Baltimore memorial 'means the world to families who lost relatives to the sea'

"It will give us all, especially someone who hasn’t found the body of their loved one, a place to go and remember," said Mary O’Driscoll, who lost her brother Joe Sheehan.

A sculpture called Croí na Mara remembering people lost to the sea was unveiled in Baltimore on Sunday. Pictures: Andy Gibson

A woman whose brother drowned in a fishing tragedy almost 30 years ago says a striking new memorial unveiled by a coastal community to those who have lost their lives to the sea means the world to families like hers.

Mary O’Driscoll, from Reengaroga, four miles from Baltimore in West Cork, was speaking after attending Sunday's unveiling of the striking Croí na Mara sculpture overlooking Baltimore harbour.

It depicts two copper and bronze perforated waves rising into the shape of a heart. Copper rings of varying sizes, representing the souls lost to the sea, are then drawn up through heartstrings towards the sky.

Croí na Mara.

Ms O’Driscoll said as she stood there, memories of her brother, Joe Sheehan, came flooding back.

Mr Sheehan, 43, went missing on June 30, 1994, while he worked alone on the deck of the 60ft trawler, Falcon, as it fished off the Old Head of Kinsale. His body was recovered from the sea two weeks later.

“It was a dreadful time,” said Ms O'Driscoll. "We didn’t think we’d find him way out there in the Atlantic.

It was a miracle really that he was recovered, and it was a great consolation to us, especially to our mother. His death devastated her.

“Recovering his body brought closure. But many families don’t get that.

“This sculpture is a wonderful idea. I'm delighted it’s been done here. It will give us all, especially someone who hasn’t found the body of their loved one, a place to go and remember.” 

Her son, Pat, and his son, Eoin, who are both volunteer members of Baltimore RNLI, also attended the ceremony.

Mary O'Driscoll, who lost her brother to the sea, was present at the event with her grandson, Eoin (left) and son Pat, who are both members of the Baltimore RNLI Lifeboat crew.

Tara Cotter, a member of the Baltimore, Rath and the Islands Community Council and chairwoman of its Baltimore sea memorial committee, said it has been a long-held ambition in the area to install such a memorial.

Work on the project began before Covid when a major community fundraising drive was launched, and with substantial BIM grant support, and community grants from the Save Our Skibbereen Fund and the Little Way Charity Shop in Schull, the council commissioned two local artists, Paddy McCormack and Helen Walsh, to create a sculpture.

Ms Walsh is renowned for large-scale sculptures, while Mr McCormack — a copper, iron, and bronze specialist — normally works on smaller-scale projects.

Paddy McCormack and Helen Walsh, who created the sculpture, were present at the event. 

Colin Whooley, another member of the community council, said: “What really struck us about the design, and what attracted us to the piece was the copper strings — representing heartstrings — rising from the sea from beneath the waves, carrying the souls towards the sky."

Ms Cotter said: “Some people have lost loved ones whose bodies were never recovered. Others have recovered their loved ones. 

We hope that this memorial space will become a place that everyone can go to remember them."

The sculpture was unveiled near the harbourmaster’s office by legendary RNLI crewman Kieran Cotter, who retired as coxswain of the Baltimore lifeboat in December 2020 after a remarkable 45 years of service.

He received multiple awards for his roles in many rescues over the years.

Retired lifeboat coxwain Kieran Cotter cut the ribbon. He is pictured with Colin Whooley and Tara Cotter with the Baltimore lifeboat crew.

Most notably, in 1991 he was awarded the bronze medal for gallantry and the Maud Smith Award for the bravest act of life-saving following the Baltimore crew’s 26-hour rescue of the fishing vessel the Japonica and her 15 crew, who referred to their rescuers as “the madmen in the small boat”, and the rescue of the yacht Atlantis Adventure and her five crew.

Mr Cotter and his crew also received recognition from the Swiss Embassy for the outstanding bravery and commitment shown during the rescue of Swiss nationals in hazardous conditions in 2008, and from the United States Congress for the rescue of the crew of the Rambler yacht during the 2011 Fastnet yacht race.

After the unveiling, the community council honoured Mr Cotter, and another retired long-serving RNLI volunteer, Ronnie Carthy, for their long service.