A boat was drifting north of the Skellig Michael world Heritage site and its sister island, with passengers on board — just six days after an inspector from the Department of the Marine warned the skipper it was unseaworthy, a court heard.

Prosecutions have been taken on behalf of the minister for transport, tourism and sport against three boatmen, alleged to have breached passenger boat regulations near the Skelligs in Kerry.

A number of passengers became violently ill on a small passenger boat which “rolled heavily” on a rough voyage to Skellig Michael, the Unesco World Heritage site, so much so that a complaint was lodged with the Department of Transport, a court in Kerry was told yesterday.