Woman (29) accused of criminal damage to US aircraft at Shannon

Gordon Deegan

A judge has refused to relax bail conditions to allow a young woman charged with the criminal damage of a US aircraft at Shannon airport to travel on an Arts Council-funded trip.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Judge Alec Gabbett said Galway woman Nell Buckley (29) was "charged with serious offences" and refused to return her port to allow her to travel on Arts Council work over three days at the end of this month.

Judge Gabbett said the incident at Shannon Airport received wide publicity in the papers and on social media.

He said the great concern to the court was the serious issue about airport safety “and there could potentially be an international incident”.

Ms Buckley, of Ard Omra, Ballyburke, Ballymoneen Road, Galway, is one of three females charged with the criminal damage of the Omni Air International aircraft at Shannon on May 17th.

It was alleged that part of the front of the aircraft was sprayed with red paint.

Ms Buckley is also charged with entering a restricted area beside the control tower at Shannon Airport with intent to unlawfully interfere with property on the same date.

All three first appeared before a special sitting of Ennis District Court at 9pm on Sunday night. Ms Buckley's co-accused were bailed to re-appear before court on July 9th on strict bail conditions.

Ms Buckley also obtained bail and is barred from entering any aerodrome and must return her port.

In court on Wednesday, Ms Buckley's solicitor, Daragh Hassett, asked that Ms Buckley’s bail be amended to allow her to travel to the UK for three days for Arts Council work.

Mr Hassett said Ms Buckley works for the Arts Council and that the flight tickets were booked for her “by someone in the Arts Council”.

The solicitor told Judge Gabbett in court that at the initial bail hearing on Sunday it was flagged that a pre-booked work trip that had been arranged by her employer.

Mr Hassett said: "She has a job. She works in the arts and works for the Arts Council."

Det Garda Roddy Burke said the concerns he outlined at the bail hearing on Ms Buckley entering an airport remain.

He said: "There is a possibility there will be further charges in this case."

Mr Hassett said the charges Ms Buckley faced were “serious” and she intended to contest those charges when the case comes for trial.

He said Ms Buckley had lived overseas for periods and did a masters' degree in the Netherlands and returned from there in 2020. Mr Hassett said Ms Buckley's mother has an independent surety of €500 in court to allow her daughter to make the journey.

The court was told that Ms Buckley was going to England for work and not under the guise of a protester and would be travelling alone. Mr Hassett said Ms Buckley's flight tickets are to fly out of Dublin on Ryanair.

Judge Gabbett refused the application and remanded Ms Buckley on continuing bail to re-appear in court on July 9th.

The judge later told Mr Hassett that he was not open to an application to allow Ms Buckley travel by ferry to the UK this month.