A District Court judge has described law-breaking anti-war activists at Shannon airport as an "arrogant, egotistical minority who take the law into their own hands".
Before sentencing at Tulla District Court yesterday in relation to a mass trespass incident at Shannon last October, Judge Joseph Mangan said: "Those who profess to seek peace in the world should begin by behaving peaceably at home."
He imposed two concurrent sentences of six months on a former Sinn Féin member, James McBarron (35), St Finbarr's Street, Cork, for criminal damage to the perimeter fence and for trespass into the airfield at the protest on the 12th of October. However, McBarron consented to serving 240 hours community service in lieu of the two six-month sentences. He was also fined €3,150 for his role in the protest.
Judge Mangan imposed the sentence and the fine after hearing Insp Tom Kennedy tell the court that McBarron had 10 previous convictions, including one in 1998 where he received a six-month suspended jail term for assaulting two gardaí.
Under cross-examination, McBarron said his previous convictions related to his political activities, many of them related to litter offences over putting up posters around Cork city. He asked the judge to be lenient as he was getting married next week to his US fiancée who is in Ireland on a holiday visa.
Judge Mangan ordered that McBarron keep the peace for two years and banned him and four other anti-war activists from entering Co Clare during that time.
Nine men - five from Cork, two from Dublin and one each from Co Sligo and Co Clare - appeared in relation to charges arising from the alleged trespass. Paul McAndrew, Blackrock Road, Cork, was fined €150; Dr Fintan Lane, Driman Street, Cork, was fined €750; Jarlath McGrath, Wellington Road, Cork, was fined €200, and Kieran Hegarty, East Togher, Cork, €350.
They pleaded not guilty to the offence of trespass and were banned by Judge Mangan from entering Clare for two years and bound to keep the peace during that time.
Robert Morgan (48), Mountshannon, Co Clare, was fined €200 and ordered not to go within five miles of Shannon airport for two years. Robert Forde (29), Jones Road, Dublin; Leon Butler (21), Market Yard, Sligo, both pleaded guilty and were each fined €50.
The case of trespass against freelance journalist Anthony Quinn, Gardiner Place, Dublin, was dismissed.
The court was told that 50 to 60 protesters breached the perimeter fence and only agreed to move off the airfield after gardaí made a number of arrests.
McBarron said the protesters shook the fence and it was never their intention to take it down. He said moving onto the airfield was a symbolic action.