A peace campaigner who painted anti-war slogans on an American Airforce transport plane at Shannon airport was fined euro 1,000 and handed a six-month suspended jail sentence today.
Eoin Dubsky, 33, from Gorey, Co Wexford, admitted paint-spraying slogans and peace symbols on the aircraft last September, but said he believed his action was justified as a protest at the use of Shannon by US military planes.
As well as fining Dubsky and imposing the suspended sentence at a court in Shannon, District Court Judge Joseph Mangan also ordered him to stay away from Co Clare for two years.
Dubsky said he would appeal the decision to the Circuit Court. He also said would not pay the fine and would go to jail if his appeal did not succeed.
He told the court his actions were designed to draw attention to the "unjust war" which the US was waging in Iraq.
Fellow peace campaigners attended today's hearing and afterwards indicated that they would maintain protests at the Irish government's policy of permitting US landings at Shannon.
Dubsky has also initiated High Court proceedings aimed at stopping the use of Shannon as a transit base for the American military.
Official figures tonight showed that since the start of the year, 26,000 American troops had gone through Shannon on 209 chartered aircraft.