Three arrested after pro-Palestinian activists breach Shannon Airport perimeter
A white van breached the perimeter fence at Shannon Airport, Co Clare, and three people left the van stuck in a ditch and ran onto a taxiway as part of a pro-Palestinian protest on Thursday, 1 May 2025, at around 6.20pm. The activists, three of whom were identified by the group Palestine Action Eire, alleged the plane they were targeting was an Omni Air Boeing 767-300 CRAF aiding wars in the Middle East. Three people were arrested and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Co Clare. Gardaí described the incident as criminal damage, and investigations were ongoing as of the latest reporting.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested1 May
2 reports - Charged
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- A white van breached the perimeter fence at Shannon Airport by several feet before being stopped by a trench, and three people left the van stuck in a ditch and ran onto a taxiway.
- The breach was part of a protest by pro-Palestinian activists, with the group Palestine Action Eire stating three of its activists entered the airport runway to inspect a US military plane.
- Where
- The incident took place at Shannon Airport, Co Clare.
- When
- The incident occurred at around 6.20pm, or shortly before 6.30pm, on Thursday, 1 May 2025.
- Cause
- The protest was in response to the Israeli invasion of Gaza and the alleged transport of munitions of war on civil aircraft through Shannon Airport.
- Weapon
- A white van was used to breach the airport perimeter fence.
- Investigation
- Three individuals were arrested and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Co Clare.
- Charges
- Gardaí described the incident as criminal damage at Shannon Airport, Co Clare.
- Other details
- Flight operations were suspended for one hour until 7.30pm, with inbound flights placed in holding patterns.
- The plane in question was an Omni Air Boeing 767-300 CRAF, and the group alleged it was aiding wars in the Middle East, including Israel and Yemen.
- Tánaiste Simon Harris said no applications have been received or exemptions granted for carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft to a point in Israel in 2023, 2024, and to date in 2025.
20 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA van attempted to enter Shannon Airport, causing a security breach (irishtimes.com)
- whatThree people left the van stuck in a ditch and ran onto a taxiway (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe breach was part of a protest by pro-Palestinian activists (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe van's front breached the fence by several feet but was stopped by a trench (irishtimes.com)
- whatFlight operations were suspended and inbound flights were placed in holding patterns (irishtimes.com)
- whatThree people were arrested after a security breach at Shannon Airport by pro-Palestinian activists. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe airport suspended operations for one hour until 7.30pm. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe incident took place at Shannon Airport, Co Clare. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe incident occurred at around 6.20pm (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe incident occurred shortly before 6.30pm on Thursday, 1 May 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThree individuals were arrested and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Co Clare (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThree individuals were detained under section four of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Co Clare. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeGardaí described the incident as criminal damage at Shannon Airport, Co Clare (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe airport has periodically seen protests against US armed forces use over decades (irishtimes.com)
- otherCampaigners highlighted the practice in the wake of the Israeli invasion of Gaza (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe plane in question was an Omni Air Boeing 767-300 CRAF. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe group alleged the plane was aiding wars in the Middle East, including Israel and Yemen. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherIt is prohibited to transport munitions of war on civil aircraft across Irish airspace without an exemption from the transport minister. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherTánaiste Simon Harris said no applications have been received or exemptions granted for carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft to a point in Israel in 2023, 2024, and to date in 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherDiplomatic clearance has been granted on a small number of occasions for US military aircraft to land in Shannon for transporting senior officials from the US to the Middle East. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 2 May20253 arrested after security breach by pro-Palestinian activists at Shannon Airport
First report of the incident; three activists detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda station in Co Clare.
suspectsuspectsuspect - 1 May2025Three people detained after Shannon Airport security breach
Provides further detail: the van was white and breached the fence by several feet before being stopped by a trench; the three people wore orange jump suits, hard hats and scarves; operations were suspended from 6.30pm to 7.30pm with inbound flights in holding patterns; the three were detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Co Clare.
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