By Róise Collins
A special anniversary Mass will be celebrated in Burtonport next week to mark 50 years of a devastating fishing tragedy in which six young men lost their lives.
The solemn Mass will be held at St Columba’s Church on the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the ‘Evelyn Marie’.
The tragedy was one of the worst ever Donegal sea disasters.
The fishing trawler hit rocks and sank almost immediately at Rathlin O’Byrne Island, off Malinbeag, Glencolmcille, at around 7pm on January 7, 1975, as the crew made their way back to Killybegs.
Those who perished on that fateful night were: Paddy Bonner (32), a married father of four from Burtonport; Hughie Gallagher (33), a native of Arranmore who was married with five children. His wife Mary was pregnant at the time and give birth to twin boys four months later; Johnny O’Donnell (24) of Burtonport, was married with two young children; Roland (Rolo) Faughnan, a native of Belleek, County Fermanagh, but who lived in Burtonport.
He was married and had one child; Tom Ham (26), a native of Longford Town, also lived in Burtonport. He was married but had no children and Joe O’Donnell (20) from Burtonport who was engaged to be married.
The memorial Mass will be celebrated by parish priest, Fr Pat Ward who spent a lot of his childhood years in the locality and on Arranmore Island.
Although he was only ten years old at the time, he can still remember the tragedy that he described as “mind-blowing”.
“It really had a very profound effect on the whole community,” he said.
According to a report in the Derry People/Donegal News from the time, another young man worked on the boat, but did not go aboard as he had just returned from his honeymoon.
It was also reported the skipper and owner of the trawler, Joe McBride from Burtonport, was not on board either.
To remember all those from the area around Burtonport lost at sea, and in particular the Evelyn Marie this year, four special large candles have been erected near the remembrance garden in Burtonport.
In the days after the disaster, the bodies of two of the fishermen, Joe O’Donnell and Rolo Faughnan, were recovered. One was recovered from the sea and the other was picked up at Malinmore Head, three miles from the scene.
The following year another Burtonport-based trawler, the Carraig Úna, struck rocks and went down at the same spot as the ‘Evelyn Marie’, and five lives were lost.
Similarly, some of the crew’s bodies were never recovered.
And so, within a short space of time a small community lost 11 men – a huge impact on a small community, that is still felt today.
Local man David Alcorn has also been recalling the ‘Evelyn Marie’ tragedy.
“We lost six fine young men,” he said.
“I knew them all personally. They were all active sportsmen, involved in rowing and community affairs.
“More or less irreplaceable people.
“It was one of the worst things to ever hit the area and it took a long, long time to recover afterwards,” he added.
Mr Alcorn is a founding member of the Burtonport Festival which will celebrate its 49th anniversary this year.
He and local Garda Michael Maloney started the festival in response to the two tragedies that had shaken their close-knit village. They had hoped to boost morale locally.
“That helped people a lot but there is still great sadness,” he said.
“Our hearts go out to the widows and the families on this very sad occasion.”
The Mass will be held in St Columba’s Church, Acres, Burtonport at 12pm on Tuesday, January 7. There will be refreshments available afterwards in the adjoining St Columba’s Community Centre.
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