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ANTI-WAR ACTIVIST Margaretta D’Arcy is due to be released later this morning from Limerick Prison.
The 80-year-old activist had been jailed last year for unauthorised incursion into Shannon Airport and this month refused to sign a bond stipulating she would act lawfully and would not enter unauthorised zones at the airport again, resulting in further prison time.
She served nine weeks in jail earlier this year for a similar conviction.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie earlier this month, Dr John Lannon of ShannonWatch said the activist “doesn’t pose a threat to Irish society” and is highlighting things that do pose a threat.
It is an outrage that a peace activist should be put in prison whilst there are war planes going through Shannon airport. The response of the Irish State is to put a peace activist in prison rather than inspecting these planes.
D’Arcy will be released from Limerick Prison at 10am this morning.
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Thanks Margaretta for wasting my taxes, well done you.
Cost per week in Irish prison = €1000
Let’s say 1 million people in Ireland pay tax
1000 / 1000000 = 0.001
So she cost you 0.001% of your yearly tax.
Plus her arts stipend. We should bill her for her “activities”. This is a women who puts lives at risk, and who, shamefully, refused to sympathise with the deaths of PSNI officers.
What an embarrassment this woman is to the president.
as opposed to the U.S. forces she is protesting against who don’t put lives at…risk…oh wait…
Lets hope Chief isn’t involved in the department of finance budget estimates for next year.
Maybe i am wrong mark, so what’s the proper figure then? anyone?
Pierce ; are you happy with the security arrangements in Shannon Airport and how do you feel we are prepared for a terror attack down there ? Oh sorry for asking ; sure how could we know what our security in Shannon is unless someone tests it .
Every cloud Pierce, every cloud !
In the context of the €66 billion wasted on bailing out the bank and bondholders, I would not worry too much about the cost of Margaretta imprisonment. But at least she served her time, unlike the bankers living the life of Reilly.
Well if you dont mind paying for atationing armed troops every 50 meters around a three mile perimiter fence 24/7/365 to fend off imaginery threats or demented old bats climbing the fences with terminal cancer??
the troika are paying Ragnor, the Troika are paying !
Sorry Dermot you mean I ,you,and everyone else is paying the Troika.So the last thing we need is more demented old ladies doing this kind of nonsense and having to pay for it.
I’m giving the Troika nothin’ ; not legally obliged to !
Two Questions Ragnar ;
Why is she protesting ?
Why are there people who don’t know her supporting her /… I am sure they are happy to pay taxes for her if she chooses to go to jail.
You have a right to protest your portion of the payment so in a way I can’t disagree with you but there is a broader picture. I wouldn’t complain of paying taxes if the judge had chosen to jail the bankers ; for the cost of the trial alone ; the cost of the jury alone ……taxes are like that though the rough with the smooth – it does give you a right to express an opinion as well though.
1] Why is she protesting?To gain attention for herself and her crackpot belifs that somehow the US has taken over Shannon airport and turned it into some kind of secret base. To go and slaughter “millions” of Iraquis and Afghanis etc,etc,blah blah.
Simple fact is she is an old rebel without a realistic cause,and has been that way her entire life.In fact she is the epitome of the saying that if you werent a rebel before you were 40 you should grow up.If you are one past 40 you should grow up quicker.
Well lets look at those supporting her shall we??AFASICS a bunch of freeloading weird beards and beadies who all inhabit ASDONA or other Leftie “blame America for everything ” types.
Her tactic is laughable and transparent.Its taken from Martin Luther King.Get thrown in jail by some redneck sheriff and have your posse outside creating a stink about your jailing that keeps it in the media spotlight….Trouble is,no one bar the journal and Indymedia are reporting on this ol bats incarceration,so unless you can get thousands of Irish people intrested in this ,no one will care really.
Also,not a good idea to try and take a swing at the judge either.Just shows you up as what she is a senior citizen with a massive chip and a violent streak when things dont go her way.
