March 20 marks the 10th anniversary of the Buncrana Pier tragedy, which claimed the lives of five family members.
Sean McGrotty (49), his sons, Mark (12) and Evan McGrotty (8), his mother-in-law Ruth Daniels, (57) and her daughter, Jodie Lee Daniels (14) all died when the car they were in went into Lough Swilly from a slipway.
The sole survivor was Ríoghnach McGrotty, who was just four months old. Mr McGrotty handed his baby daughter to Davitt Walsh moments before the family’s SUV vehicle sank. The Kerrykeel man had swam out to the family in a desperate bid to rescue them.
On the important milestone, people are being invited to join the McGrotty and Daniels families to celebrate the lives of their beautiful loved ones — Mark, Evan, Jodie, Ruth, and Sean — and come together in support of the emergency services who were there for them on that heartbreaking night.
To mark the occasion, a 5km remembrance walk will take place on Sunday, March 22 at 11am. The walk will begin at the play park where Mark, Evan, and Jodie were last seen playing and will continue out towards Ned’s Point — a walk filled with reflection, remembrance, and togetherness.
After the walk, refreshments will be available at the RNLI station for everyone, providing a chance to gather, talk, and remember together.
A contribution of £10 per person or £25 per family of four is kindly suggested, with all funds going towards supporting the services involved. Payments can be made in advance, or on the day at the park from 10:15am.
If you have any questions or would like to speak with a member of our committee, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at: info@buncranapiertragedy.com
