Four road protesters jailed several weeks ago in connection with the protest against the controversial road scheme through the Glen of the Downs were freed by the High Court yesterday after the judge noted that tree-felling at the glen was essentially complete.
Two of the protesters had been on hunger-strike for the past eight days.
All four, three men and a woman, were imprisoned after refusing to give undertakings not to interfere with the road scheme. There was no reference to those undertakings when they were freed yesterday, although Mr Justice Barr said the court orders restraining interference with the road works remained in force.
The judge said it had just been confirmed to the court that the preliminary work being undertaken by Wicklow County Council at the glen involving tree-felling operations was essentially completed.
The judge recalled that the four people were in prison for contempt of court relating to unlawful activities interfering with the work of the council at the glen.
He added that in the circumstances the court had decided it was the appropriate time at which to release all four.
Mr Justice Barr said it was important to remind all of them and others that the injunction restraining interference with the activities of the council at the glen remained in full force.
If there was any further interference by any of the persons now being released or by anyone else with the work of the council at the glen, any such person was liable to arrest and committal to prison. If persons had already been imprisoned, that would be an aggravating factor if they were to again fail to abide by the injunction, he warned.
Two of the protesters, Mr Tony Baird and Mr Dominic Wolf, have been in prison for seven weeks. Another man, Mr Michael Hammond, has been in jail for four weeks while a young woman, Ms Diana Peuker, has been in prison for five weeks.
Mr Hammond and Mr Wolf have been on hunger-strike since yesterday week.
After his release, Mr Hammond (37) said: "I'd love a cheese sandwich. I'm very much weaker than I was a week ago." Mr Wolf (37) said: "I feel fine, but peckish."