President praises community strength in face of sea tragedy

IRELAND AS a society can take inspiration from the strength of spirit and perseverance of the people of Union Hall, said President Michael D Higgins yesterday as he paid tribute to the community for its heroic efforts in searching for those lost in the Tit Bonhomme tragedy.

Mr Higgins travelled to the small west Cork fishing village for a special commemoration to remember the five crewmen who perished when the trawler sank at the mouth of Glandore Bay on the morning of January 15th.

Father-of-five skipper Michael Hayes (52) from An Rinn in Waterford, first-time fisherman Kevin Kershaw (21) from Clonakilty, and three Egyptians – father-of-two Wael Mohamed (35), Attaia Shaban (26) and Saied Ali Eldin (22) – were all lost in the tragedy.

Only Wael Mohamed’s brother, Abdul, survived but over the next 26 days the local community joined with the Irish Coastguard, the Naval Service, Civil Defence and gardaí and all five bodies were recovered from the sea and returned to their loved ones.

Yesterday Abdul Mohamed joined with the families of his lost crewmates to hear Mr Higgins remember them and paid tribute to the people of Union Hall and the statutory agencies for their search efforts that ensured all five men were recovered.

A stiff southwesterly breeze rippled the sea and sent the Tricolour billowing for the ecumenical service on the pierside which had been the hub of the search operation through some horrendous weather conditions in January and February.

Recalling the tragedy and how it affected the country, Mr Higgins said grief and sadness were felt in sittingrooms across the country but that the effort of the people of Union Hall in pursuing the search to a successful conclusion was an inspiration.

“There was a sense of pride at seeing what is the best of ourselves as a nation – community, neighbourliness, co-operation and support in times of difficulty – an Irishness of which we can all be proud,” he told the crowd of 700 or so gathered on the pier.

“I would like us all to take inspiration from the strength of spirit and perseverance you showed as a community who united together as a collective and positive force to help bring such closure as may be possible in time for the five families sadly involved in this tragedy.”

The President also praised the people of Union Hall for their inclusivity and yesterday’s ceremony included a reading from the Koran by Imam Hussein Halawa as well Christian prayers led by Fr Michael Curran, Fr Pierce Cormac and Dean Chris Peters.

Local man Bill Deasy recalled how peoples and cultures joined together as traditions melted into one unified prayer during the search and that they had kept true to the tradition of seafarers not to give up the search until all five men were found.

Speaking on behalf of the families, Caitlin Ní hAodha, who lost her husband, Michael, thanked the President for his words and spoke of the great debt the families owed to the people of Union Hall and surrounding areas for their unstinting efforts to find the missing men.

“This is a sad and difficult occasion for the families but we felt the need to come back here and try to find the words to express the depth of our gratitude to the people of Union Hall. It’s probably best expressed in the old Irish proverb, ‘Is ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine’.

“Never has that saying been proven more true than during the three tragic weeks of the search here on the pier by you, the people of Union Hall and surrounding areas. There was so much support, it’s difficult to thank everyone individually,” she said.

Recalling that her husband and his crew set off to sea not as Christians or Muslims but as fishermen united in friendship and trust, Ms Ní hAodha spoke of her gratitude that all five were found and recalled that others have not been so fortunate.

“I think especially of all those who never came home and I think especially of our two sailors lost in America, Alan Cahill and Elmer Morrissey – our hearts go out to their families and may God give them strength,” she said.

Afterwards the families were joined by Mr Higgins as they presented a wreath to the Irish Coastguard which Richard Hurley from the Toe Head Inshore Lifeboat brought out and laid at the scene of the Tit Bonhomme’s sinking at the mouth of Glandore Bay.