Rossport Solidarity Protest in Omagh

West Tyrone Ógra Shinn Féin organised a solidarity protest and leaflet drop for the beseiged community of Rossport on the day of action - Friday 16th February.

As well as holding a whiteline vigil, Ógra also destributed a copy of a letter which they have sent to Bertie Ahern.

West Tyrone Ógra Shinn Féin chairperson Barry McNally speaking after said,

"The give away of Irish Natural Resources is a crime which is being facilitated by the Dublin Government, the Rossport Community's health and safety is being risked and the Irish people's right to Natural Resources is being sold out the window to the highest bidder."

"Today in Omagh there was a very positive response and when we engaged with people who hadn't heard about the Rossport issue they where shocked by the actions of Shell, Statoil and the Dublin Government. There can be only one outcome of this, Victory to Rossport!"


The following is a copy of the letter sent to Bertie Ahern,

An Taoiseach,

In recent years the people and community of Rossport, Co. Mayo have been living a nightmare scenario. Local opposition against the construction of an on-shore gas pipe line by multi national giants Shell has caused great anger and frustration in the area.

It should be the job of the Dublin Government to stand shoulder to shoulder with this community against multi national companies who try and make a profit from Irish natural resources.

Recently I saw a picture inside the office of An Taoiseach and I noticed a painting of Padraig Pearse on the wall. The democratic programme of the first Dáil came to mind.

An extract of it reads,

“We declare in the words of the Irish Republican Proclamation the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies to be indefeasible, and in the language of our first President. Pádraíg Mac Phiarais, we declare that the Nation's sovereignty extends not only to all men and women of the Nation, but to all its material possessions, the Nation's soil and all its resources, all the wealth and all the wealth-producing processes within the Nation, and with him we reaffirm that all right to private property must be subordinated to the public right and welfare.”

In respect of this quote and in respect fo the picture on your wall, the best way of remembering Padraig and the men of 1916 is to build a monument that shines as a beacon across the world, that monument of course, a Free Democratic Socialist Republic. Surely your government’s dealings with Shell in relation to Rossport, Co. Mayo runs contary of Padraig Pearse, the democratic programme of the first Dail and the 1916 proclamation.

To this end we would ask why your government has acted contrary to the Democratic Programme by selling off our Natural Resources to multi National companies?

And why you now persist in aiding these companies by using heavy handed Gardai assaults to force the construction of the pipeline

Is mise,

Barry McColgan
National Organiser
Ógra Shinn Féin