Elderly Parkinson's sufferer jailed for trespassing at Shannon Airport
A 79-year-old woman has been jailed for trespassing on the runway at Shannon Airport.
Galway anti-war activist Margaretta D'Arcy has had a three-month suspended sentence activated after she refused to sign a bond to uphold the law and keep away from unauthorised zones at Shannon.
Well known as a writer and anti-war camapigner, Margaretta Darcy was convicted before Ennis District Court in December, along with fellow acitvist Niall Farrell, after Judge Patrick Durkan heard they had endangered lives in blocking two flights from landing at Shannon in October of 2012.
The two members of the Galway Alliance Against War claimed they had a legal right to protest there against US Military use of Shannon.
Both received three-month prison sentences which were suspended on condition they enter into a bond to uphold the law for two years and to stay out of unauthorised zones at Shannon Airport.
However, having refused to sign the bond, Ms Darcy was arrested at her home in Woodquay in Galway today and taken to Limerick prison to serve her sentence.
Her fellow campaigners have expressed outrage at the detention of the 79-year-old Parkinson's sufferer and are calling on the Justice Minister Alan Shatter to demand her release.