Trying to compare her to the bankers trial is a strawman at best.Belive you me U’d like to see Fitzpatrick being led Madoff style out in cuffs and being frog marched to a cop car to be driven off at top speed to the nick too.I’d gladly pay for a firing squad too to get rid of them once and for all.trouble is we have a rule of law,and as these people didnt actually put anyones lives at risk in a direct sense,well,it is an un comparable arguement.
the argument should be a legal one and therefore impartial ; to refer to her friends is irrelevant in the eyes of the law.
There are legal concerns and that should be the only issue.
Don’t shoot the messenger… not condoning her but she has a point and that’s all I am interested in. The collapse in credit had some very serious affects on families all across Ireland Ragnar and the fact that the bankers are one step removed should not confer immunity or anything like it.
Should Ms. Darcy go to jail ; yes in the eyes of the law! Should Ms. darcy be jailed by a judge who has sworn to defend the Irish Constitution and that be the end of it ? I don’t think so.
Anyway ; at least we are not in Gaza or Somalia and I would like to think we had no hand act nor part in the suffering that is going on there and that is the real issue as far as I am concerned.
Good, Sean. The president SHOULD be embarrassed. He should be fecking ashamed that Irish soil is used and has been used to facilitate illegal kidnappings, torture and murder (yes, murder–detainees have died in US custody and some of them even had the high terrorist status of taxi driver).
You either have principles, or you sell them to curry favor to the powerful interests.
Happy Birthday, Nelson Mandela.
Well Dr Lannon it should be noted how dangerous and selfish she and anyone else are to block a runway.
The potential for a catastrophic crash and death from such actions are unforgivable.
Thankfully we Irish have the good sense to realize that the true danger to humanity is in fact Margaretta D’Arcy and not those lovely clean shaven lads in the CIA.
Coddler
When she stood on the runway at Shannon having damaged fencing to forget there, a commercial plane with over a hundred passengers on board had to abort its landing when the pilot spotted this madwoman on the apron.
Whatever views she has as a peace activist this was an act of utter lunacy that put the lives of hundreds at direct risk.
What would you do Coddler?
I suppose your Idea would be to close the airport……Grow up.
Ah for feck sake Rodgers, it was hardly a terrorist situation. The pilot had been given the details of the situation and although inconvenienced the passengers interviewed after were grand. 80 year old mad woman storms the runway, welcome to Ireland.
If he is in the Anti Anything Alliance,what would you expect.see the AAA was evicted from their Limerick offices as well,for not paying the rent apprently.
You’ve convinced me Richie. After that synopsis, it’s clear to me now that Ms. D’arcy poses a greater risk to innocent civilian lives than the U.S. military.
When a force is met the only way is to have greater force . in history people like margaretta have brought an end to wrong doings and peace to so many issues of state force
We were lead to believe a week ago or so that all pilots are trained for evasive action on the runway so where is the safety concerns ; can’t have it both ways I’m afraid !
Not when a millionaire heiress was arrested in the same airport for an offence which some might see as far more dangerous and no jail there !
Bond or no bond , licence to thrill or no licence to thrill !
Richie sees any anti-establishment activity as a terrorist assault.
An unbelievably biased piece from the journal in favour of this menace to air travel.
Menace? Really.. Lol
This convicted criminal gets so much coverage on here it’s laughable.
Ross, I’m really happy to see you are so annoyed at her actions. That means she’s been successful.
The more you complain, the happier I am. Here’s some other convicted criminals you’d be complaining about:
Nelson Mandela (“terrorist and anti apartheid activist)
Marin Luther King (Illegal organizer with “communist associations”)
Aleksander Solzhenitsyn (objected to Stalin’s war prosecution)
Mohandas Ghandi (objected to licking British boots, starving people, apartheid(
Bertrand Russell (opposition to WWI)
Eugene Debs (opposition to WWI)
Beginio Aquino
Vaclav Havel
Akbar Ganji
Liu Xiaobo
Aung San Suu Kyi
She’s entitled to her views but her behaviour is profoundly childish.
