A LEADING Troubles’ victims spokesman and his wife are among more than 1,000 Irish and British passengers quarantined aboard a cruise ship in France amid a serious norovirus outbreak.
While BBC, RTÉ and UTV carried breaking news of the Ambassador Cruise Lines vessel Ambition being grounded, Michael Gallagher and his wife Patsy were sheltering in their cabin in the port of Bordeaux in southwestern France as medical helicopters landed on deck to assist with the unfolding health emergency.
Michael and Patsy Gallagher on board AmbitionThe company confirmed that a 92-year-old man died on board on May 10, although a spokesperson stressed he had shown no symptoms of the illness and that the cause of death had “yet to be established.” At least 49 passengers and crew have since reported gastroenteritis symptoms. The ship departed Belfast on May 8, calling at Liverpool before heading towards France and onward to Spain.
The incident follows widespread international concern over last month’s reported hantavirus outbreak aboard the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius ship, which departed Argentina in the South Atlantic, and where eleven confirmed cases and three deaths aboard were linked to human-to-human transmission.
Mr Gallagher leads the Omagh Support and Self Help Group in Co. Tyrone and was taking a well-earned break from his tireless campaigning work when the crisis broke. He assured that he and his wife Patsy are “safe but remain on high alert.”
“There are serious quarantine measures on board, and the crew are doing the best they can,” he said.
He described crew members working in full protective suits, disinfecting cabins and corridors as part of an intensive response to contain the outbreak.
“We’re all taking precautions to minimise the spread and the risk to everyone on board,” he said. “There are many people from Northern Ireland here, alongside a large number of English passengers who joined us at Liverpool. Everyone is trying to keep their spirits up and maintain a sense of camaraderie despite the frightening circumstances.”
Mr Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son Aiden was among the 31 people killed in the 1998 Omagh bombing, said the atmosphere on board had brought back unsettling memories of the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
“It’s exactly the same atmosphere and sense of risk we experienced during the frightening Covid times,” he said. “We’re washing our hands constantly before meals, when we return to our cabins, and keeping our distance from other guests, especially in the lifts.”
Despite the anxiety on board, Mr Gallagher struck a characteristic and measured tone.
“It’s very worrying, and there’s great uncertainty,” he acknowledged. “But when large numbers of people are in close quarters, the risk of infection will always be high. The crew are doing their best, and we hope to stay safe and return home to Tyrone soon.