Returning from a life-saving operation in the Mediterranean, an irish naval service rigid inflatable boat docked on the LÉ Samuel Beckett. Irish officers have been praised for their contribution in the face of the Mediterranean migrant crisis, undertaking critical mission to save lives. Many brave Irish men and women embarked from the homeland, tasked with navigating the unpredictably volatile waters near Libya.
Irish naval vessels patrolled the Mediterranean as part of European humanitarian mission, Operation Pontus. Their goal was to minimize the tragic drownings of migrants trying to make the treacherous crossing from North Africa to Europe. Images and stories reached back home of Irish sailors pulling unconscious children from the brink of death or performing CPR on unresponsive adults, while simultaneously casting out life vests to others in desperate need.
The initiative, Operation Pontus, commenced in May 2015 and is recognized for saving countless lives throughout the subsequent years. On a personal note, one of the Irish naval officers, Geraghty, had grown up with an affinity for the sea, inspired by his father and nurtured in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin. His love for the sea, cultivated as he sailed across Dublin Bay, guided him towards his current livelihood.
Geraghty understood from early on that he was not destined for the conventional desk job. The navy vessels and the renowned Asgard II sailing training ship, a frequent sight near his home, ignited his fascination towards a marine lifestyle.
The European Union couldn’t afford to remain inactive in the face of the migration issue, and Ireland, too, felt a moral duty to intervene. The Irish Naval Service was tasked with enlisting ships to join other naval assets patrolling Mediterranean seas.
The initial response from EU was christened Operation Sophia, designed to counteract human trafficking and smuggling. Its objective was the identification and disruption of the criminal syndicates responsible for mass migration. On the other hand, Operation Pontus was driven by a more urgent, humanitarian cause of search and rescue, anchored solely on saving lives.
While on their second rescue mission, Geraghty encouraged his crew to sail as quickly as possible to save a group of struggling migrants. The Irish Naval Service commitment lasted for two years, 2015 through 2017. The European Union discontinued the operation in 2019.
Geraghty’s expertise extends beyond rescues, into commanding naval procedures and fishery protection policies. These experiences have shaped his perspective on the significance of a naval ship overseeing the vast Irish Exclusive Economic Zone. ‘A naval vessel signifies more than just military might – it is a public demonstration of a nation’s sovereignty, mirroring home-centred priorities and international relations,’ Geraghty opined.
Additionally, he labelled subaquatic structures like pipelines and cables as ‘economic facilitators’ crucial to the protection of national interests. These structures mirrored a situation from an undisclosed state-wide exercise, dubbed ‘Púca’, that tested emergency responses in the event of a sabotage attack on a set of seabed internet cables.
In recent times, Geraghty embarked on his final patrol in an Irish naval vessel. Upon his return, he brought his tenure as a naval officer to a close.
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