Two anti-war activists given Probation Act over Shannon protest

Two anti-war activists who dressed up as Iraqi war widows and breached security at Shannon Airport last October went undetected for almost five hours by security personnel before giving themselves up.

At Ennis District Court yesterday, Elaine O'Sullivan (36), from Walkinstown, Dublin, and Zelda Jeffers (57), of South View, Ballinlough, Cork pleaded guilty to breaching airport bye-laws on October 31st.

The two, who were dressed in burkas and head veils on the night, staged a vigil to the Iraqi war dead, erecting a shrine near the main runway comprising a Bible, the Koran and photos of war victims.

The two, members of the Catholic Worker movement, also had a list of war dead and recited the names of US and Iraqi citizens killed since the invasion in March 2003. In court, the solicitor for the two, Mr Ted McCarthy, said both women have no previous convictions. Mr McCarthy said Ms O'Sullivan is a full-time carer, looking after her 84-year-old father, while Ms Jeffers lives in Cork with her son. Mr McCarthy told Judge Joseph Mangan that they had admitted deliberate encroaching on to the airfield.

Judge Mangan told Mr McCarthy: "This court has no problem with people making political points as long as they remain within the law. Do you have an undertaking that the two will not engage in this type of behaviour again?"

After consulting with his two clients, Mr McCarthy said: "I have been told that there will be no repeat of this behaviour." In response, Judge Mangan applied the Probation Act to both women.

A spokeswoman for Shannon Airport said yesterday: "After consultation with the gardaí we are satisfied that these intruders were only on the airfield for a short period of time on the night in question."