Up to 200 building workers converged on the High Court yesterday in protest at the arrest yesterday morning of two workers said to have defied court orders restraining them from picketing two building sites in Dublin in opposition to the use of bricklaying subcontractors.
There were angry scenes when the court ordered that bricklayer Mr David McMahon (23) and labourer Mr William Rodgers (28) remain in custody until today. There were shouts of: "What about the 18 workers killed on building sites?" and "Jail the banks."
The men were brought by gardai to court yesterday morning on foot of an order issued on Monday by Mr Justice Kelly directing they should be brought before the court to explain why they should not be arrested for breaching its orders.
The court was packed for the hearing with building workers and the Socialist TD, Mr Joe Higgins, was also present.
At the outset of the case, when it was called before Mr Justice McCracken yesterday morning, he said he would adjourn the case until today when Mr Justice Kelly, who was not sitting yesterday, would be sitting.
Mr Justice McCracken then asked the two men - who were not legally represented - if they were prepared to give an undertaking that they would abide by the earlier court order until 11 a.m. today. Both said they would not and the judge ordered that they be kept in custody until today's court sitting.
At that stage, many of the assembled workers began shouting and jeering. Gardai asked for quiet but the noise continued for several minutes and the workers were ushered outside. The judge, who was about to deal with another case, left the bench for a time.
The workers remained in the corridor outside court No 6 for half an hour while Mr McMahon and Mr Rodgers were detained inside in the courtroom. Following the arrival of Garda reinforcements, the men were taken out of the courtroom to the Bridewell Garda station. Many of the workers followed the men and gardai to the station, shouting in support of their colleagues.
Mr McMahon, of Kilcarrig Avenue, Tallaght, and Mr Rodgers, of Rathmunton Court, Jobstown, Tallaght, were arrested by gardai early yesterday. On Monday, the court had made an order for them to be brought before it to explain why they should not be jailed for breaching court orders restraining picketing at building sites at Merrion Road and Conyngham Road.
A solicitor for Capel Developments Ltd and John O'Connor Construction was told he could authorise the gardai to bring the men before yesterday's court.
An earlier hearing had been told that pickets had been mounted on the sites related to opposition to subcontracting of bricklaying work on building sites. Edward Moran Ltd had been engaged by John O'Connor Construction to carry out brick and block-laying on a site at Merrion Road where a £9.2 million scheme to build apartments on the former British embassy site is under way.
In an affidavit read to Monday's hearing, Mr John O'Connor, a director of Capel Developments and a partner in John O'Connor Construction, said that despite a number of court orders since August, picketing had continued at both sites.