This article is from page 16 of the 2014-11-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
SINN Fein members were prevented from carrying party banners during Saturday’s Ennis protest against Irish Water.
A number of party members, including local election candidate Noeleen Moran, took part in the Ennis protest, but were asked not to carry materials belonging to the Sinn Fein party, including banners.
According to the Clare Says No To Water Charges group, who organised the Ennis protest, Sinn Fein was not targeted in the march but it was instead decided that no posters from any party should be displayed.
“It was a non-political protest. We had a meeting last Wednesday and, as a group, we agreed that we were not going under the banner of any political party. That was agreed as a group and that is the way we want to have it,” said Paul Whitmore of Clare Says No To Water Charges. “That is not just an issue with Sinn Fein, it was the same for all the political groups. We are not about politics or a political party. We are Clare Says No To Water Charges and there is no great plan beyond that – this is just about us beating the water charges.” Fianna Fail’s Timmy Dooley was Clare’s only Oireachtas member to take part in the protest but a number of county councillors including Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) and James Breen (Ind) marched in Ennis. The Shannon protest was co-organised by Sinn Fein under the Right to Water organisation with local councillor Mike McKee (SF) addressing the marchers alongside Seónaidh Ní Shíomóin, local elections candidate for the Anti Austerity Alliance. No other elected member from the Shannon area attended the Shannon protest but it is understood that Cllr Gerry Flynn (FG) attended the Dublin anti-water charge protest on Saturday.