MIDDLE EAST: More than 80 Irish citizens were evacuated safely from Lebanon yesterday and are expected to arrive at Dublin airport tomorrow.
Two buses carrying Irish flags left Beirut at about 8.30am local time. A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman said the journey was "relatively uneventful" but involved a few minor diversions. The bus also carried a small number of other Europeans, including Swiss and Dutch nationals. The spokesman said this was normal practice in situations like this, as Irish citizens would be helped in a similar way by other governments.
The group arrived at the Syrian border around midday and had to wait for several hours before continuing to Damascus where an Irish crisis response team was waiting to meet them. A welcome centre has been set up there, providing food and water and other facilities to the travellers.
About 16 other Irish citizens in Syria have asked to join the group and they will continue the journey home with them.
A flight has been chartered from Damascus to Dubai at around 1am tomorrow. A commercial flight will then take the group from Dubai to Dublin. Cork technology expert Gerard Moran was one of the evacuees who left Beirut yesterday.
Speaking to RTÉ, he said he had considered staying in Beirut until he saw a defiant interview from Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah. "That's the first time I was really frightened," he said. His colleague Dave Doyle said he didn't like leaving as their work was not finished.
They were working with Palestinian refugees on education programmes. "We are walking away from it. There's a year's work gone to waste," he said. "It's a bit of a sickener to have to turn away."
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said he was relieved at the safe arrival of the evacuees in Syria and he thanked everyone involved.
"Consular officials from the department will continue to monitor the situation and report to me. I will in turn keep the Government informed of developments," he said. The Department of Foreign Affairs' crisis centre line (1800-242548) is still open and Mr Ahern said that any Irish citizens in Syria who wished to travel on the evacuation flight should contact the department.
Some Irish citizens living in Beirut opted to stay put yesterday. Brendan Cody (37), from Dublin, has lived in the Lebanese capital for 10 years, working for an international delivery company.
His German wife and two children are currently holidaying in Dusseldorf. "I'm starting to think I'm the last Irish person remaining in Lebanon because so many left in the consulate group," he said.
"We have a business to look after here, plus we have a duty towards our employees. We have 125 employees to take care of and make sure they are safe. Many of our employees come from the worst-hit areas and they need our support."
Mr Cody remembered the last Israeli attack on Lebanon which happened shortly after he arrived in the country in 1996.
"This time it's very different. The situation is more severe and there is a higher level of concern as to how far it will go.
"The Irish people I spoke to before the evacuation were very eager to leave. Everyone was getting nervous about what might happen next."
He said he was sad to see the city's regeneration come undone in less than a week.
"People were getting to the point where they thought all this was behind them. With the events of the last six days, it looks like everybody's hard work and effort over the last 10 years has been completely wasted."
Liam Fitzgerald (36), from Ballyagran in Co Limerick, also decided to stick it out, despite moving to Beirut only two weeks ago to start work as a health club manager.
"I'm staying until we are told that it is absolutely unsafe to remain here," he said. "I still feel quite safe where I am, even though the bombing is only 15 minutes' drive away and we can hear every explosion.
"I am aware though that that could all change in the next 24 hours. If the bombing and violence escalated and spread throughout the city then I would consider leaving but I still think we are far away from that yet."