‘WE SAW A LOT OF BAD THINGS’
CRAANFORD MAN WHO HELPED SAVE REFUGEES‘ HONOUR ED’ TO BE PART OF MISSION
A COUNTY Wexford man has told how he and his crewmates on the patrol ship LE Roisin saved more than 2,000 refugees during a 12-week deployment off the coast of Libya.
Leading Seaman Darragh Doyle, from Craanford, Gorey, was among the Irish contingent taking part in Operation Pontus, rescuing refugees from war and poverty, hundreds of whom died during the perilous sea crossing in flimsy boats and inflatables.
He said that while he and fellow crew members had seen and experienced ‘a lot of bad things’ it was important to not to get emotionally involved, albeit as far as you can be detached when you are saving the lives of desperate people on a daily basis.
Members of the naval service received the first of the new medals for humanitarian services presented in a ceremony at Rosslare Europort on Saturday, however, Darragh, who is home on leave, was not in the first awards ceremony.
He is due to be presented with the new medal later this year or early next year and although he says it’s nice to be so recognised with a medal it was never a factor in the vital role members of the service played in the human drama thousands of miles from our shores.
‘It’s nice to see this highlighted in view of the fact of what the Irish Navy are going down there. It was a very rewarding mission and it was great to be part of it and it’s something the Irish people can be proud of.
‘ These people (the refugees) are risking their lives in search of a better life for themselves and their families and we were able to help,’ said Darragh, the son of Thomas and Mary Doyle.
Darragh, who has been in the navy for nine years, said his initial duties on board LE Roisin saw him in charge of the overall safety of the ship and liferafts and jackets.
‘On the initial embarkation I was heavily involved with the registration of the refugees. They were from all over, from Somalia, Eritrea, Ivory Coast, Mali and from all walks of life. There were even doctors and lawyers among them as well as a lot of ordinary people seeking a better life.
‘A lot of these people were very young and old and had been travelling for months just to get to the point where they came off the beaces, travelling on long and treacherous routes. A lot would have been injured and some of the women would have been sexually assaulted.. it just highlights the risk they were prepared to take to get away from these war-stricken areas,’ said the 29 year old.
‘It was very demanding, both physically and mentally. We were assigned areas off the Libyan coast and we were constantly patrolling, always ready to react. Some of the days I was on deck I would go without sleep for 24 hours. You were on the go constantly and just had your adrenalin to get you through.
‘We saw a lot of bad things and it puts everything else into perspective. I said to myself not to get emotionaly involved. I didn’t want to compromise my options or those of the crew.
‘Its great that what we did is getting highlighted. It shows just how adaptable and flexible the naval service is. Our bread and butter would have been fisheries, but this goes way beyond that and I was honoured to be there.’
‘I’m just happy to be home,’ said Darragh, who will head back to sea in two weeks time.
During the deployment there were two other Wexford natives on board LE Roisin, Able Seaman Luke Whitty, from Piercestown, and Lt John Lawrence Kickham.