Intending passengers were forced to abandon busses and even their own vehicles after protesters blocked the main N19 route into Shannon Airport this afternoon.
Gardaí and Airport Police used their vehicles to transport passengers and airport staff arriving for work from the protest location the almost 2 kms to the airport.
What organisers had called a “major national mobilisation” against the US military’s use of Shannon Airport was held at the airport this afternoon.
Protesters mounted the action to call for an immediate end to US troops and planes passing through the Mid-West airport.
Protesters gathered along both sides of the main route into the airport carrying flags and banners before moving to where Gardaí and Airport Police had gathered to monitor the event.
There, the protesters sat on the road blocking the only access route to the airport for almost an hour.
Vehicles arriving at and leaving the airport were brought to a standstill resulting in a backlog of traffic.
Passengers arriving at Shannon by bus were forced to grab their bags and begin walking towards the airport.
Those arriving at Shannon abandoned their vehicles in nearby carparks and also began to make their way to the airport on foot.
Gardaí and Airport Police officers stepped and used their own vans and cars to ferry passengers from the protest site to the airport so they could catch their flights.
Vehicles leaving Shannon were left backed up for over a kilometre as drivers vented their frustration by using their car horns.
Shannon Airport posted on X (formerly Twitter) Due to a protest on the N19 approach road to the airport, passengers are advised to allow extra time travelling to the airport this afternoon.
Passengers may experience some delays getting to & from Shannon Airport.
All flights are operating as per schedule.
Gardaí later moved in and forcibly removed protesters from one lane of the route so that it could be reopened to traffic.
Some demonstrators continued to stage a sit-in in the other lane but eventually moved off and traffic flow returned to normal.
