A crowd of over 2,000 people gathered in Belmullet this afternoon to show their support for the five Co Mayo men jailed for opposing a controversial gas pipeline.
The five were jailed 11 days ago for contempt of court and are being detained at Clover Hill Prison.
Relatives of the five men spoke at the rally, which will continue this afternoon, when a cavalcade of cars will make their way to the Shell terminal at Ballinaboy for another demonstration.
Further protests are planned in Mayo and across the country over the coming weeks.
Groups opposing the pipeline and an associated onshore terminal have called on Shell Ireland to abandon their plans and refine the gas from the Corrib Field at sea.
The organiser of today's rally, Independent Mayo TD Dr Jerry Cowley says the five jailed men are determined to stop the pipeline being built because they fear it would pose a major health and environmental hazard to the area.
