'Our lives don't matter,' says wife of jailed farmer

The families of the five north Mayo men jailed after yesterday's hearing have reacted with anger to their jailing.

The families of the five north Mayo men jailed after yesterday's hearing have reacted with anger to their jailing.

Mary Corduff, wife of farmer Willie Corduff, said she was "devastated".

"We are dealing with a multinational company that wants to make profit. Our lives don't matter," said Ms Corduff.

Caitlin Ní Sheighin said she was very proud of her husband, Micheál, a retired schoolteacher, for "standing up for what he believes is right".

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Three Mayo TDs also reacted angrily to the jailing of the men.

Two of the three TDs, Independents Dr Jerry Cowley and Beverley Flynn, have called on Minister for Natural Resources Noel Dempsey to intervene, while Fine Gael's Michael Ring has said Ireland is now living in a "dictatorship within a democracy".

Padhraig Campbell, Siptu's offshore oil and gas committee spokesman, supported the call by Dr Cowley yesterday for an investigation into changes made in the 1987 and 1992 Finance Acts which benefited exploration companies. These were made at a time when both the Taoiseach and Ray Burke were finance ministers.

Mr Campbell, who is also chair of the Campaign for Protection of Resources, said this grouping was now calling for a boycott of all Shell products in Ireland.

He had also contacted the Norwegian ambassador in relation to Statoil's role as a shareholder in the Corrib gas field.

Dr Cowley said he was furious. "One of these people has a triple-bypass. These people are concerned for their safety; they didn't ask this multinational to come, and this decision has been taken before Shell E&P Ireland has full ministerial consent to proceed with this highly-dangerous, high-pressure pipeline."

Dr Cowley is calling for an offshore terminal for the project.

Mr Ring, who is also calling for an offshore terminal, said it was a "sad day for democracy and for Ireland when five decent men can be put behind bars for trying to protect their families and their lands".

Ms Flynn said this it was "disastrous news".

She said she had contacted Shell earlier this week to say that while she was supportive of the gas project, she would not be happy to see a committal order being passed which would result in people being imprisoned.

"This is only going to galvanise opposition to the project," she said.

Lorna Siggins

Lorna Siggins

Lorna Siggins is the former western and marine correspondent of The Irish Times