Armed troops in armoured personnel carriers and 4x4 vehicles moved in yesterday morning to patrol Shannon Airport. The move came as the peace camp at Shannon began dismantling its tents having decided on Tuesday to end its protest.
A total of 120 troops will conduct mobile patrols around the airport's apron and inside the perimeter fence in an effort to scupper any more embarrassing breaches of security.
The patrols started at 9 a.m. yesterday morning.
Earlier this week five protesters from the Catholic Workers' Movement overpowered a garda at the old SRS hangar where the US navy cargo aircraft has been grounded since it was attacked last week by a protester. Ms Mary Kelly used an axe to damage the craft.
After her attack the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, had said security would be stepped up and the subsequent attack was a major embarrassment for the Government.
While the US government said it was happy to continue using Shannon as a stopover and refuelling facility one of the airlines being used by the US military to transport troops to the Gulf had already decided to reroute 17 of its flights through Frankfurt instead because of security fears.
The Irish troops at Shannon, armed with assault rifles, not only patrolled the airport but set up roving checkpoints in the vicinity as part of the major surveillance operation. The patrols, in cold and wet conditions, were highly visible.
Protesters said at least two more civilian troop-carrying charter aircraft had arrived at and departed the airport before early afternoon yesterday.
A spokesman, Comdt Kieran McDaid, said that for security reasons the Army would not be disclosing how many soldiers or vehicles would be on duty at any one time.
However, the patrols will run around the clock seven days a week for the foreseeable future.
Comdt McDaid said the Army would play a support role in backing up Garda patrols. The soldiers would remain at the airport for as long as their presence was requested by gardaí.
The Army would not open fire on intruders but would apprehend them.
The troops in yesterday's patrols were from the 12th Infantry Battalion in Limerick's Sarsfield Barracks. However, they will be backed by personnel from other bases including Tipperary, Clonmel and Cork.
Lorna Siggins writes: The Naval Service has deployed a ship in the Shannon estuary as part of the new security arrangements for Shannon Airport.
The LE Roisín is stationed in the estuary under its remit as State agency for marine defence, a Naval Service spokesman said yesterday. This was in response to a request to the Defence Forces from the Garda Síochána for security support at Shannon.
The ship had been diverted this week from fishery protection duties, the spokesman said, and the Air Corps was also in the vicinity. The decision was based on the fact that the ship has sophisticated surveillance and monitoring equipment, provides a stable platform and covers the seaward approach to the airport, he said.
Killarney Town Council has cancelled a silent anti-war march planned for the town centre next weekend. It announced last night it would instead be staging a "peace walk" after criticism from the tourism industry of its earlier decision.
