Approaching Rockall in a rubber dinghy was difficult in the heavy seas, but when the little vessel got close enough to the rock, Willie Dick jumped. On board were skipper Paul Campbell, John White, Willie Dick – the man who would make the ascent – and navigator Michael d’Alton. “He was probably one of the best navigators in Dublin Bay at the time,” d’Alton’s son, Mark, told The Irish Times on Sunday. The letter followed another landing by UK man Tom McClean. However, although the UK has claimed sovereignty over the area, it has never sought to claim the fishing rights now claimed by Scotland.

Source: The Irish Times June 09, 2019 16:30 UTC