This article is from page 12 of the 2006-03-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
SHANNON plane spotter and antiwar activist Conor Cregan is to appeal the decision of the Garda Complaints Board not to investigate his claim that he was falsely imprisoned by gardaí during the visit of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to Clare last month.
Mr Cregan reached national headlines after questioning Mr Ahern on the role of Shannon Airport in transporting prisoners from Iraq during a press conference, which took place in the West County Hotel on February 18.
According to Mr Cregan, when he returned to the press area of the hotel to collect his camera after questioning Mr Ahern, he was followed by a member of the gardaí who closed the door to the room and prevented him from leaving the area.
“I tried to get past him and he wouldn’t let me out,” said Mr Cregan. “He blocked the door and I thought I was going to be beaten up.”
Mr Cregan claimed that he was allowed to leave the room after a few minutes, but was subsequently confronted by a member of the Fianna Fáil party in Clare and a photographer who he believed to be an undercover garda.
“I was accosted by a Fianna Fáil member who demanded my observer pass back and said that I had received it under false pretences – which is untrue,” said Mr Cregan.
“A photographer then grabbed my bag and pulled me over to a security guard and asked him to search it,” he added.
Mr Cregan is to appeal the decision of the Garda Complaints Board and has also written to the Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy. It is Garda policy not to comment on matters which are before the Garda Complaints Board.