equipment for the Corrib gas project in north Mayo.

Both claimed that a person from Shell E&P Ireland asked them to buy alcohol in Northern Ireland and store it in a container at the back of their premises in Bangor Erris.

The two men’s claims were made at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court last Thursday during the trial of Gerry Bourke and Liam Heffernan, who were charged with violent disorder following a protest in a shell compound in Aughoose, Pollathomas.

Mr Bourke and Mr Heffernan were later found not guilty by the jury.

Under oath, Mr Neil Rooney claimed that the first delivery of alcohol to Belmullet Garda Station was made in 2005, and that in 2007, he was asked by Conor Byrne, a senior pipeline engineer with Shell, to make a large delivery.

Posted Date: 
21 July 2015

Corrib protesters not guilty of violent disorder charges

By: 
Anton McNulty - Irish Times

Two protesters have been found not guilty of violent disorder during a protest at a Shell compound in north Mayo.

Posted Date: 
17 July 2015

Corrib myth-making and the Children of Lir

By: 
Áine Ryan - Mayo News

Áine Ryan reflects on contemporary parallels underpinning universal themes in the David and Goliath struggle over Corrib gas

Posted Date: 
16 July 2015

Shell protesters cleared of criminal damage at protest

By: 
Anton McNulty - Mayo News

Two protesters have been cleared of criminal damage resulting from a protest at a Shell compound in north Mayo but still face charges of violent disorder.

Posted Date: 
15 July 2015

Defence SC: “He wasn’t physically aggressive, would you agree?” Shell security guard: “Yes”

By: 
Paul Lynch - Shell to Sea

Day 4 of Corrib Gas Trial, Castlebar Circuit Court 10th July 2015

The trial of two Mayo men accused of violent disorder and damaging property at the Shell Corrib gas project tunneling site in June 2013 continues in Castlebar circuit court.
On Friday four Shell security guards gave evidence to the court and were cross examined by the defence.

Posted Date: 
15 July 2015