When Hazel Gaynor heard the story of 14 Co Mayo villagers who left Ireland on the Titanic, she knew she had to learn more about them

A SPECIAL commemoration to honour the victims of the Titanic sinking was held in Cobh yesterday just one day short of 99 years after the liner called to the Cork town on her ill-fated voyage from Southampton to New York.

THIS weekend, April 9 and 10, 35 people from the Lahardane area of Mayo are heading down to Cork to be part of the Cobh (Queenstown) Titanic Celebrations.

A MOST unusual annual phenomenon occurs in the village of Lahardane, at the butt of Nephin along the shore of Lough Conn in Co Mayo: the bell at St Patrick’s church rings out across the silent countryside between 2am and 3am on April 15 in remembrance of those lost with the Titanic 500 miles west of Newfoundland at that time and on that date 95 years ago this spring.