Shannon Airport was closed for a time this evening following a security breach where a van attempted to entered the airport.
Three people have been detained after they left the van stuck in a ditch and they ran onto a taxiway. The incident is understood to have occurred at around 6.20pm.
The breach is understood to have been part of a protest by pro-Palestinian activists.
It’s believed that a white van crossed a grass area on the main road into the airport and crashed through the perimeter fence.
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It is understood that a number of people wearing orange jump suits, hard hats and scarves over their faces then entered the airport’s “airside” area. They ran in the direction of a taxiway before were detected and quickly apprehended.
Airport police officers responded to the scene from both airside and landside directions while gardaí were also alerted and requested to attend.
While the front of the van managed to breach the security fence by several feet, it was prevented from making it any further by a trench that runs inside the barrier.
Three persons are believed to have the climbed out of the van and run towards a taxiway. Once the breach was detected, flight operations were suspended.
This resulted in a few inbound flights being placed in holding patterns until operations could resume.
The airport has periodically seen protests against use of the airport by United States armed forces over the course of decades.
Campaigners have again highlighted the practice in the wake of the Israeli invasion of Gaza, which has been conducted with material and financial support from the United States.
A spokesperson for the Shannon Airport Group has confirmed: “Shannon Airport has resumed normal operations following an incident which required Garda assistance.
“The airport suspended operations at 6.30pm and a number of flights were delayed as a result.
“The situation was promptly addressed by Gardai and operations fully resumed at 7.30pm.”
A Garda spokesperson confirmed: “Gardaí responded to an incident of criminal damage at Shannon Airport, Co. Clare that occurred shortly before 6:30pm this evening, Thursday May 1st 2025.
“Three individuals were subsequently arrested and are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Co Clare.
“Investigations are ongoing.”
