Activist Margaretta D’Arcy may be released from prison this week

Artist and activist Margaretta D’Arcy (80), who is serving a second prison sentence over her opposition to US military use of Shannon Airport, is expected to be released later this week.

Prison sources said that D’Arcy may not have to serve the full two weeks of her term in Limerick Prison and may be discharged on Friday.

D’Arcy, who is a member of Aosdána and is receiving treatment for cancer, had not eaten for some days after being taken to Limerick last Wednesday.

D'Arcy of Woodquay, Galway and Niall Farrell of Ballynacloghy, Maree, Oranmore, Co Galway, were given two-week sentences and fined €100 each late last month at Ennis District Court for an unauthorised incursion into Shannon Airport in September 2013.

Judge Patrick Durcan offered to suspend the sentence if she signed a bond undertaking to remain lawful and not to enter unauthorised zones at the airport again.

However, she refused to sign the bond.

Earlier this year, D’Arcy served 9½ weeks of a three- month sentence for a similar offence – initially at Limerick Prison and then at Dóchas women’s prison in Mountjoy, Dublin.

D'Arcy has been eating since yesterday, according to her son Finn Arden, and is in "good spirits".

In a statement, she said her abstention from food initially was taken as “an act of solidarity with the victims of war and in particular with the people of Gaza who are once again being subjected to a brutal bombing campaign by Israel”.

D'Arcy contrasted the "quick intervention" by Irish politicians in the "debacle" over Garth Brooks concerts to implementation of international law at Shannon.

She noted that Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fáil voted against inspections of military aircraft during a recent Dáil debate on the State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014, but said "they are prepared to send me to jail for asking them to do so".