Gardaí, north Mayo residents and opponents of the Corrib gas project were involved in a physical confrontation at Pollathomas harbour last night, which led to a number of injuries being sustained and one arrest.
The dispute arose over attempts by contractors for Shell E&P Ireland to make preparations for survey work in Sruwaddaccon Bay. The company says it was trying to place a Portaloo on Pollathomas pier for surveyors, but residents say that the contractor was attempting to cross private land.
Gardaí had stepped up their security presence in the area over the weekend with deployment of patrol boats to assist in finding an alternative route for the onshore gas pipeline. Deployment of the water unit is expected to add to the cost of Garda security, run at over €6 million to mid-April, but a Shell spokeswoman said that this was a matter for the force.
Shell E&P Ireland is due to start surveying one possible route, up Sruwaddacon Bay, this morning, and during yesterday's confrontation onshore the Garda water unit maintained a presence on Sruwaddaccon bay, with a patrol craft which is normally based on the Shannon river and several rigid inflatables.
Vincent McGrath of the Rossport Five said that the physical confrontation developed when about 50 residents and Shell to Sea supporters attempted to stage a peaceful protest.
"They [ the gardaí] refused to make arrests, and allowed a JCB to drive down towards us, putting lives at risk,"he said.
However, one man in his 20s was arrested for allegedly assaulting a garda.
The tense scenes at Pollathomas occurred several hours after emergency staff had spent 23 hours battling a number of fires which broke out in forestry and scrubland close to the Corrib gas terminal site at Bellanaboy.
The blaze, which is believed to have been sparked off by the hot dry weather, was reported at Bunahowna on a Coillte-owned forestry at about 5.30pm on Sunday.
Fire units from Belmullet and Crossmolina fought the blaze throughout Sunday night, and had quenched it by 9.30am yesterday, when there was a report of several fresh outbreaks.
The Belmullet and Crossmolina units were joined by a unit from Ballina and the blaze was brought under control by 4.30pm, according to the fire service.
A spokesman said that about 25 hectares had been affected and that there were no injuries. Wildlife would have been affected, he said.
PJ Moran, a farmer in Glenamoy and member of the Shell to Sea campaign, told The Irish Times the fire had spread to within 300 to 400 yards of the Shell terminal site at one point on Sunday night.
The blaze was in close proximity to the original onshore pipeline route across the Glenamoy river, he said, and highlighted once again the serious health and safety issues surrounding the project.
The fire risk posed by adjoining forestry had been raised at the Bord Pleanála oral hearings into the terminal.
The appeals board inspector, who was seriously concerned about the control of dangerous substances on the terminal site, said in his report that it was "unclear whether there would be a requirement to remove forestry within the vicinity of the site", and noted that the "threat of bogland fires during dry periods is unknown".
