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GALWAY SWIMMERS ARE being urged to stay out of the water in the Salthill area after an incident with a dolphin at Blackrock this evening.
Five people were taken to shore by Galway RNLI after the Valentia Coastguard received reports of a dolphin ‘causing difficulty’ for swimmers.
A spokesperson for the RNLI told TheJournal.ie that the call went out at about 7.25pm after the five were surrounded by the animal. The dolphin, described as a ‘large adult’ then swam towards the swimmers, ‘slapping’ one of them and nudging another sharply.
Other boats in the area had attempted to come to the swimmers’ assistance, trying to come between them and the dolphin. The lifeboat, with Ciaran Oliver at the helm, pulled the swimmers to safety and returned to shore.
Oliver told TheJournal.ie that the the boat continued to patrol the area for a time afterwards from Blackrock to Seapoint to ensure that all swimmers got to safety, with RNLI personnel warning others on shore to stay out of the water.
None of the five required medical attention but they are said to be very shocked.
Stephanie Carr, David Badger and Sean King made up the rest of the RNLI crew.
Mike Swan, Operations Manager at Galway Lifeboat Station said that it was a highly unusual incident:
This is the first time we’ve been called out to aid swimmer coming under – I don’t know if you’d call it an attack, but the dolphin was definitely corralling and slapping them.
Swan said there was no way to know if this incident is connected to others involving a dolphin known as ‘Dusty’ in the waters off Co Clare and Inis Oírr.
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What could they have possibly come up with at the 11th hour that no one thought of before. My guess is that it will be Mays deal but with new language and the DUPs are the fall guys as they will have to try to convince the media it’s a different deal. They also need to convince their electorate that it’s a new deal because they want happy campers post Brexit and to be able to say they saved their precious union.
@Paul Furey: Boris’s paper has adopted a long awaited change of tone – interesting … looks like the Boris bus is on the way
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/10/10/northern-ireland-burden-rest-uk-cant-let-get-way-brexit/
Boris was always planning a deal. It was noted in Sept by senior Tories Johnson had said he’d have no problem throwing the DUP under the bus. For that, first he needed to lose the majority, go for the no deal and flush out the patriots from the Tories, Gets rid and the majority’s gone and with that the DUP became meaningless. The blame game and erratic nonsense since wasnt for the EU’s benefit, the ridiculous offer was for Arlene Foster so she’d row in behind and lose public support in NI-job done. Unlawful actions was to throw parliment up in arms and have them aghast so when he comes back with something similar to the red line May Deal that she wouldnt put to parliment, the Labour rebels and theTories set adrift will row in behind him and suddenly he has the majority again. I think the first vote he’ll win will be that deal and the DUP are thrown away. Its the only thing that makes sense the past number of weeks. Its actually genius when you think about it a s much as I hate to say it
@Daimhín De Naois: the Editorial in The Daily Telegraph today reflects exactly what the Tories think of Northern Ireland within the UK – a millstone! Terrible stuff.
@Daimhín De Naois: you’re giving the tories too much credit there.
….not sure the DUP see the bus coming…..
@Michael Murray: I’m sure the penny must be dropping – Boris’s newspaper, published this morning, is letting them know of the imminent arrival
Ireland and EU can and hopefully will drive a deal through . EU the ones always using Ireland as a stick to beat UK. Varadker needs to get a deal done that’s best for Ireland , not the EU. Junk the drunk and mister Barnier won’t be best pleases at Boris and Taoiseach making progress. EU don’t do democracy and will do all in their power to stop Brexit.
@Willy Mc Bride: poor UK been forced to leave and look for a deal oh wait there choice there lies.
Easiest deal ever , they need us more than we need them , we can get a great deal .
On the plus side, Johnson at least bothered to tuck his shirt in this time. He must mean business.
Good conversation about socks so
@Eugene Conroy: Haha a sock joke so original
That’s Ireland and ‘UK’ can and hopefully will ensure a deal…
@Willy Mc Bride: hey Willy where’s the bus .
How did the DUP ever think, could get a veto on the backdrop? These are big boys games, as they are about to find out!
I hope Varadkar didn’t flinch.
@JoyMonkey: When could FG ever say no to the Tory party???
Nothing like a good fudge?
Veradker should make a deal with Johnson for a free trade deal
@Alan Scott: Ah jesus come on, inform yourself.
He’s now even tying his bloody tie like Trump!
@Big Red: Boris gets Trump to tell Leo what to do and that is my fear… And Boris does what Trump tells him then???
It’s not just an Irish border but also an EU one as well???
@TamuMassif2019: In case you did not know Ireland is part of the EU – and quite happy to be a member according to latest polls. So if it would be an Irish border with a non EU country then you can call it both – Irish and EU border – no problem. What is exactly your question?
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