Dublin Launch of 'Our Story – the Rossport Five'

mayo | environment | feature

Friday January 05, 2007 19:06

by William Hederman

Norway Book Tour Planned

This is what Independent Media looks like.

William Hederman talks with the authors: 'The Rossport Five were back in the capital today for the Dublin launch of 'Our Story – the Rossport Five', their account of their time in prison in 2005 and the events that led to their imprisonment....

The five men – Willie Corduff, Vincent and Philip McGrath, Micheál Ó Seighin and Brendan Philbin – travelled to Dublin for the launch and press conference, along with Shell to Sea spokesperson Dr Mark Garavan and family members and supporters. Dr Garavan compiled and edited the book and wrote the introduction. The launch took place at Buswell's Hotel, opposite Leinster House. There was a strong turn-out of print and broadcast journalists and photographers.

'Our Story – the Rossport Five', which had already been launched in Co Mayo before Christmas, records accounts by the five men and their wives of the 94 days they spent in prison in 2005, as well as their roles in the campaign since 2000 against the proposed method of processing Corrib gas.

Philip McGrath and Mark Garavan are due to travel to Norway later this month to speak at a conference on how communities can benefit from natural resources.'

One of the men, Vincent McGrath, said the book was an "opportunity to talk directly to the Irish people, bypassing the mainstream media... There has been hysterical coverage in some of the mainstream media."

He said their story "could be about lots of communities in Ireland who feel betrayed by the political parties; who've had projects imposed on them."

When a journalist asked whether the book was intended as a message to Shell, Willie Corduff said: "Sure, you can't get a message to Shell. We've been trying for six years to get a message to them. They'll plough ahead regardless."

Micheál Ó Seighin said he hoped the dispute over Shell's proposed inland gas refinery and high-pressure pipeline would become an issue in this year's general election. "We've given people the opportunity to see how badly they've been served by the shenanigans that led to the give-away of our natural resources," he said.

"We're hoping voters will ask: is this the kind of state we want?" he said "If a cost-benefit analysis showed a benefit to the Irish people, we'd have to rethink. But that's not the case."

The five men – Willie Corduff, Vincent and Philip McGrath, Micheál Ó Seighin and Brendan Philbin – travelled to Dublin for the launch and press conference, along with Shell to Sea spokesperson Dr Mark Garavan and family members and supporters. Dr Garavan compiled and edited the book and wrote the introduction. The launch took place at Buswell's Hotel, opposite Leinster House. There was a strong turn-out of print and broadcast journalists and photographers.

'Our Story – the Rossport Five', which had already been launched in Co Mayo before Christmas, records accounts by the five men and their wives of the 94 days they spent in prison in 2005, as well as their roles in the campaign since 2000 against the proposed method of processing Corrib gas.

Philip McGrath and Mark Garavan are due to travel to Norway later this month to speak at a conference on how communities can benefit from natural resources.

Read an extract from the book here:
http://www.bluegreenearth.us/archive/article/2006/rossp....html

The book retails at €12.50 and is published by Small World Media.

Small World Media
Knocknaquirk
Magheramore
Co Wicklow
Trade enquiries to:
087 955 1504 (Ireland)
07816 146 567 (Britain)

For some information on where to buy the book, see this comment:
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/80365#comment180382