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Maura Harrington

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Maura Harrington
Born (1953-09-15) 15 September 1953 (age 71)
OccupationFormer school principal
Known forOpposition to Royal Dutch Shell's Corrib gas project
MovementShell to Sea

Maura Harrington (born 15 September 1953) is a spokesperson for the Shell to Sea campaign, from County Mayo, Ireland. A retired school principal of Inver National School,[1] she has been jailed on a number of occasions for her involvement in Shell to Sea protests.

Campaign work

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Harrington has previously been involved in fundraising for the British Miners' Strike, as well as campaigning against the Maastricht Treaty.[citation needed]

On 12 October 2006, Harrington sustained head and neck injuries while Gardaí cleared demonstrators blocking an access road used by Shell workers on the Corrib gas project.[2]

Harrington has described herself as a Marxist.[3]

On 9 September 2008, she began a hunger strike in protest at the arrival of the Solitaire, an Allseas pipe-laying ship assisting Royal Dutch Shell. The strike took place at the gates of the Shell compound in Glengad in Erris, in her car. It ended after the ship left Ireland for repairs.[4] She appeared in Belmullet District Court on 8 October 2008 accused of a public order offence related to a protest when President Mary McAleese attended the official opening of a civic centre in Belmullet in April 2007.[5] In March 2009, she was found guilty of this charge.[6] She was also found guilty of assaulting a Garda[6] during a fracas which saw several protesters injured.[7][failed verification] For this, she was given a sentence of 28 days imprisonment, fined and bound to keep the peace for 12 months, though she opted not to pay the fine or sign the bond.[6] The judge in the case, Mary Devins, wife of the Fianna Fáil TD Jimmy Devins, also directed Harrington to receive a psychiatric assessment due to what she described as her "bizarre" behaviour[8] an order which received criticism, with Senator David Norris comparing the decision to the tactics used in Stalinist dictatorships in Eastern Europe where political dissidents were portrayed as mentally ill.[9] Harrington denied both charges, and did not give evidence in protest after Judge Devins refused to allow video evidence of the incident to be shown.[10] She served her sentence in Dublin's Mountjoy Prison.[11] Protests and other events took place outside the prison in solidarity, as well as at the offices of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.[11][12][13]

On 6 April 2009, Harrington was due to speak at an event in London organised by Amnesty International to highlight the forthcoming Wiwa family lawsuits against Royal Dutch Shell, but was unable to because of her imprisonment.[14][15][16][17] In July 2009, Harrington was jailed for four months for public order offences relating to demonstrations, a sentence which was appealed.[18]

In February 2010, Judge Raymond Groarke accused Harrington of being like a member of "the secret police" following a period when the local area saw an influx of many Integrated Risk Management Services guards.[19]

In December 2018 Maura Harrington was a speaker at a protest held in Strokestown, County Roscommon, where roughly 1,000 people gathered to protest against the eviction of a family from their home. Video footage of the eviction had gone viral in Ireland and lead to much criticism after it depicted security contractors from Northern Ireland removing the family by force.[20] Subsequently, the security contractors were attacked at a second location, leading to multiple arrests.[21] It was reported that Harrington instructed the crowd to operate in secret, but not to do anything for which they could be arrested for and "to take care no one be killed".[22]

References

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  1. ^ Sheehan, Maeve (21 September 2008). "A plea for calm on the unquiet sea: As a hunger strike over the Corrib gas row ends, there are calls for the Government to bring 'peace to Mayo'". Sunday Independent. Independent News & Media / Independent Newspapers Ireland Ltd / Independent Digital Ltd. Factiva FSII000020080921e49l0001p (2116315). Archived from the original on 21 September 2008.
  2. ^ McConnell, Daniel (19 November 2006). "School principal criticised for protesting against Shell – National News, Frontpage". Sunday Independent. Dublin, Ireland: Independent News & Media / Independent Newspapers Ireland Ltd / Independent Digital Ltd. ISSN 0039-5218. Factiva FSII000020061119e2bj0001f (1727160); ProQuest 335515783. Archived from the original on 14 September 2008.
  3. ^ McCarthy, Justine (2 November 2006). "Made in Mayo". Village. Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
  4. ^ Siggins, Lorna (20 September 2008). "Shell to Sea protester ends 10-day hunger strike". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  5. ^ "Shell protester accused of 'lunge' towards President". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. 9 October 2008. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013.
  6. ^ a b c McNulty, Anton (12 March 2009). "Shell to Sea campaigner jailed for 28 days for assault on garda". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. Archived from the original on 4 May 2024.
  7. ^ The Irish Times, 16 June 2007.[full citation needed]
  8. ^ "Shell to Sea campaigner jailed for assault". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. 11 March 2009. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021.
  9. ^ Walsh, Jimmy (13 March 2009). "Norris questions judge's ruling in Shell to Sea case". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  10. ^ "Jail and psychiatric assessment for Shell to Sea activist: Harrington's actions were 'utterly and totally despicable': Flung mud at gardaí". Mayo Advertiser. 13 March 2009. Archived from the original on 4 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  11. ^ a b Gillespie, Brian (12 March 2009). "Supporters applaud activist as she begins 28-day jail term". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012.
  12. ^ "Shell to Sea campaigners protest at Department of Justice". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. 13 March 2009. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016.
  13. ^ "Protester denies groin kick: Protester denies kicking security guard in groin". Mayo News. 14 April 2009. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
  14. ^ "Remember Saro-Wiwa: Justice for the Ogoni 9". Amnesty International UK. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
  15. ^ "Imprisoned Harrington missed London conference". Mayo Advertiser. Free Media Ireland. 10 April 2009. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2009.
  16. ^ Siggins, Lorna (8 April 2009). "New effort on Corrib gas awaited after talks breakdown". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016.
  17. ^ Bray, Allison (8 April 2009). "It's open season on us, says freed Shell protester". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012.
  18. ^ PA (30 July 2009). "Two Shell protesters jailed". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016.
  19. ^ "Judge likens Shell to Sea to 'secret police'". RTÉ News. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 11 February 2010. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010.
  20. ^ Quinn, Trevor (16 December 2018) [updated 17 December 2018]. "Roscommon eviction footage shows security men removing people from property as homeowner claims he 'was dragged from house by the ears and assaulted'". Irish Mirror Online. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  21. ^ Reynolds, Paul (16 December 2018). "Investigation into attack at repossessed farm in Roscommon [originally: Eight injured in attack at house in Co Roscommon]". RTÉ.ie. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  22. ^ Byrne, Luke (23 December 2018). "Take care that nobody gets killed, don't get caught' - fiery scenes as hundreds attend anti-eviction rally". Irish Independent. Mediahuis. Archived from the original on 23 December 2018.
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