Lelia Doolan, a 91-year-old film producer and activist, has completed a 220km walk from Shannon Airport to Dáil Éireann in protest against the use of the airport by US military flights. She began the journey on 31 March, describing it as a peaceful act to highlight concerns about Irish neutrality and the lack of inspection of military aircraft using the civilian airport.
Lelia Doolan, a 91-year-old film producer and activist, has completed a 220km walk from Shannon Airport to Dáil Éireann in protest against the use of the airport by US military flights.
She began the journey on 31 March, describing it as a peaceful act to highlight concerns about Irish neutrality and the lack of inspection of military aircraft using the civilian airport. She said the walk was intended to draw attention to what she views as a violation of neutrality, arguing that US military aircraft land at Shannon Airport without adequate scrutiny.
In Dublin, she was greeted by supporters, including politicians and activists, as she approached Leinster House and Dáil Éireann, where crowds waved flags and sang songs of peace. In the chamber, Labour leader Ivana Bacik praised Doolan’s ‘mammoth’ effort and asked the Taoiseach to meet her and reconsider policy on the use of Shannon Airport.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin responded that he respected her commitment but stressed that Shannon Airport is not a US military base and should not be mischaracterised. He said the airport plays no role in conflicts such as Gaza or tensions involving the US and Iran. Earlier, speaking on RTÉ, Ms Doolan, who has a long history of activism including completing a skydive for her 90th birthday, said her campaign was the most peaceful way she could express concerns.
She was joined by hundreds of people along the 220km route through counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Laois and Kildare, receiving warm welcomes at each stage. The walk, which she dedicated partly to her late friend and fellow campaigner Margaretta D'Arcy, has become another milestone in her long record of peaceful protest and activism in Ireland. Her journey also sparked wider public discussion about Irish neutrality and the long-standing controversy over the use of Shannon Airport by foreign military forces transiting through Ireland.
Supporters said the walk highlighted peaceful protest traditions in Ireland and drew attention to humanitarian concerns linked by campaigners to ongoing global conflicts.
The protest concluded outside Leinster House with emotional scenes as she read a poem by Palestinian American poet Naomi Shihab Nye titled Kindness, and participants joined in singing Give Peace a Chance, marking a symbolic end to her 220km walk which she described as both exhausting and deeply rewarding for its message of peace and solidarity. She said it reflected her lifelong commitment to non-violent activism in Ireland always forward
