At our peace vigil today at Shannon we were delighted at the level of support from people entering and leaving the airport. Judging from their reaction, a lot of people agree with our opposition to the US military use of Shannon.

This was our first peace vigil since the government's Colsultative Forum on International Security. The lack of balance in the discussions have been highlighted, and we hope that the public's disquiet will give the government cause to think about it's efforts to water down or abandon our neutrality. As Afri have highlighted in their documentary entitled “A Force for Good? Reflections on Irish Neutrality", the world urgently needs voices calling for, and countries working towards, de-escalation, demilitarization and disarmament, as war rages in so many areas around the world and as two nuclear armed ‘superpowers’ actively engage in a proxy war in Ukraine.

And yet, we continue to make one of our most important airports available to ths US military. We are doing the opposite to what a neutral country should be doing. We are assisting in the escalation of war.

Speaking at today's peace vigil in Shannon, Edward Horgan highlighted the need for renewed efforts towards peace and diisarmament in Ireland. He highlighted the appalling consequences of the use of cluster bombs and depleted uranium. The US's intentions to supply cluster bombs to Ukraine will almost certainly result in widespread civilian deaths and maiming if they go through with it, and will leave a dangerous legacy of explosive devices in the earth for decades to come.

Given the lack of adequate oversight of what the US military take through Shannon, we cannot be sure these banned munitions won't come through the airport or be brought through Irish airspace.

Those taking part in today's peace vigil also expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian people who continue to suffer ongoing violence from Israel, including the large scale military attach on the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank.