Lelia Doolan crossed much of Ireland on foot to protest the use of Shannon Airport in County Clare for US military maneuvers. Over two weeks, the peace activist and film producer traveled 220 kilometers. Upon arriving in Dublin on Wednesday, he handed over a petition to the Irish Government to ban US military flights in Irish airspace.
The activist began her walk in March 31stwith a starting point at Shannon Airport. Despite having covered most of the distance on foot, There were times when he didn’t and, of course, moments to stop.
“US military planes land without anyone in the Government having given authorization to search them or check their contents. Shannon is a civilian airport. It is not a military airport,” said Lelia Doolan, according to the .
The fight is not over now. For decades, Several activists have turned against the agreement which allows the United States to stop its military planes at the airport for supply purposes.
By being the Europe’s westernmost airportShannon Airport occupies a strategic location. In the 1940s, it became a transatlantic refueling stopover for US military and diplomatic flights.
The Government guarantees that the airport is not used in combat operations by the United States and argues that there is no evidence that weapons, ammunition or any other type of military material have entered Irish airspace.
Despite this, coincidentally, on the day of departure, at Shannon Airport, the activist came across several US soldiers who were still armed.
Doolan considers that the agreement, which authorizes certain US military flights, violates Ireland’s neutrality in the context of and leaves people mistaken in thinking that the practice has to be maintained. “You don’t have to continue”retorts the 91-year-old activist.
Challenge to North American military use
The protest against the North American use of airports or air bases for attack purposes in the Middle East goes beyond Irish borders. All over Europe, the protest is spreading.
More recently, last week, a man in his 40s was detained after damaging a transport plane with an ax of the US Air Force who was parked on a runway at Shannon Airport.
Hugs and applause after more than 200 kilometers
Na ‘meta’, Lelia Doolan was expected by a large group of people. Among activists, friends and opposition politicians, the activist was received at Leinster House, which houses the Dáil cameras Éireann and from the Seanad, the Irish Parliament, with loud applause, hugs and flying Palestinian flags.
In the Dáil, the leader of the Labor Party, Ivana Bacik, praised the activist’s gesture and pressured the Government to go back on authorizing the use of North American military planes from the airport in question.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin also expressed his respect for Doolan and said he would try to find her. However, as for the crux of the matter, the government official stated that Shannon Airport played no role in the Middle East conflict.
“We have to be very careful not to misclassify Shannon Airport. I think that would harm the airport,” he said Michael Martin.
Is the airport still used by the USA or not?
Ireland’s role in US military maneuvers has been questioned several times. Over the past 20 years, US soldiers have passed through Shannon Airport as it has become a important staging point for the US Armed Forcesespecially with regard to operations in the Middle East, such as incursions in Afghanistan and Iraq.
According to the data obtained and analyzed by the one of the largest Irish newspapers, Between 2022 and 2024, around 2,000 US military aircraft and US civil air operators, with war munitions on board, requested authorizations to stop in Ireland.
Planes are not, however, always searched and inspected by the Irish authorities. The local media outlet claims that just 0.1% of US orders were refused to land or fly over Ireland due to “the nature of the total amount of war munitions intended to be transported”, the Irish Ministry of Transport told RTÉ News.
The Irish Government guarantees that the Ireland is militarily neutral and that establishes a boundary between armed involvement and foreign policy positions.
However, every month there are military and civilian aircraft landing and taking off from Shannon, which raises the controversy as to whether the Military traffic does or does not fall within the parameters of the practice of this neutrality.
