File photograph: Matt KavanaghTaoiseach Charles Haughey was unhappy after a British marine allegedly put a gun to the neck of a Dubliner while he was sailing on Carlingford Lough in 1991. There were several instances where leisure boats on the disputed territory of Carlingford Lough had been approached by British patrols in the 1990s. “I was very disturbed to learn of the incident involving your boat in Carlingford Lough and I immediately conveyed my concern to the British authorities,” Haughey wrote on June 17th. The Garda file stated that as Mr Barnwell was passing by the Greenore side of the shore, he was approached by two dinghies and “two soldiers requested permission to board”. Mr Barnwell had written to Mr Haughey on June 5th about the incident, saying he, his wife and their friend “continued to shake with fear and trepidation for the remainder of the day”.

Source: The Irish Times December 29, 2025 22:16 UTC