Old people have a way at looking at the world that can be unique to their generation ; This woman would have lived through the horrors of Magdalene laundries, masses in latin etc. … her bullshit detector may be set a little better than most.
If I were her I would accept the grace of the State and now without signing the Bond announce that she is not going to go into Shannon by her volition. Her campaign should be media based from now on !
She has made her a point; one which I feel is very valid …….to make it again is attention-seeking perhaps !
might I suggest those of you who like history look up the life of one Hans Achim Litten ….
So said hitler many years ago and look at history
Every one on the journal seems to despise this woman I may not agree with everything she does but at least she has principles and stands up for what she believes in don’t see any of the keyboard warriors out protesting about taxpayers money being paid to bondholders and for the lavish expenses of our TDs no we’ll attack an 80 year old woman for standing up for her beliefs
I’ll criticise her when she decides to “stand up” on an active runway.
When she’s chained to the gates of the Russian embassy I’d have some sympathy.
As it stands, its only certain countries she opposes engaging in war.
That’s because we have jobs and a life
@Alan
No one is criticising her for her beliefs. It’s the manner in which she behaves that’s the problem. Her actions are dangerous and against the law. If she wants to oppose something then she, like all the rest of us need to do it without compromising or endangering other people and without breaking the law. Going out on to a runway is nuts no natter what you believe. Why doesn’t she picket the house of Enda Kenny ?? Or something as dramatic but not as dangerous to others.
Patrick
She did.
All the heroes of history are those who went against the grain; Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Martin Luther, Abraham Lincoln, Padrig Pearse , Daniel O’Connell …It seems Ireland is like everywhere else in history incapable of recognising greatness when it sees it and is very slow on the uptake of what impetus is !
Oh sweet Jesus……
Alan if your comment was to me ; consider this ; “Why id the government release her ?” are they beginning to realise that this is an issue they cannot win on and are trying to diffuse the situation ?
Didn’t think of that because you are too busy remaining in the mind trap that has convinced you that you are right and she is wrong ; your elected representatives who used to agree with your attitude no longer do so take it up with them not Jesus … he’s busy I hear !
*did,
The government didn’t release her. The judicial system, which sentence her to two weeks, which she has all by served, released her. We do have separation of powers.
My response was based on you comparing her to people like
Lincoln and Gandhi. She most assuredly does not come close to either as she picks and chooses the victims he is prepared to support.
Dermot ” heroes of history”
You must be joking me. You’re not seriously putting her in the same category as Luther and ghandi !!
That’s definitely the funniest thing I’ve heard in a while.
The prophet is usually most ridiculed in their own land ….
This is a civil rights issue ….. did Martin Luther King and all his followers love the white man ; did they hell and they had good reason not too …This is going to built not because of Ms. Darcy ; she is merely a catalyst ..the broader question of Ireland and its relationship with warlike countries is what’s really at stake !
I could be wrong and I get your criticisms …but Martin Luther was a mere monk and a madman to nail his list to the door …look at it now the Pope saying he’ll look into priests getting marries ; who was right in the long run ?
*to, build, married
One other point; Gandhi only freed the Indians ; his direct influence was only within the political context of his time and directly related in outlook to India. What came next, what he inspired became larger and put him into the history books.But initially it was an Indian solution to an Indian problem and ultimately these are always the heroes of history ; Lincoln solved an American problem, Luther King a Black problem, Luther a monk’s problem. Ms. Darcy is addressing an Irish problem, Do I agree with her methods ?No , but have you looked at some judicial decisions lately and indeed in Ms. Darcy’s own constituency she has a public representative and former member of Government associating with a man who was in prison for a crime that was very scandalous in Galway at the time. This is a point that may be missing from the West to the East.
there is a problem in Shannon and it’s an Irish problem, right now Ms. Darcy is the only one who is highlighting it so she has my qualified support…if someone better comes along I will switch allegiance but be thankful to Ms. Darcy for highlighting it. It is something that requires further debate in my opinion.
A civil rights issue???Who is being oppressed in Ireland by the US or other countries using Shannon??
