The Harbour Master’s Letter

All quiet…

ollowing yesterday’s dramatic standoff at Greystones harbour, here’s harbour master Bernard Gallagher’s letter earlier that day to each local councillor…

Dear Councillor

Some facts for your information

Bernard Gallagher

This situation is not of our making as it goes back before our time coming to Greystones.

We have a duty of care to everybody using the harbour under the Bye-Laws which were signed into law by Wicklow Co.Co. which we are legally bound to enforce as HMMO.(harbour master marina operator).

We have been very patient with the people involved but this illegal behaviour cannot be allowed to continue in the safety of all using the harbour and that includes our staff doing their job.

There are only two fishermen causing this problem which is not of our making but we are left to deal with the 2 individuals whom 1 of them has a 10-metre boat and has now bought a large and expensive catamaran.
There were three very expensive moorings laid in the public harbour on two different occasions but these fishermen refused to use them.

All boats concerned have permanent berths in Dun Laoghaire.
No fisherman or any other craft has ever been refused use or berthage in the marina once they obey the bye-laws. We have had several fishing boats berthed in the marina from day 1.

 Bye–Laws broken on a regular basis

1. Safety: vessels have tied off Safety ladders and blocked same.
2.  They have moored illegally in the fairway despite being told and written to on several occasions. 
3. Bringing Fuel trucks onto north breakwater which is completely illegal and dangerous
4. Storing Lobster pots on the north Breakwater which is not allowed.
5. Washing down lobster pots and boats with waste pouring into the marina basin.
6. Speeding into the harbour
7. Failing to pay any berthage fees over the last years.
8. Vessels uninsured while moored illegally
9. Refusing to respond to our solicitor or answer any of the queries raised by our solicitor.
10. Using a forklift with no care for the public or children on the north breakwater (extremely dangerous).
11.  Refusing to talk to the Harbour Master or any of his staff and stating that they do not recognise the bye-laws or the harbour master’s authority.

We have leased this area and have invested heavily in the Marina Basin, etc, and our business like any other business has a right to trade and survive as best we can during these difficult times in the commercial world without threats, abuse or squatting on our leased area.

Harbour Master Marina operator
Greystones Harbour Marina

You can check out yesterday’s standoff here, our recent interview with fisherman Ivan Toole here, and Cllr Derek Mitchell’s response to the latter here.