Aer Rianta has secured High Court orders restraining trespass by anti-war protesters and others on its lands at Shannon Airport. The orders apply to eight named persons, including a journalist, and all others with notice of the making of the injunctions.
The orders, which continue pending the outcome of legal proceedings between the company and defendants, were initially sought by Mr Paul Gardiner SC, for Aer Rianta, against 22 named persons and others with notice of the making of the orders. Ten of the defendants agreed to permanent orders against them restraining trespass, one resisted and the application was not pursued against four others. The court granted injunctions against seven named defendants.
Five of those seven are in custody in relation to protests at Shannon over the use of the airport for the refuelling of US military aircraft bound for Iraq. They are Ms Deirde Clancy, Ms Karen Fallon, Mr Damien Moran, Mr Nuin Dunlop and Mr Ciaran O'Reilly, all with addresses at Shannon Airport. The orders are also against Mr Desmond Wheeler, Ballina, Co Tipperary and Mr Jarlath McGrath, Belvedere Lodge, Tivoli, Co Cork
A freelance journalist with the Irish Independent Media Centre, Mr Eamon Cruddon, with an address at Parnell Street, Dublin, challenged the application for the order. He argued he had been engaged in filming and reporting on activities at Shannon, including at the Shannon Peace Camp which has just been disbanded, and was entitled to continue his journalistic work.
However, the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Finnegan, made an order restraining Mr Cruddon from entering onto Aer Rianta's lands at Shannon save for the purpose of travelling by air to and from the airport or in accordance with any licence given by Aer Rianta to him, subject to any conditions attached. He refused to put a stay on that order but said he would ask the airport authorities to appreciate Mr Cruddon's occupation and livelihood.
Mr Gardiner had earlier indicated Mr Cruddon could liaise with the diretcor of Shannon Airport in relation to his journalistic activities.
Ten of the 22, including Ms Caoimhe Butterly, of Casteltreasure, Douglas, Co Cork, consented to a perpetual order restraining trespass on the lands at Shannon. The others who consented were Mr Barry Coscoran, Burrow Road, Portrane, Co Dublin; Mr Conor Cregan, Cronan Lawn, Shannon; Mr Edward Horgan, Westbury, Corbally, Co Clare; Mr Tim Hourigan, Cedar Court, Kennedy Park, Limerick; Mr Paul Mulville, The Burrow, Portrane, Co Dublin; Mr John Fowler, Miltown Malbay, Co Clare, Ms Rebecca James-Garcia, The Moorings, Blackpool, Co Cork; Mr Robert Morgan, Clonmerrin, Mountshannon, Co Clare and Ms Mary Kelly, of Atlantis Adventure, Baltimore, Co Cork.
The company did not pursue orders against Mr Danny Quirke, Foster's Avenue, Mount Merrion, Dublin, or Ms Roisin Garvey, Ms Tracey Ryan and Mr Eoghan Burke, all with address at Shannon Airport.
Aer Rianta moved the application just days after five people cut through a boundary fence at Shannon Aiport and entered a hangar containing a damaged American Navy aircraft which was under Garda protection.
Yesterday, members of the Shannon peace camp, who have been engaged in protests against the use of the airport by military aircraft, announced the camp was being disbanded.
Aer Rianta has said in an affidavit it is concerned by what it perceived as the use of the Peace Camp as a base camp for incursions in the airfield area. The company has said it was not seeking to stifle lawful protest but was apprehensive about what appeared to be a pattern of entry onto the airfield.