Cant remember when I was told to ride at the back of the bus recently.
Also most peaceful prophets spark the most bloodiest upheavels of the old order of things.
Ghandhi created mayhem in the Indian sub continent with a civil war between Hindus and Muslims when the British left,a conflict that still goes on to today.
Martin Luthers diet of Worms, follow on was the 30 years war in Europe with massive upheavels that were felt to Ireland ,and we still feel that echo to this day.
Martin Luther Kings death ,sparked the “days of rage” in Watts and across the entire Sthn states,which are still felt today and brought back the Klan from a nearly dead footnote of history to what it is today.
Abe Lincoln,ostensibly “freeing the Negro” as we are taught in our history books,didnt want a large portion of real estate and raw materials to go from the Union caused one of the most bloodiest conflicts of its time in the 19th century.it is still referred to as “the war of Northern aggression”South of the Mason Dixon line.
Most of all,a chap who was carpenter in Judea in Roman times,whose message pretty much is “try and be nice to each other as often as possible”. Who got nailed onto two railway sleepers for his pains,his message of love and peace has pretty much led to a millenia of wars,conflicts,torture and genocide.
So you’ll excuse if I am somewhat skeptical of peaceful prophets…
Leave her in prison to rot !!!!
Why ?
Glad to see she didn’t cave and sign. I admire her greatly. She will not bow down to pressure and will stand by her beliefs to the bitter end. There is no shame in protest. I may not agree with her methods but she is entitled to her views. There are many writers who will never cause the state an ounce of bother, and more’s the pity. We used to be famous for our poets and writers and their unwillingness to toe the line. Now, we are famous for moaning and whinging and Garth Brooks.
Michelle
You admire a seriously out of whack woman blocking the runway of an International airport that caused a fully loaded airplane to abort its landing.
What part of this menace and risk to life do you admire or are you as batty as she is?
Richard, great to chat as always. I admire her artistic ability for a start. She is a highly intelligent and gifted playwright and author. I admire that at 80 she still has enough guts to stand up to the powers that be and refuse to sign their slip of paper that promises she will be a ‘good girl.’ I admire that in people. I might not agree with her stance or methodology but that doesn’t deter me from feeling just a bit happy for her. Our country was built on the backs of mad men and women. Someone like D’Arcy, for me, breaks the monotony and apathy that exists in our society.
As for being ‘as batty’ as her. I can only hope Richard. I’ve another 40 years to work hard at it though, I’m progressing well.
Why not ?
@michelle could you name anything she has written or any plays produced and seen by the general public to back up her claim to the free tax money society ASDONA???
No one seems to know this or will make it public but you have the inside scoop,so we’d love to hear it???
I will humour you even though I am taking it for granted that you are taking the p1ss. If you in fact have never heard or read the work of D’Arcy then I would hope you are in the minority or perhaps not a fan of her work.
http://www.margarettadarcy.com/biography.htm#published
I recommend starting with ‘The happy haven’ or one of the radio works.
I was unaware that only mainstream work was relevant in terms of ability and or importance.
And here a few little poems to get you going. Don’t say I never give you anything.x
http://thegalwayreview.com/2012/11/20/three-poems-by-margaretta-darcy/
Actually Michelle no I hadnt heard of any of her plays or other stuff she has written,and no I am not taking the piss as no one in the mainstream or alternative media ever botherd to highlight her “writings.”
And having now read one of her” writings” and wasting an afternoon of my life which I’l never get back,I am convinced she has LESS talent than I gave her credit for and am not surprised she fits in with the arty farty wasters of ASDONA perfectly.
I wish you hadnt botherd to share those Michelle.I’ve read better poetry and written better for my honours English leaving cert. She writes like an old fustrated beat nick or washed up old hippy commonly found in a coffee shop in Haight Ashbury San Fransisco.No wonder she has to get involved in this sort of stuff because as a poet she is hopeless.Ah well,she is 80 so I suppose her days are numbered and she will hopefully pop her clogs pretty soon anyway.So we will just have to tolerate her mutterings and ramblings from the chimney corner awhile longer.
