As we gathered at Shannon today wiith our friends from The People of Clare Against Genocide, there was a US Navy C-130 Hercules registration 16-4993 at the airport.

The Gardai who were standing between us and the airport were asked to search it, as there are reasonable to grounds to believe it could be involved in a military operation or have weapons on board. Neither are permitted under the conditions covering the landing of foreign military planes at the airport. 

The C-130 had arrived from Sigonella air base in Sicily at 13.30 and had the call sign CNV3784. Sigonella is a hub of US naval air operations in the Mediterranean.

The plane is operated by the US Navy's VR-64 squadron. According to their own description, they are part of a team that is "entrusted to safely execute effective, responsive C-130 Hercules air logistics missions in direct support of Fleet and Combatant Commanders worldwide".

In other words their missions are military in nature so they should not be at Shannon.

The Garda inspector to whom the request was made simply said that no planes would be inspected today. He was pressed for an explanation, and was asked if he had instructions not to inspect US military planes, but he refused to answer.

There were at least four other aircraft associated with the US military at Shannon today in addition to the C-130.

Atlas air number N662GT on contract to the US military that landed about 06.19 coming probably from Diego Garcia and Kuwait. It later flew on the Portsmouth VA.

National Air number N898CA arrived at Shannon from the US about 00.55 and then flew on to Agadir in Morocco. It has since returned to Shannon, probably on its return journey to the US.

US Navy Hercules C130 number 16-5159 arrived on 10 May coming from Bahrain and Chania in Crete. It stayed overnight at Shannon and took off for the US about 08.14.

Omni Air N378AX arrived at Shannon on 9th May from Newport in the US, and flew on to Bardufoss air base in Norway and then returned to Shannon, and was still located at the airport when our peace vigil ended at 15.00. 

This is a shocking level of complicity in US warmongering at a time when they are providing support for Israeli genocide in Gaza. There is little point in the Taoiseach Micheal Martin saying Israel's nine-week blockade on Gaza is 'clearly' a war crime, as he did last Tuesday, if he is prepared to allow this support for the war criminals to continue.

The US military use of Shannon must be ended immediately. It is only by taking action that the government can say they did anything to try to stop the genocide. 

Photo shows the C-130 and the Omni Air planes at the airport during our peace vigil.