3 banned from Co Clare over war protest

Three anti-war protesters were yesterday banned from Co Clare for two years after being found guilty of public order offences arising from an anti-war protest at Shannon Airport earlier this month.

Convicting the three, Judge Joseph Mangan told Tulla District Court: "Those who seek to profess peace in the world should begin by behaving peacefully at home."

After hearing evidence from eight Garda witnesses the judge said it appeared that the protesters had had a less than benign attitude towards the gardaí.

At the end of the four-hour hearing, he said: "You do not know what opinions members of the gardaí have on the current unhappy differences between the United States and Iraq. You enjoy the right to give public expression to your views. They don't, and it is time that you should respect their position."

In response Mr Bill Loughnane, solicitor, said: "The protesters are anti-war, they are not anti-gardaí."

The charges arose out of an anti-war rally on March 1st at Shannon. Eight protesters appeared before the court charged with engaging in insulting, threatening or abusive behaviour.

Three of the eight - Cliona Murphy, Woodsgift, Co Kilkenny; Nicholas Sylva, Eyre Square, Galway; and Robert Fulton, Salthill, Galway - were convicted, fined and ordered to remain out of Co Clare and keep the peace for two years. Fulton and Murphy were each fined €400, while Sylva was fined €100 after the judge took his guilty plea into account.

A fourth protester, Kieran Hegarty, of Westside Estate, Togher, Cork, was given the Probation Act.

Judge Mangan dismissed public order charges against four other protesters, including Mr Owen Rice, of Mayobridge, Co Down, who Insp Tom Kennedy claimed yesterday had been one of the leaders of the march. This claim was denied by Mr Rice, who said that if anything the march was severely lacking in leadership.