Hahaha If I could like this comment a hundred times I would. Getting what you ask for isn’t always the best deal. Fair play. Thanks for that:)
The pro war brigade will be here soon to bash this old lady.
This nothing to do with war but more to do with the safety of air passengers.
If a little 80yr old lady can get on the runway at Shannon, then security are not doing their job and should be sacked.
Alan
What she done was stupid and she served her time.
But she is still being attacked !!
@ Glen, she has served her time, but she will continue to do this.
Wesole
How do you know she will continue to do this ?
You can’t lock someone up because you are suspicious !
Probably because she has clearly said she will continue to do it
The bottom line here is this old lady is braver and has more morals than the little men who are afraid of what she stands for on here.
An 80 year old -V- a plane ….who do you think is going to win.
Youre right. It be hilarious if she was squashed next time
@Martin Ryan ,go down to Shannon and say that to the airport security..I DARE you to!
60 people are now supposed to patrol a 3 mile fence to keep demented old age pensioners out of the place as well as looking after the more important security of running an airport.GROWUP you fool!
I had reason to deal with her in a previous work place dispute. She phoned to say that dangerous things could happen to places like ours. She is a thug. I don’t care how old she is. Sweet little old lady my arse
Are you all for real? She’s a hero. She’s more balls than most of the begrudging clowns on here. Taking a firm stand for her beliefs. I say fair play to her.
Trevor, funny she couldn’t manage to stand to pay respects to a murdered PSNI officer in 2012, it appears her anti war beliefs to not include republican wars
Yey…now I can finally have a picnic on the run way….sure it isn’t posing any threat to the public. Might cost lots in security and impressionment costs, but hey…it will be easier now too as the security will be go focused on watching out for mags here. Yey for completely ignoring the laws and rules…
Can she not just do a bit of knitting and watch bargain hunt instead.
Rumour has it that she hadn’t a blind bit of interest until Whitely left Countdown …check the dates – there’s something in it!
@ glen your spot on it was stupid and she served her time but she was only standing up for her belief’s we have an awful habit in this country of ridiculing people who don’t go with the status quo
Yeah, it’s terrible how people treat Jim Corr and his beliefs.
I have no issues with anybodies right to protest. Keep in mind though, all she has to do to stay out of prison is agree not to enter restricted areas in an airport. She can protest at the gates, outside the terminal, wherever. Just not on the runway. That’s what annoys people.
Alan
” the land of sheep “
A lot of stupid disgraceful comments.
1. An old lady a serious threat to air travel… Seriously? Time for people to kop on.
2. The lady is doing what those in 1916 did also when they opposed the law then – she is objecting to actions of the legal state she and others suffer under.
3. Those bringing her to court are wasting public funds daily – hell, the whole bunch of crooks & extortionists in the Dail are doing on a more massive scale daily – but lets overlook that larger pic conveniently, not giving out about them and just single out a little old lady instead! Some bunch of keyboard warriors we have here cowardly hiding behind anon names!
4. The lady has principles and she is sticking to them. She is objecting to war machines from a country that by the way, has been exposed as spying on Ireland too – but lets knock her, do that county a favour and further more not even object to these machines and troops use our state as their play thing!
Fair play to her I say! At her age she also exposes how disgraceful many younger Irish people than her have just rolled complacency over and meekly accept any crap the elected shower down on us.
The anon keyboard warriors will now come out and thumbs down me – it seems that’s all good they are for. Way to go eh? A sad state of affairs we have when we bash old ladies and let large moral war mongers just continue!
Passive aggressive much judd?
Please expand your words so we can understand your point anon poster…
I have no problem with her exercising her right to protest; however I do take issue with her methods. Blocking a runway that is active is profoundly dangerous and put the lives of others at risk. Therefore, I think it was correct to remove her. Her right to protest does not give her the right to potentially endanger the lives of other people. It is that central hypocrisy that bothers me, not that she should be silenced or her “principles” or whatever you’re having yourself. Also, her refusal to sign the bond is infantile. I admire her tenacity to an extent but disagree with her methods.
