The Evelyn Marie tragedy: Remembering the lives lost 51 years ago

Fifty-one years ago, the Evelyn Marie tragedy saw six men lose their lives at sea off the Donegal coast. 

The Evelyn Marie MFV, a steel-hulled vessel, was launched at Killybegs Boatyard in December 1973. The 65-foot £100,000 trawler sank off Malinbeg around 7pm on Tuesday, January 7, 1975, running into rocks at Rathlín O’Beirne Island and struck by a freak wave, killing all six men on board. 

Although the ship was fully equipped with the latest emergency and fishing equipment, it carried inflatable lifeboats and survival gear, it is believed that the suddenness prevented the crew from utilising the equipment.

Captain Patrick Bonner (33) from Dungloe; Hugh Gallagher from Aphort, Arranmore (35); Johnny O’Donnell (27), Burtonport; Roland Faughnan,  a native of Belleek, Co Fermanagh, who was living in Burtonport; Tom Hamm, who was originally from Longford, and also resided in Burtonport, and Joe O’Donnell, Burtonport, lost their lives in the tragedy when the Evelyn Marie struck rocks at Rathlín O’Birne Island off south-west Donegal.

The following day, a small armada of trawlers, an army helicopter, numerous small fishing boats and the lifeguard scoured the area, while hundreds searched on foot along the shore - but by nightfall, only two bodies had been discovered. Over the weekend, divers located the sunken trawler in 140 feet of water off Rathlín O’Beirne Island and disconnected part of the craft to bring it to the surface in the hope that those still missing might’ve been trapped in the wheelhouse. Searches of the trawler thereafter proved similarly fruitless and only two bodies were ever found.

A special Mass was held last year in memory of the crew who were lost at sea on January 7, 1975, on the 50th anniversary of the disaster.