Suspended sentences have been handed down to two Anti-War Protestors caught tresspassing on the runway at Shannon Airport last year.
79-year-old Margaretta D’Arcy of Woodquay, Galway and 60-year-old Niall Farrell from Oranmore had denied their presence on the airfield was illegal claiming they had a right to protest against US Military use of Shannon.
Ennis District Court heard evidence that the two members of the Galway Alliance Against War endangered the lives of passengers on board two Shannon-bound aircraft by lying down on the runway on October 7th last.
An Aer Lingus flight from Heathrow and a Ryanair sservice from Stansted – were both blocked from landing and Airport Police said the lives of those on board were put in danger.
Only Margaretta D’Arcy was present in court today, after previous appearances in which she’s worn a Gunatanamo Bay styloe Bioler suit and declared her civic duty to alert the public about what she called ‘unlawful’ acts at Shannon Airport where US Military frequently stopover on route to foreign missions.
The 3 month sentences handed down to both Niall Farrell and Ms Darcy were suspended on condition that the two enter into a bond to uphold the law for two years and do not enter any unauthorised zone at Shannon Airport.
