The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
ROBERT McCavery was the youngest member when he joined the Doolin Coast Guard Unit (DCGU) in 2008.
Fourteen years later, the Lahinch native was left wondering what he did wrong when he was sacked on his 40th birthday.
“When the six people left, we thought when they are gone they are gone. But we got more suspicious as time went on.
“We knew there was something happening because there was very few turning up for training and the same people were missing for weeks.
“Over the last few years before we were sacked, I felt I was looking over my shoulder because someone was going to report me over something very minor.”
Commenting on interpersonal difficulties, he said five or six years ago people who had issues with each other should have been instructed and facilitated by Coast Guard management to come together to fully resolve them and, if this couldn’t be done, they should have been told to stay away from the unit.
“It didn’t happen and things got worse and worse. I am angry over what has happened because I feel I have done nothing wrong. I never had a heated argument, debate or fight with anyone. I got on with everyone.
“I had a few sleepless nights thinking about why we were sacked.
“I felt I wasn’t asked back because of who I was friendly with. It was a case of being guilty by association. No one from the national Coast Guard ever asked me or others to go back to the unit.
“Years ago, we used to go on social trips to different stations. All that disappeared,” he said.
A former member, who remained anonymous, said the ten who were sacked and the three that resigned had in excess of 200 years’ experience, expertise and local knowledge that was now gone.
He claimed, “The main objective of the Coast Guard was to get rid of three people. The easiest way to achieve this without picking out individuals and ending up with litigation was to sack everybody.
“A decision was taken to take back a group for the interim team and then pick and choose what they wanted afterwards.
“When the Irish soccer team were playing badly, the FAI didn’t sack the team, they sacked the manager.”
He said a large number of people who have lost loved ones at sea have approached former volunteers and can’t believe what has happened.
“They are so sympathetic with us and are so angry with the Coast Guard, because they feel the opportunity of recovering the body of a loved one has been taken from the next unfortunate family.
“A lot of people are very hurt over this. The assertion that people are not joining the Coast Guard because of bad publicity is not accurate.
“A lot of people have been approached in the locality to join the unit. The reason they are not joining is they don’t want to get the same kick in the backside that we got and they are really sympathetic with us and are disappointed with the Coast Guard with the way we were treated.
“You could have a well paid pensionable job, but the work that Coast Guard volunteers do and have done, you couldn’t put a price on it.”
The former member recalled in July 2021 members were interviewed by Coast Guard representatives.
“I remember telling them whatever ye do, don’t divide the community. That is exactly what has happened. There were people in the unit who were friends for 40 years, now they don’t talk to each other any more. That is why people don’t want to join the unit.”
