Áine Ní Threinír (35) and Emma O’Grady (41) pictured on Tuesday after appearing at Kilrush District Court concerning the public order charges against the two at the Amgen Irish Open at Trump Doonbeg during the visit of US President Donald Trump in September.
THE TWO Galway women charged in connection with allegedly shouting anti-war slogans on the seventh green at Trump Doonbeg golf course during the Amgen Irish Open are to contest the charges against them.
At Kilrush District Court on Tuesday, two prominent Pro-Palestinian activists, Emma O’Grady (41) of Inis Oírr, Co na Gaillaimhe and Áine Ní Threinír (35) of Corrundrum, Co Galway appeared in connection with the alleged public order offence at Trump Doonbeg golf course during the third day of the resort hosting the Amgen Irish Open on September 12th.
Arising from the incident on the seventh green, theatre artist, Ms O’Grady and community worker, Ms Ní Threinír are both charged under Section 6 of the (Criminal Justice) Public Order Act where it is an offence for any person in a public place to use or engage in any threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace.
Solicitor for the two, Shíofra Hassett told the court that the case could be adjourned to November 10th for Garda disclosure in the case but stated that ultimately the case will go to hearing.
At hearing the two will contest the Garda charges where Gardaí will be required to provide evidence on the case against the two.
The two allegedly shouted anti-war slogans and wore anti-war T-shirts on the seventh green at Trump Doonbeg golf course as US President, Donald Trump’s Marine One was in the air preparing to land on the Saturday afternoon of September 12th.
Legal aid had been granted for solicitor Darragh Hassett to represent the and Gardaí had no objection to bail for the two to be remanded on bail to appear before Kilrush District Court on Tuesday.
Bail was granted on the agreed conditions that the two stay away from Trump Doonbeg golf resort and must be of good behaviour.
Speaking outside Ennis Courthouse in September after her first court appearance concerning the case, Emma O’Grady said, “At 3.05pm we were arrested by Gardaí on the seventh green just as Trump’s helicopters were in the air landing”.
Footage of the incident on social media showed Gardaí removing the two from the seventh green in front of a grand-stand of Irish Open spectators.
Ms O’Grady said, “We were engaging in a peaceful protest displaying ‘US warplanes out of Shannon’ on our t-shirts and saying that ‘Trump is unwelcome’, calling for a Free Palestine and calling for the US military out of Shannon”.
Ms O’Grady said, “We wanted to highlight that we want the US military out of Shannon and the Irish Government is spending €20m on security for a private trip this weekend. It is just wrong”.
She said, “We don’t want Trump here and to show Trump that he is not welcome here”.
Ms Ní Threinír said, “In these moments people have to do what they can to say that ‘this isn’t okay”.
Judge Adrian Harris further remanded the two on bail for Gardaí to provide disclosure at Kilrush District Court on November 10th and to fix a date for hearing. On request from Ms Hassett, Judge Harris excused the pair’s court attendance on that date.
