The Pipe (a David and Goliath documentary)

Here in Ireland there has been a huge furore over the past 4+ years about the building of a gas pipeline from the Corrib Gasfield off the west coast of Co. Mayo to nine miles inland. The local people have been divided by the prospect of this pipeline. The Shell Oil company (who have a less than stellar record internationally) are behind the pipeline. They have the support of the Irish government to a large degree. The Pipe, chronicles the story of the struggle of the local people with each other, with shell and with the authorities who refuse to listen to their concerns.

Shot by Richie O'Domhnaill 'The Pipe' is a documentary telling the story from the perspective of the people of Rossport (the village/community nearest to the proposed route of the pipeline) Co Mayo and their continued struggle for their rights and their voices to be recognised in the face of major industry and a government and police force that seem hell bent on accommodating Shell at every turn. The film won the best documentary prize at the Galway Film Fleadh (festival) in Ireland and has played to rave reviews and standing ovations at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada.

In the years since this controversy began there have been protests, arrests, hunger strikes, countless angry confrontations between the police and the protestors, there have been allegations of criminal damage, of trespassing and of assault on both sides. The film captures much of this and interviews some of the main protagonists (although Shell refused to cooperate) including members of the 'Rossport 5', group of locals who went to jail for their beliefs that the pipeline should not be built. These people are local farmers, fishermen and schoolteachers who are not content to let others come in and ride roughshod over their livelihoods and way of life. To many they are heroes, to others they are people stuck in their ways and preventing progress. As a story it is a compelling one and it has divided not only the local community, but also much of Ireland.

One of the major characters of the film is local crab fisherman Pat 'the chief' O'Donnell who fears the pipe will destroy not only the local bay but also his livelihood and tear his family apart by forcing his sons to leave home for work.



Local farmer Willie Corduff is one of the 'Rossport 5'. He and his family have seen their lives turned upside down in their attempt to keep the high pressure raw gas pipeline from running through their farm and community.



One of the key moments in the film comes when the 'Solitaire' the biggest pipelaying vessel in the world enters the bay to begin work. 'The Chief' goes out in his small fishing vessel to protect his crab fishing zone and his crab fishing pots and a true David and Goliath standoff ensues. Flanked by Police and Naval vessels you are left wondering in this teaser as to who is in the right and who has the power. It is a powerful piece of filmmaking.



Produced by Scannain Inbhear Teoranta with Riverside Television, TG4 and Underground Films; 'The Pipe' is a very relevant story in these times when oil companies are failing in their responsibilities to the communities in which they are located all over the world. The opening of the film in Toronto coincided with the tragic explosion of the gas pipeline in San Bruno California and seemed to be a telling sign of what happens when the fears expressed in the film are realised.
If this film reaches a festival or theater near you be sure to go and see it. below are some links to a review from Variety of the film and also to an interview with director Richie O'Domhnaill on Canada's CBC News.

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/Featured_Videos/ID=1590885523

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117943512.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&query=the+pipe

http://www.thepipethefilm.com/main-sect/ the official site

Ground Zero, Islam and the divisive nature of Religion

On the topic of an Islamic cultural center in Manhattan.
To whom is an islamic cultural center being built in Downtown manhattan offensive? Is it offensive to the the relatives of the various innocent islamic people who died while going about their work in the WTC on sept 11th or who may have been hostages on the planes? Or is this loud bigoted angry voice not more disrespectful?
Or is it just that there should be no religious building near the site, for surely the sight of a christian church is going to be too much for jews and muslims to bear. So maybe we move the church of st paul from less than a block from ground zero, after all we don't want to offend.
Is it disrespectful to try and promote understanding between faiths?
Do people here not realise that Allah, God and Yahweh are one and the same Divine Being and that as religious people Christians, Jews and Muslims all pray to the same Deity? That all 3 religions are connected.
Once again the facts are continually being skewed. This isn't a Mosque
For some reason only white right wing christian people appear to have died on sept 11th 2001. Its amazing the conspiracy nuts never picked up on that issue.

There are YMCAs all over Manhattan, this proposed building is the same thing, but you just have to substitute the 'C' for an 'I'.

Sept 11th 2001 was a terror attack, people died. It was an atrocity. July 7th 2005 was also and atrocity, but the British Public aren't calling for all Islamic centres to be closed down or prevented from opening. They know better.
The issue here stems from the fact that up until sept 11th 2001 US soil had never been attacked by an outside force (before anyone mentions Pearl Harbour, know your history, Hawaii was not a US state at the time). They never knew what it was to be the victim at home. The reactions since have all been knee-jerk and unfortunate. Much of this stemming from their complete ignorance of a world anywhere more than 40miles from their own homes.

We shouldn't be surprised at the ignorant moronic reactions of certain sections of US society, nor should we be surprised that partisan politics is using this ignorance to breed not only fear of foreigners but also to breed dissent and discontent within their own society.
Its no more insensitive to build a centre that is nominally attached to Islam 2 blocks from the site of the WTC than it is to hawk t-shirts and memorabilia of the towers and attacks to tourists for profit (something that continues with regularity to this day). In fact i would think that profiteering from the deaths of 3000+ people is far more distasteful than trying to promote cultural understanding and harmony.

Religion it seems will continue to spread hatred, fear and suspicion. There are some comments out there (mainly from Palin, Beck and Co) that aren't too far from the type of sentiments that led to the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland in 1939/40. Bill Hicks pointed out the ridiculousness of religion when he highlighted his encounter with some right wing Christians; "Hey Buddy we're Christians and we don't like the way you talked about Jesus!" Bill- "Well if you're Christians, then i guess you'll just have to forgive me"