Following a week fraught with continuing tension between protesters and Shell E & P Ireland and the undertaking of a hunger strike by Maura Harrington, a resolve in the contentious issue may have been attained when at lunch time Thursday SEPIL released a statement in which it confirmed that “the Solitaire will leave Killybegs today for a UK port where deep water berthing facilities are available”.
The statement added that “the vessel will remain in port while a further assessment of factors including operational, technical and weather issues will be completed. Once this is done, a further statement about the 2008 offshore development programme will be made.” As for the piece of pipe-laying equipment which became detached from the vessel last Wednesday (September 10 ) SEPIL claims that “a special diving support vessel is being deployed to Broadhaven Bay tomorrow to assist in the salvage of the 12 metres long, 80 tonnes section of the Solitaire's pipe laying equipment and will be disposed of for safety and environmental reasons.”
Ms Harrington, who was on her 10th day of hunger strike when the news was announced and at the time of going to press (Thursday afternoon ), told the Mayo Advertiser that she does not want to make any “hasty comments” on the matter and was still remaining on her hunger strike until she had “assessed the situation”. Mr Terence Conway (Shell to Sea representative ) also told the Mayo Advertiser that Maura is making “no comment” on the situation as yet until “we wait to see” if the Solitaire does in fact leave Irish territorial waters.
Both Erris community groups — Pobal Chill Chomáin and Pobal le Chéile — also welcomed the departure of the Solitaire “effectively suspending Shell's offshore operations on the Corrib gas project”. The joint statement said this was “inevitable after it became clear that Shell had no lawful authority to interfere with the livelihoods of Erris fishermen” the “serious questions over the legality of Shell's hired vessels operating in Irish waters” and as there was “no community consent for the Corrib gas project as proposed”. The community groups are now urging for a resolution of the Corrib dispute.
The press statement from Shell comes following a turbulent week which started on Monday night when a “viable explosive device” was located at SEPIL’s Dublin offices which required the army bomb disposal squad to disarm the device. Shell to Sea campaigners throughout the country denied involvement and said they are “committed to peaceful rigorous public protest”.
On Tuesday afternoon several Shell to Sea activists, including Etain Ní Mhongáin, youngest daughter of hunger striker Maura Harrington, paddled over a kilometre out to sea in Donegal Bay in an attempt to communicate with Simon van der Plicht, captain of the Solitaire.
Etain’s mission was to find out when the pipe-laying ship would be leaving Irish waters — this was not achieved, meaning her schoolteacher mother would remain on hunger strike — until her death if necessary.
A number of prominent politicians and campaigners — Tony Gregory TD, Senator David Norris, Joe Higgins, Patricia McKenna, Andy Storey (Afri ) and the filmmaker Ken Loach — also called for Shell to evening calling for Shell to take immediate steps to stop endangering Maura Harrington's life which is “posed by Shell's intransigence”.
On Wednesday afternoon a Shell to Sea rooftop banner was dropped on Shell’s Belmullet headquarters. A Garda spokesperson confirmed to the Mayo Advertiser that following this incident in which three people were involved, two were subsequently arrested after they failed to comply with Garda directions and were later released. Four others were also confirmed to be in custody on Thursday in relation to when a cavalcade of protesters caused a serious public order offence and were being detained in Swinford, Ballina, Castlebar and Belmullet Garda stations.
