Five men jailed for refusing to end their protest remain in orison after refusing to purge their contempt at the High Court today.
They have now been in Cloverhill Prison for 16 days.
An application for an injunction preventing Shell from resuming work on the Corrib gas pipeline project in north Mayo by the five was also rejected by the president of the High Court, Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan at the hearing.
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| Shell Corrib Gas protesters march outside the Terminal at Bellanaboy, Rossport Co Mayo. |
Mr Justice Finnegan said he could see no point in the men remaining in jail, but added they would have to purge their contempt before they could be released.
In a statement this morning Shell E&P Ireland said it was "very disappointed that efforts to try and find a means by which the 5 objectors to the Corrib onshore pipeline could have been released from prison appear to have failed."
The company said it could not understand why this matter cannot now be resolved following the commissioning of an independent review Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey last night.
Shell has also offered to suspend work on the pipeline while this review is being carried out.
The company said it was "very concerned at the disruption and delay that has been forced on the Corrib project".
In a statement issued by representatives of the jailed men, they claim fears over the effect of a leak or rupture from the gas pipeline are behind their protests and that these fears have not been adequately allayed.