Service for Honeydew victims

TWO families who lost loved ones in one of the country’s worst trawler tragedies issued an emotional “thank you” last night for the support they have received.

Ger Bohan and Tomasz Jagla were lost at sea when their trawler, the Honeydew II, sank off Mine Head on the south coast on January 11, 2007.

Seven men were lost when the Pere Charles sank just hours before. Despite a huge search operation, none of the bodies have been found.

Hundreds of people gathered in St John The Baptist Church in Kinsale, Co Cork, last night to remember Mr Bohan and Mr Jagla in a anniversary mass concelebrated in English and Polish. Mr Bohan’s father, Sean, said his family drew great strength from the support shown by the community during the terrible weeks and months after the sinking.

“And we are still getting massive support from around the country, and overseas,” he said.

He and his wife, Anne, and Mr Bohan’s brother Jim and sister Helen, also thanked all the state and voluntary agencies, the fisherman involved in the sea search and the hundreds of volunteers who joined in the shore search.

“People, particularly fishermen, took time off at their own expense and helped search in atrocious weather conditions. We will never forget that,” said Sean. Mr Jagla’s widow, Aneta, said she will never forget the kindness shown to her and her young son and daughter since Tomasz was lost.

Speaking on her behalf, Polish chaplain, Fr Pietr Galus, told the congregation that they will be forever remembered in her prayers.

Mr Bohan’s widow, Mary, was too upset to attend and is understood to be abroad with her four children.

The two Lithuanian crewmen who survived the sinking, Viktoz Losev and Vladimir Kostvr, did not attend. One has returned home. The other is still living in Cork but has left the fishing industry.

Chief celebrant, Very Reverend Canon John O’Mahony, also paid tribute to the search operation. “After the darkness that descended on the families after their loss, the first light that shone on them was the extraordinary effort put in to the search operation. Both families were very touched by that,” he said.

Representatives of the coastguard, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Kinsale Harbour Board were among the congregation as well as several fishermen from the Honeydew’s homeport of Kinsale, and along the south coast.

The anniversary Mass for the lost crew of the Pere Charles took place on Thursday night in Killea Church in Dunmore East, Co Waterford.

Meanwhile, a documentary based on the sinking of the Pere Charles is to be broadcast on RTÉ next Thursday.