Never Mind the Eurovision.......heres Willie Corduff

galway | environment | news report

Tuesday May 15, 2007 10:38

by Galway S2S

Galway City Council Congratulates Willie.

Yesterdays meeting of Galway City Council did not dwell on Ireland’s Eurovision defeat, instead the Council chose to recognise a recent Irish triumph. Members of the council congratulated Willie Corduff of the Rossport Five on his receipt of the Goldman Prize for the Environment.

Willie was selected as the European winner of the €93,000 Goldman prize as a result of his campaigning work to highlight the problems with the proposed Corrib Gas Project in his native Erris peninsula. Cllr Catherine Connolly who raised the issue explained that this award is the highest accolade available to environmental activists in the world and is recognised by the heads of state of over 100 countries worldwide.
Willie was feted by the Irish American community and members of the US Government when he travelled to San Francisco last month to collect his award. In contrast to the other six award winners no member of the Irish Government accompanied Willie to the awards. In fact no sitting member of the national Government has seen fit to recognise this unique achievement. Galway’s support for our Mayo neighbours may not be so evident in next weekends sporting fixtures!

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Goldman Environmental Award

by supp - stsw

Tue May 15, 2007 16:11

Corrib activist to attend Shell agm

By Lorna Siggins, Marine Correspondent

North Mayo farmer Willie Corduff, Ireland's first winner of the
international Goldman Environmental Award, plans to attend Royal Dutch Shell
plc's annual general meeting in Holland tomorrow.

Mr Corduff, who was jailed for 94 days in 2005 over his opposition to the
Corrib gas pipeline, is one of five members of the Shell to Sea campaign
travelling as shareholders to Royal Dutch Shell headquarters in The Hague.

He says he intends to raise concerns at the meeting over Shell's involvement
in the Corrib gas project in Mayo, and will speak as a recent winner of the
Goldman Environmental Award.

The Shell to Sea campaign was donated 50 shares over a year ago by an
anonymous donor, and these were distributed among residents opposed to the
Corrib gas project and leading campaign members. Eve Campbell of the
Rossport Solidarity Camp said this was the first time they had decided to
exercise their right to attend the agm as a group.

Registered shareholders with the multinational can attend, speak and vote at
agms, according to Shell, but voting entitlements depend on the number of
shares held at the time.

Ms Campbell said the aim of the trip was to voice concerns about Shell's
activities in Erris and to let shareholders know what was happening.

"We also wanted to highlight the issue in Holland, and to let Dutch people
know that what is happening in Erris would never happen in their country."

The agm, which is relayed by satellite link to Shell shareholders in London,
will be presented with Shell's annual report and will elect directors and
auditors. Ms Campbell said the Shell to Sea campaign had been working with a
Shell shareholding grouping, the Ecumenical Council for Corporate
Responsibility (ECCR).

The Oxford-based organisation holds shares in Royal Dutch Shell on behalf of
its members - comprising representatives of mainstream Christian
denominations, church bodies and individuals. The ECCR has undertaken a
number of analyses of records in global corporate responsibility held by
multinationals such as Shell, Rio Tinto mining, BP, Glaxo Smithkline and
Marks & Spencer. It is compiling a report on the €900 million Corrib gas
project off Mayo.

Mr Corduff will be making his trip to Holland almost a fortnight after
returning to north Mayo with the $125,000 (€92,418.12) Goldman award and
trophy.

© 2007 The Irish Times

think about it

by cynic

Tue May 15, 2007 18:21

of course Galway City Council , the greens and any other gob****** who gets the oppurtunity, will use the award to get publicity for themselfs.
where was Galway City Council (or the greens for that matter) six yrs ago when this mess could have been sorted?
I also think it is ironic you use the eurovision in the opening post, because willies prize, while it is a remarkable achievment, will achieve virtully nothing.
just like our euro vision entry.
I would not be the least bit surprised if Shell had a hand in willie being awarded this prize in a attempt to split what is now the rossport four.
Does anybody understand why willie got the prize and not the rossport five or even the shell to sea group.
It dosent seem right, and smells of a setup.
where can the campaing go from here, there is no protests, the peat is being removed faster than expected (over 50% already).
so how can we stop it now?

eh?

by positive realist

Thu May 17, 2007 15:05

yeah very, very informative well worth your time and effort, not to mention humourous

get a grip, and cynic: just do it, just give up now theres no hope for humanity

and keep whingeing, thats much better than doing anything, or hope

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Never Mind the Eurovision.......heres Willie Corduff

Comments (3 of 3)