Glengad, 15th Sept., Update & Photo Essay - The Primacy of Place

by FSB! - Rossport Solidarity Camp - Shell to Sea Tue Sep 16, 2008 01:14

'My sense of personal outrage is driven by the primacy of Place - people come and go in nano seconds; Place endures.'

by FSB! - Rossport Solidarity Camp - Shell to Sea Tue Sep 16, 2008 01:20

'My sense of personal outrage is driven by the primacy of Place - people come and go in nano seconds; Place endures.'

by FSB! - Rossport Solidarity Camp - Shell to Sea Tue Sep 16, 2008 01:23

'My sense of personal outrage is driven by the primacy of Place - people come and go in nano seconds; Place endures.'

by FSB! - Rossport Solidarity Camp - Shell to Sea Tue Sep 16, 2008 01:26

'My sense of personal outrage is driven by the primacy of Place - people come and go in nano seconds; Place endures.'

by S2S Supporter Tue Sep 16, 2008 03:10

Beautiful photo-essay, well done and thank you. Solidarity to Maura and all in their inspiring campaign.

It seems to me that young, fit people from S2S or supporters ought to start going on relay hunger strikes/fasts (closed period, or publically open periods but 'privately closed' if they wish to have more political leverage). Despite difficult circumstances at the moment, maybe I should be one of them. I have been out of the country for the past couple of years, will be leaving for a long period within the month, am in a relationship, am working coz I'm fairly broke, have ageing parents' fears to take into consideration (they would be likely to suffer more than I and have done in the past due to political actions I have taken), but a closed period fast is manageable for many and if done as a relay effort with a host of others could serve as a powerful symbolic form of resistance to mobilise public support over the coming weeks and months.

The most I have fasted is up to 5 days water only. I have also done 1 day on, 1 day off (2 light meals) for a period of 40 days. I would suggest people take on up to 10 days from this Friday on (commencing with the 24 hour fast) and extend it if their health is professionally confirmed as fine

It is important that we take into consideration how friends have used hunger strikes in the recent past.

Two 30 year old members of the Czech campaign against US missile defence went on hunger strike to the death earlier in late spring of this year, demanding that the Czech gvt. reject the US offer or hold a referendum on the issue ( the Czech public are largely against the planned radar system). US anti-militarist campaigners and a whole host of European humanists started a solidarity fast or hunger strike with their Czech colleagues for weeks.

http://www.nenasili.cz/en/1011_declaration

It would be interesting to know if Maura attempted to convince others to join her, or whether she even informed the campaign of her intended action. I don't expect anybody to answer here, but it's on my mind. I agree that she has the best of motivations, didn't take it lightly and was heartened to read on S2S website about her children's involvement.

What doesn't seem to be acknowledged in her statement, however, is that PLACE and PEOPLE remain in the memories of those who are left behind episodes of turmoil and sacrifice. Her death could lead, and I would expect this, to a violent escalation from the campaign for years due to the sense of rage against Shell and the gvt. allowing things to get this far. I know who it is that have perpetrated the violence on all occasions to date, believe S2S is a model for NVDA campaigns, but wonder how long this would continue in the event that the worst scenario transpired.

Further oppression from cops would ensue with long jail terms, families split apart due to some feeling obliged to participate in the 'do or die' benchmark which she is making and may be successful in bringing to a tragic end. The resilience of rural Irish people combined with the guilt they will feel for her having to die for this cause, the brutal actions of Shell and the Irish authorities would destroy PLACE (as she now knows it) and the PEOPLE who make this PLACE. Her death would be devastating for her children and her children's children for obvious reasons, and I include in this their sense of PLACE and identity with the locality which she is willing to put her life on the line for. This seems to be a massive contradiction in terms of her minimisation of the individual and it's capacity to form what PLACE becomes for community. Maura is a quintessential component of her PLACE given her educational role for 30 years and growing family.To remove her is to debilitate this PLACE to a state that can never be repaired.

Serenity died the day Shell and their gvt. cronies came to Rossport. PLACE in this area of Ireland has been radically altered for the worse for many years already, but the struggle against that project which needs to be passed on to the children of this State and their children's children is best done without fatalities.

I agree with Jacqueline Fallon in her posting about the hunger strike on main feature. People's memories are fleeting. Any sacrifices made here and now will be short-lived. Regardless of the huge public support the campaign got after the Rossport 5 jailing, it remains a very parochial issue for the majority of people in Mayo and Ireland. My sister and brother in law who live in Mayo would agree in principle with the campaign but still have never gone there or offered solidarity. How many of our close and distant families have?

