The Mayo News

Fisherman Pat O’Donnell told The Mayo News about the dramatic events before and after the Iona Isle sank near Erris Head in the early hours of Thursday morning last. Terror on the Iona Isle


SPEAKING from his home at the weekend longtime fisherman, Pat O’Donnell told The Mayo News about the dramatic events before and after the Iona Isle sank near Erris Head in the early hours of Thursday morning last.

I WAS there watching my gear since about 11 or 12 o’clock. We’d gone out a few nights before because I heard there was some boat going to come in and damage my gear. It was only a rumour but you see they arrested me last Summer but they couldn’t prosecute me.
(Last Summer Pat O’Donnell was arrested on his boat on two occasions while protecting his gear, ahead of planned, but aborted, pipelaying by the Solitaire. On one occasion he was released from Belmullet Garda Station two minutes before his lawyers in Dublin were due to present papers to the High Court for an inquiry into his arrest under Article 42.4.2 of the Constitution).
Me, myself and Martin McDonnell, were there for about two hours and next thing I heard a noise behind me. There were four of them, masked and in wet suits, two of them had guns and they told us to be quiet.
Two of them went down below, what they were doing I don’t know, looking for sea-cocks or busting out a plank.
Of course, I was frightened. I was worried for my life and for Martin’s. I was thinking of my family, but I don’t want to talk about that.
When they came back up they stayed with us for a while. If they wanted to drown us, why didn’t they take the life-raft, or why didn’t they throw us overboard. I could say they wanted us dead, but I don’t think so. I think they just wanted to give me one hell of a fright.
 I noticed the boat’s roll slowing and getting heavy. When the bandits left our boat, I looked below and there was water covering the engine.
  I told Martin to get his life jacket on. I had to go to the top of the wheelhouse and cut off the dinghy. I had a problem launching it and I also had to cut the paddles out of their plastic cover.
I had to grab a hand-held VHF and lifejacket for myself. I knew we better get away from the boat and paddle like hell because I was afraid we’d get sucked under by the boat sinking.
After I made the Mayday call and gave an estimate of my co-ordinates, I rang Belmullet Garda Station and told a female garda what happened and that they had escaped north.
Next thing the gardaí had arrived and [skipper] John Healy had arrived in the the Rachel Mary [an O’Donnell boat]. John Healy has nothing to do with the protest, in fact we never talk about it.
The Rachel Mary had been steaming from Ballyglass harbour to her fishing grounds further west of Erris, as she does every morning during the Summer, weather permitting.
I could be fishing over there at Glengad because I have a license to fish there. But I won’t make a fool of myself.  I haven’t been to sea since. I’m shook up and I’m frightened. I need another few days to pull myself together.

> Pat O’Donnell was in conversation with Aine Ryan

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