Finglas man Diarmuid Mac Dubhglais was among the 20 Irish citizens who were detained by Israeli authorities after his aid ship was intercepted on October 1.
The Dublin man was on board the Sirius, an aid ship which was looking to deliver aid to Gaza as part of a global flotilla, when it was boarded by Israeli authorities on October 1st, alongside Sinn Féin Senator Chris Andrews.
Mac Dubhglais, Andrews, and the other Irish activists were released after being detained in a camp in Southern Israel, and returned to Ireland on October 6th.
Mac Dubhglais’ ship, the Sirius, was part of the flotilla which left Barcelona in mid-September to bring aid supplies to the people of Gaza as the 2nd anniversary of the Israeli invasion of Gaza approached
Mac Dubhglais spoke to this publication on Tuesday, September 30, and said he was fully aware of the risks involved with the journey and indeed, and he fully expected to be captured.
Mac Dubhglais explained that there are a number of nationalities on board the ship, with around 40 people from the US, Brazil, Turkey, Spain and Indonesia on board.
He said he “could not stand idly by” while Israeli forces lay siege to Gaza and the Israeli government refuses to let aid into the region.
When asked why a normal citizen like him felt the need to get involved in a potentially dangerous humanitarian mission, he said, “this is something that’s bigger than me, bigger than all of us.”
He explained that there are a number of essential supplies on the boat, such as nappies, baby food, rice and tinned food, supplies that he says are not being allowed into Gaza at the moment by the Israeli government.
In August, the World Health Organisation declared a famine in Gaza, with more than 500,000 people at risk of starvation.
That same month, the United Nations confirmed that 242 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces since the war began in 2023, marking the most lethal conflict for journalists since records began in the 1990s.
The flotilla was heading into a “danger zone” where it would be entering Israel’s territorial waters, when this publication spoke to Mac Dubhglais.
To Mac Dubhglais, the danger is the point.
Mac Dubhglais said he “fully expected” the flotilla to be raided and boarded by Israeli security forces, and predicted they would strike at night “when it was dark and we can’t see as well,” which is precisely what happened.
The Dublin man explained that he brought a burner phone with him for the purpose of the trip, knowing it would be thrown overboard by Israeli security forces.
In speaking to Mac Dubhglais, there was a strange sense of clarity; he spoke to this publication from the deck of the Sirius and explained that because nearly 40 people were on board, it was difficult to get a few minutes of uninterrupted phone time, and the fact that the ship is made of metal makes it difficult for communications to come through.
He said that sleep was a luxury on board the ship and that people slept on the floor – but to him, the lack of comfort and potential danger was all worth it.
The flotilla had come under attack from drone strikes from the Israeli military prior to being boarded; Mac Dubhglais said that the ships had nets on board with the intent of trapping the drones, likening it to Jurassic Park.
Back at home, Mac Dubhglais said he had a conversation with his daughter before he left, with his daughter saying she didn’t want her father to go.
His daughter Tracey Ní Dubhghlais spoke to RTÉ on Thursday, saying “we have been watching the live genocide unfold, live, for the last two years, it’s almost like a film. When you know that your own dad is there and you can see the soldiers boarding the boat, it’s actually quite shocking, it was like an out-of-body experience.”
When the flotilla arrived at Tunis, Mac Dubhglais said they were “welcomed with open arms”, and that, to him, the showing of support at home and abroad makes the whole journey worth it.
Mac Dubhglais explained that by virtue of being an Irish citizen, him and other Irish citizens who get captured by the Israeli government would likely be deported instead of imprisoned, which is precisely what happened.
He said that in the event Irish citizens are poorly treated or injured by Israeli forces, he believes the Israeli government would be risking a direct confrontation with the European Union and the United Nations, as Ireland is a neutral country.
Mac Dubhglais asserted he was there of his own volition and he was aware of the risks.
Having worked in homeless services in Dublin in the past, Mac Dubhglais said joining the flotilla was something that appealed to his innate sense of humanity.
“I know I’m on the right side of history,” he said.