A Palestinian protester disrupted a speech by Minister of Transport Darragh O’Brien (FF) at the opening of Killaloe’s Brian Boru Bridge.
The woman was removed from the event by Gardaí after she shouted at the minister “How dare you show your face”.
The former Housing Minister was at the new bridge to celebrate its opening a month ahead of schedule. The new bridge connects the twin towns of Killaloe and Ballina and has been described as an €88 million investment, the biggest infrastructure project in Ireland currently in terms of spread.
A large group of Palestinian activists held a protest at the Clare entrance to the bridge, displaying banners criticising the alleged inaction of the Irish government over the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The protestors hung banners on fencing that stated, “US War Machine out of neutral Ireland” and “Genocide by starvation 1845 now 2025, Imperial Forces Out of Palestine And Out Of Shannon NOW”.
Following speeches by the Cathaoirligh of Clare and Tipperary County Councils, Minister O’Brien took to the podium to begin his speech on the opening of the landmark project. The minister began his speech by saying “I think its appropriate that this wonderful bridge is named after the former High King of Ireland, Brian Boru”.
Suddenly, a woman sitting directly to the left of this writer stood up from her seat and began shouting at the Fianna Fáil TD over his government’s alleged complacency in the current genocide of the Palestinian people at the hands of Israel.
The woman, brandishing a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf, shouted “Darragh O’Brien, how dare you show your face! How dare you show your face in public! How dare you, free Palestine. Sanction Israel. My friend was killed; her mother was killed”.
The woman continued shouting pro-Palestinian slogans but was shouted down by virtually all members of the public in attendance who reacted angrily to the disruption. Two members of An Garda Síochána then seized the woman and reminded her there was a “time and a place” for such debates and removed her from the seating area. The woman continued shouting as she was dragged away by the Gardaí.
In a statement to The Clare Echo, the Gardaí outlined “Gardaí attended the scene of a public gathering at Killaloe, Co. Clare on Thursday 22nd May 2025 at approximately 4pm. A woman (30s) who was arrested for public order offences has since been released without charge”.
Minister O’Brien was unfazed by the interruption to his speech and told the protester that he would be happy to speak to the women after he was finished speaking. Speaking after the woman’s removal by Gardaí, O’Brien said “We all know that the matter that the lady has raised is a serious issue that all of us care deeply about, all of the Oireachtas members, all cllrs, all Irish citizens. We all know what is happening in the occupied territories is an absolute disgrace”.
The rest of the day passed without incident as Minister O’Brien unveiled a commemorative plaque and cut the ribbon to officially open the bridge.