Maura is also in a powerful position to inspire a whole new wave of activists by her willingness to not give in yet come off the strike in a dignified manner. This could be done similar to how the two Czech campaigners ended their hunger strike after 21 days (obviously Maura's would have to cease very very soon). A global day of fasting was called for and was participated in by thousands who posted solidarity messages here -
http://www.nenasili.cz/en/1494_worldwide-hunger-strike-...-2008

Included in these solidarity actions was an Empty Plate Picnic by activists from Maine. This could be an idea for a collective symbol of gratitude to Maura if she could be convinced to end her fast with others beginning for 24 hours and beyond, carrying the torch while the Solitaire checks out it's rusty parts in Donegal:

http://www.nenasili.cz/en/1550_empty-plate-picnic-prote...sting

Regarding past hunger strikes in Ireland, following McSwiney's death, the hunger strike in Cork jail continued for 3 more weeks. After a request from Arthur Griffith, acting President of the Irish Republic at the time, the remaining nine prisoners ended their fast on 12 November 1920.
http://larkspirit.com/hungerstrikes/forgotten_strikes.html

One would hope that following Maura's coming off the strike the collective fast/hunger strike would continue as a potent tactic and act of resistance towards violent cops and a repressive corporation.

by maggie Tue Sep 16, 2008 08:11

We are witnessing a sustained and vicious vendetta aganst the leaders of Shell to Sea campaign and many of its stalwarts.Their collective courage in the face of such BRUTALITY has to be respected by all who strive daily for just society.Where DEMOCRACY fails the people there are HUNGER STRIKES.

by Margaret O'Regan - SWP -and- Cork Shell To Sea Tue Sep 16, 2008 08:58

Many thanks to you for these stunning photographs of this incredibly beautiful place. On the various days of action, I was always in awe of the unspoilt nature of the whole area.

Living in Cork, it beggars belief that the gas cannot be processed at sea. In Kinsale, the gas is processed at sea, and there have never been any problems. It cannot be money - Shell's weekly profits = 375m euros: once-off cost of processing Corrib gas at sea = 360m euros.

The biggest issue here is how much of a say local people have over what happens in their own community - how much power and control we, ordinary people who care for the environment now and into the future, have over our own lives. This is Maura Harrington's legacy. Long may she continue to inspire us. I salute her and all my fellow Shell To Sea members and supporters, and all at the Solidarity Camp.

Keep up the pressure to have the Solitaire moved out of Irish territorial waters. To have it sitting idle in Killybegs is an abomination. Simply move it - send it home - and this simple act will end Maura's hunger strike.

by IshtarCelt Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:58

the Suffragetes also hunger striked, and were force fed, but they won the vote for us...
Fair Play Maura, Love and solidarity

by Logical advice Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:04

this hunger strike is nuts, how can you have a campaign based on health and safety and risk a death to promote it?. This is not the wishes of the local people, it is the decision of one person, is this a local campaign or the campaign of one person?. National resources is a valid issue to campaign on but hijacking the local campaign is not the way to go and imposing the will of a single person and their supporters on the local people is no different than Shell imposing their will on the local people. Last week the local fishing community halted the project by following the law and using it - there is a lesson here. Instead of celebrating a massive victory and using it to seek a solution, the community and campaign are now marginalised by a hungerstrike and the news this morning about a bomb in Dublin. The local community need to get smart and take control of their campaign or get of the pitch.

by ownership of the campaign Tue Sep 16, 2008 13:32

This campaign is not a single headed issue. Therefore there are groups and individuals who feel more strongly about specific issues.

The Rossport 5 do not own this campaign, The Local Parish does not own this campaign, Shell To Sea does not own this campaign, No Politician or political body owns this campaign, no individual owns this campaign and thinking we can control the will of everyone involved in this campaign is only devisive.

I just wish someone would come on here as a Shell to Sea spokesperson... I was surprised to hear John Monaghan as Pobal Chill Comainn ?/ Who are they? spokes person. Who is the present Shell to Sea spokesperson? Where is Mark Garvan? Where is Jerry Crowley? Something tells me some of the locals are being snookered by wanting to hide behind a big man again. All this politics makes me sick... if the campaign cant work together than how do we expect to get this shit sorted?