Security Breach at Shannon Airport: Garda Hospitalised and Three Women Arrested
A serious security incident occurred at Shannon Airport in County Clare on Saturday afternoon, resulting in the hospitalisation of a member of An Garda SÃochána and the arrest of three women. According to reports from Breaking News, the incident took place at around 4:30pm, when three women allegedly gained access to the airside area of the airport and caused criminal damage to an aircraft.
The incident is the second security breach at Shannon Airport this month, raising concerns about the effectiveness of airport security measures. On May 1st, three people were arrested after they allegedly entered the airport grounds after crashing a van into a security fence. The van was stopped from entering an airport taxiway after it got stuck in a drain. As Breaking News previously reported, the incident highlighted vulnerabilities in airport security.
The latest incident involved three women, aged between 20 and 50 years, who breached the perimeter fence and approached an Omni Air International aircraft parked at Stand 42 at the end of the terminal building. They are understood to have thrown red paint onto the forward section of an Omni Air International Boeing 767-330(ER) aircraft that was parked there. The women were detained and subsequently arrested at the scene. A Garda spokesperson confirmed that the three women were arrested and are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Garda stations in Co Clare.
During the course of the arrests, one member of An Garda SÃochána was injured and has since been taken to University Hospital Limerick for assessment. The Garda spokesperson stated that the injuries are non-life threatening. The incident forced operations at the airport to be brought to a standstill, with three arriving aircraft being placed in holding patterns. Flight crews were advised by air traffic controllers that there had been an ‘incident’ at the airport. The Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter, which was preparing to depart on a training exercise, was also grounded once operations were suspended.
The incident highlights concerns about airport security and the potential for breaches to occur. As Breaking News reports, the airport’s fire cover was reduced as a result of personnel from Shannon Airport Police and Fire Service responding to the security incident, thus, without the required amount of fire cover, operations were halted. The incident was brought under control when it was confirmed that there were no other persons at large, and operations at Shannon resumed shortly before 5:00pm.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with the Garda spokesperson confirming that Gardaà responded to an incident of criminal damage at Shannon Airport, Co. Clare that occurred shortly after 4pm on Saturday, May 17th, 2025. The spokesperson stated that the incident is being investigated, and further details are being sought. As Breaking News continues to monitor the situation, this incident raises serious questions about airport security and the measures in place to prevent such breaches from occurring.
