Anger, betrayal and boxer shorts

Anger, betrayal and boxer shorts


Áine Ryan

NO HOLDS were barred, amid stormy scenes, in the isolated community hall of Inver last Thursday night. The community anger was palpable. Even unnerving. One after the other – members of the 300 and upwards throng – categorically told two senior government ministers what they thought about them, the Corrib project, Shell, the gardaí, and IRMS (the private security company).
They also warned Ministers Éamon Ó Cuív and Eamon Ryan that if they didn’t do something to stop the controversial development, they would. This was despite repeated attempts by the two ministers to state that, as government representatives, they must always act within the law.
Feelings of isolation and betrayal by the powers of the State were emotionally expressed. Mr Colm Henry  told the ministers the following tale.
“I’m Colm Henry from Glengad. My house is the closest to the [landfall] works. Our family was terrorised by these people [security] for three months in 2008. They had security cameras 80 metres from our kitchen window, looking at my wife as she walked around the house. They filmed my children and my grandchildren.
“I eventually made a complaint on June 5 to Supt Gilligan. He said it was awful what ‘those people’ were doing to us. He said it would be investigated. I’ve never heard a word since.”
Speaking directly to Éamon Ó Cuív, he concluded: “My grandfather was in jail with your grandfather to protect the very thing you are giving away.”
Meanwhile, for those of us at a professional remove, the shocked look of the ministers when Willie Corduff dropped his trousers, to show the injuries he sustained recently at Glengad, had a certain humourous dimension. Even if his boxers were unremarkable, from a design perspective.
So too did the misunderstanding between Minister Ó Cuív and Maura Harrington’s husband.
Attempting to respond to a barrage by Ms Harrington, the minister quipped: “You can give it, but you can’t take it, Maura.”
Naoise Ó Mongáin took great offence. Bizarrely, he thought it was a sexual allusion. Clearly, it wasn’t. Nonetheless Minister Ó Cuív graciously apologised.