Eight Photos from Austerity Ireland

Pensioners mobilise in Cork city against cuts in Medical Cards

[October 2008]

 

The severed head of Irish Taoiseach,  Brian Cowen.  Grand Parade, Cork City

[November 2009]

Not My Debt – Occupation of Anglo-Irish Bank offices in Cork city

[November 2010]

Gardaí protect the Dáil in Dublin

[November 2011]

IMF Orders – Occupy Protest March in Cork City

[December 2012]

Vita Cortex – Let Them Go Home

[Feb 2012]

Cill Eoin ‘Ghost Estate’ in Kenmare, Co. Kerry

[April 2012]

ICTU “Lift The Burden” March in Cork City

[February 2013]

Anti-Household Tax March in Cork 

[March 2013]

Anti-Water Meter Protest in Elmvale Estate, Cork

[April 2014]

Worse than Bernie Madoff – Shell’s Robbery in Ireland

More cutbacks in the public services are planned.   Already hospitals have been hit by ward closures, and procedures have been axed; in schools up and down the country, cuts are being made that will have long lasting effects on many young children and their families.  Why?  Supposedly to pay for the financial mess that successive governments have made of this country.

But consider this.  The Irish State has given to Shell Oil a vast volume of gas off Ireland’s west coast.  For free!   Shell walk off with a vast resources and meanwhile the general public suffer cut after cut.   Is this worse than “Bernie” Madoff.  For sure it is.

Take a look at the above satirical video – which goes through the murky business that is at the heart of this gas robbery.

There is ongoing resistance to what the Government and Shell are doing in Mayo.  Keep up with the latest info at the Shell 2 Sea site or at the WSM news page.

Are Ye Trying To Fill The Graveyards Quicker?

I have been to a lot of protests over the years in Cork.  A few stand out and yesterday’s protest against the recently announced Government cuts in the Medical Card entitlements for the over 70s was one of them. It was an unexpectedly big march that got under way at 3 pm.  From the beginning there were lots of people on the march that hadn’t been on a protest for a long time.  And yet they were determined to be there.  It was great to see.  Once the march got under way, it received an ovation from the those standing on the pavements watching – Saturday afternoon shoppers; families in town for a stroll.   There was a really buoyant air of protest and anger to the march which grew and grew as it made its way along Patrick’s Street.  I was reminded of that tremendous march in Cork city centre against the Iraq War back in 2003 when the huge crowd was mesmerised by its own sheer size.  On that occasion a sit down protest followed and there was a feeling in the air of the power of people standing together and for something.  Something to see indeed! There was sometime similar in Cork on Saturday.  Maybe not as strong but there nonetheless – tremendous all and all.  I got to take some photos and a number of placards stood out: one said are “Are Ye Trying To Fill The Graveyards Quicker”.  Another was of a young   holding a placard saying leave my grannies Medical Card alone!

More protests are planned and there is every chance that this particularly cut will be reversed. That would be great.  People power is a wonder!  Nonetheless it doesn’t take from the fact that the Government has the ordinary person in their sights when it comes to finding someone to pay for the disaster that is this present economic crisis.  I suppose no surprise there.  Absolutly none at all.  There is more on march at http://www.wsm.ie/story/4646 and athttp://www.indymedia.ie/article/89514. If you get a chance get out on the street too!