Vintage turnout for trawler tragedy fund

VINTAGE car owners rallied yesterday to raise over €10,000 for the families of the Pere Charles and Honeydew 11 trawler victims.

A huge convoy of almost 300 vehicles — 150 vintage cars and 150 classic motorbikes — took part in the 166 kilometre run from Kinsale in Co Cork, where the Honeydew 11 was based, to Dunmore East in Co Waterford, the home port of the Pere Charles.

Both vessels sank within hours of each other off the South East coast on January 10.

Honeydew 11 skipper Ger Bohan, and his crewman Tomasz Jagla, and Pere Charles crewmen Tom Hennessy, his uncle Pat Hennessy, Andriy Dyrin, Billy O’Connor, and Pat Coady, have been lost at sea since.

The rally was organised by the Kinsale Vintage and Motor Club to boost the Kinsale Trawler Tragedy Fund which was set up to provide financial support to the families of Ger Bohan and Tomasz Jagla.

Club chairman Cathal O’Shea said he was stunned by the turnout. “This is one of our biggest runs. We had people down from Kilkenny, Waterford, Dublin and Tralee to take part. We hope to pass the €10,000 mark.”

The convoy rolled into Dunmore East at about 2pm and participants stood in silent prayer at the memorial on the pier. They laid a wreath in memory of all the victims of the tragedy.

Trawler Fund spokesman, Virgil Horgan, said money is still being donated by people all over the country.

“I got a letter from the principal of a national school in Co Roscommon the other day,” he said. “The students held a no-uniform day and raised €400. They sent €200 to the Kinsale fund and €200 to the Dunmore East fund. That was very touching.”

The fund will probably close at the end of the month.