Salthill War Show cancelled

galway | anti-war / imperialism | press release

Tuesday December 04, 2007 15:47

by doug f - Galway Alliance Against War

Galway Peace Group Welcomes End of Warplanes at Salthill

The Galway Alliance Against War has issued a statement in relation to the
announcement by the organisers of the Salthill Air Show to cancel next year’s event.

“We welcome the news that there will be no warplanes polluting the skies over Galway
this coming June. Presenting warplanes, that kill and terrorise people in other
parts of the world, as a form of family entertainment is nothing more than an
obscenity. It condoned the horrors these weapons of mass destruction committed. It
is now time for us to have a festival that is all inclusive, a festival that is for
peace not for war. We would call on Galway City Council to give us the €15,000 that
had been earmarked for the war show and we will make good use of it!

“While we as a Galway peace group would love to accept the plaudits for ending this
militarised event as claimed by the organisers, we think, however, they are being
somewhat disingenuous. We have known through journalistic sources for some
considerable time that the organisers were facing a huge rise in insurance costs
after last June’s accident. Let’s face it, these warplanes conduct their manoeuvres
in close proximity to large residential areas, plus they scream across the city and
environs. Any insurance actuary worth his or her salt would surely see this event as
an accident waiting to happen. Especially when one takes into consideration the many
tragedies associated with air shows throughout the world.

“The organisers of the show have said they have been inundated with correspondence
opposing the show. This does not surprise us, the household survey we had carried
out in the Claddagh and Salthill districts last winter showed 47% of households
opposed the militarised nature of the event. That number was bound to increase after
the appearance of the “top guns” from the US Air Force’s Thunderbirds. Not only did
they pollute the sky over Galway for days in the run-up to the show, but the
pro-Bush, bellicose statements of these killers must have been extremely
uncomfortable to the majority of people in this city who oppose war and treasure
Irish neutrality.”

For further information: Niall Farrell 087-9159787 or 091-792297