Coast hit by tragedy makes bid for lifeboat

A coastal community which witnessed one of the worst trawler tragedies in recent years has launched a bid to secure an inshore lifeboat.

The people of Union Hall and Glandore in West Cork met last night to discuss what they say will be a detailed and comprehensive submission to the RNLI for funding for the service.

It is hoped their proposal, which could be completed within a week, will be considered at an RNLI board meeting in Poole, England, in April, with a decision made soon afterwards.

“There is a huge amount of commercial fishing activity operating from the pier in Union Hall,” said Paddy O’Donovan, who is chairing the a steering committee that is driving the project.

“But there is also a huge amount of leisure activity in the bay from Glandore,” he added.

“Two previous submissions from Union Hall for an inshore lifeboat service failed.

“But we are determined to prepare a comprehensive submission for the RNLI this time.”

Five men died when the Tit Bonhomme fishing trawler sank in heavy seas at the mouth of Glandore Harbour in the early hours of Jan 15 last year.

The tragedy triggered one of the largest and most concentrated search and recovery operations in the history of the State.

The combined efforts of several state and voluntary agencies resulted in the recovery of three bodies — those of Kevin Kershaw, Wael Mahamed, and Attaia Shaban — within days of the sinking.

But the search for skipper Michael Hayes and the remaining Egyptian crewman, Saied Ali Eldin, continued for a remarkable 26 days until their remains were recovered.

The relatives and searchers were supported throughout the recovery operation by a massive community effort, which President Michael D Higgins hailed as “heroic”.

It led to the people of Union Hall being recognised with two major awards — a Rehab People of the Year Award and the Cork Person of the Year Award.

The tragedy galvanised this new drive for an inshore lifeboat service.

John Kelleher, who chairs the local RNLI fundraising committee, said the group hoped to convince the RNLI that it has the human resources needed to justify the investment.

“Union Hall is the third or fourth largest commercial fishing port in the country, and there is a huge marine leisure scene here in the summer months,” he said.

Three fishing vessels have gone down at the mouth of Glandore Harbour in the last 10 years, and with a fourth sinking nearby in the decade before, he added.

The steering committee held a public meeting in the village last night to gauge the level of public support for the life-saving service.

The committee needs a pool of about 20 people aged between 16 and 45 to crew an inshore lifeboat rib — with three rostered on duty at any one time — and a voluntary management committee.

The RNLI has bases in nearby Baltimore and Courtmacsherry. There is also a coast guard unit at Toe Head.

The proposed Union Hall inshore lifeboat would cover Glandore Bay and the area between Toe Head in the west and east to Galley Head.