She is doing the same as those in 1916? Would you cop on, you obviously haven’t got a clue about 1916! Simpleton
the reason the British lost the right to rule – and that is what started in 1916 is because they didn’t treat the irish and their way of life in the more holistic nature they became accustomed to. The rules are there regarding military aircraft they were broken ; when rules are broken the criminal justice system should jump into play as it did so efficiently with Ms. darcy..
It didn’t for the American plane or planes. anyone who argues that the book should be thrown at Ms. Darcy fail to recognise the failing of the book been thrown at those Ms. darcy is protesting about for breaking the laws of the land she lives in and is responsible for!
In fact Ms. darcy should have sought a writ of habeas corpus quoting Article 9.3 of the Constitution.
In terms of tax money being wasted, that’s already totally rampant throughout the country, from everything from ridiculously inefficient public sector waste, to money wasted within certain elements of the army, to massive amounts of money that’s paying off bank debt we didn’t incur.
Her being in prison is not even a drop in the ocean, seems more like resentment from people rather than genuine anger that she’s wasting our tax money.
Perhaps if we saw first hand what the indirect result of allowing those planes actually was we might be a little more sympathetic.
Well said J Rudd. Spot on. Brave woman with principles. We need more like her and a few men if they can drag themselves away from their X Boxes and porn.
But her anti war principles appear to disappear when it comes to violence in Northern Ireland
And when Russia is shipping confirmed war material thru Shannon.
They had to she was frightening the other prisoners
Is she the woman who refused a minutes silence at one of her arty fatty meetings for the murder of a Garda or was it a PSNI officer ?
Ya arty fatty meetings. Ape.
Why doesn’t she fly out to North Korea to protest about the inhuman junta there? Or to a Muslim country to protest at the way they treat women, or to Gaza and ask them to stop trying to kill innocent Israeli citizens with rockets???
She may feel that some of these atrocities may be linked to Shannon hence the protest Jop … I think that’s the raison d’etre at any rate.
Why don’t you, if you’re so concerned about it?
Pity we couldn’t have more like her self stand up against USA …and Israel.
…….Both countries commit genocide and think they can walk all over us.
#Irish Passports forged.
What about the other 34 countries that land military aircraft at Shannon ?? That lunatic only “targets” USA!
Nice to see someone in this country actually standing up for what they believe in. Instead of rolling over and taking it.
Margaretta is a strange anti-war activist! She refused to stand for a minutes silence for the PSNI Officer Ronan Kerr murdered by dissident republicans, how can that be reconciled with her anti-war stance.
She put lives in danger by pursuing an criminal activity, she trespassed on Shannon airport and damaged property in the process again you cannot reconcile those activities with her anti-war stance.
This woman should be left rot in jail!
Wonderwill she condem the latest atrocity out in the Ukraine???proably not as it is clearly the evil Americans fault somehow,and Comrade Putin would never do things like thast…Same as her and her anti American shower of wasters were dead silent when two Antonovs worth of helicopter gunships were shipped thru Shannon to that paragon of human rights in South America, Hugo Chavez five years ago.Their hyprocrisy knows no bounds.Anti American war mongers,blah,blah ,blah.But utter silence when Russia is caught doing it too.Disgusting hyprocrites.
Glad they kicked her out, means she’s slightly less of a burden to the state, now how do I find out out about getting her tax free “artist” status reviewed?
Legend stick to your gun’s maggie
One can only have a vast amount of respect for someone who is so passionate about their beliefs to spend time in jail for them. It shows a strong character and high morals. Such people cannot and will not take back-handlers to keep their trap shut. These are the sort of people we need to run the Country+ the Banks.
Shame on this Govt.for putting this innocent woman in jail in the first place.
If all the ?hit heads who condemn ms farcy got up off their asses and protested a little we would have a better country and not be trodden onn by our politions
Brave Lady, People think only about Tax,
American are taking your Tax.
have your say