Leave Coastguard in Valentia

It was with dismay that I read in the media of another possible attempt to close Valentia Coastguard station in Co Kerry — there was an attempt to close it in 2009, and Malin Head station, and to centralise the coastguard services in Co Dublin.

They didn’t succeed, because of a huge protest, and hopefully they won’t this time either.

Valentia station is important to the fishing communities near stormy and dangerous seas off the south-west and west coasts; it is a help to transatlantic shipping when there are accidents on board and a seaman has to be airlifted to hospital; and Valentia station has been serving these functions for 90 years.