28/10/2022
💭Today, Friday the 28th of October, we remember all those that were lost in Inishkea Drowning Disaster which occurred 95 years ago tonight.
On this terrible night, a total of 46 young men drowned along the west coast from the Inishkea Islands, Claggan, Inishboffin Island and Lacken.
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Go dtuga Dia na Glóire ait ar leith ar Neamh Dá créatúir uilig a bathadh i gCloigeann, Inis Bó Finne, Léacain agus anseo in Inis Cé ar an 28-10-1927
The story (Inishkea)
On the evening of the 28th of October 1927 around 60 men left to go fishing for herring & mackerel from Inishkea South & North with 2-3 men in each currach.
By 7’o clock, most of the fishermen had returned home. An hour later, at 8’ o clock - 20 men were still fishing when a huge freak storm came out of nowhere, resulting in the death of 10 young men. The youngest to die was Terry Reilly who was just 14 years old.
Out of the the ten men drowned only two were from the North Island and eight from the South. At that time in 1927, there was a 159 people living on the North Island and 130 people living the South Island.
Overtime, their bodies were slowly recovered one by one, in some cases up to a year later. The bodies washed ashore all along the coast of Belmullet. One body was never found and that was of Michael Keane.
This terrible tragedy had a huge impact on the islanders and is believed to be one of the main reasons that lead to the Inishkea Islanders leaving Inishkea.
Inishbofin Island, Co. Galway Inishkea Islands Galway Bay FM Inishbofin Ferry Midwest Radio Today FM Radio Na Gaelteachta
