Community unites as hunt continues for missing men

CANON John O’Mahony stood silently mouthing the rosary in Kinsale Harbour yesterday evening as less than 100 miles away poor visibility and worsening weather conditions forced search crews to return to shore without the two Kinsale fishermen they sought.

Throughout the day the small Kinsale Harbour office had been a hive of activity as family members of the missing men, Ger Bohan and Jomasz Jagla, as well as locals waited for news, helpless as all the searches continued off the coast of Dunmore East.

Mary Bohan, wife of Mr Bohan, had been at the harbour side late into the previous night.

She returned before 6am and stood looking out to sea.

Phil Devitt, the harbour master, had also only left his post for a few hours. His eyes red-rimmed from emotion and lack of sleep, he talked to anyone who needed information on the search.

“The phone goes every five minutes,” he said.

While remaining impeccably professional, it was clear he was deeply upset about his missing friend of 12 years, Mr Bohan, and fellow fisherman, Mr Jagla.

“Ger was one of the good guys,” he said.

Mr Devitt told how hours earlier boats had left Cork to take part in the search.

“At 1am one of the big trawlers left with lots of crews from other boats. A couple went out from Union Hall and another boat left Cork this morning with fishermen from Kinsale. A lot of guys went down by road to take part in the search along the shoreline, and local people from Kinsale also went to show their solidarity and support.”

Michelle Dunne of the Kinsale Royal National Lifeboat Institution told how two crews from its reserves had gone out on the Dunmore lifeboats and two more on Kinsale trawlers, and that one crew member was on standby in Dunmore East and four members in Kinsale.

“Every man we have available is offering their services,” she said.

Yesterday evening, a half hour before the searches were called off, Eamon O’Neill, chairman of the Kinsale Harbour Board, on board the Sean Mair II, told how there was a dozen boats out searching but that the weather was getting “worse and worse” with force eight to nine gales battering the boats.

Throughout the day people gathered on the shoreline to look out to sea. Two women who were passing as Ms Bohan left the harbour office hugged her and offered words of comfort.