Waterford family honoured for contribution to local history after donating WW2 mine

A Waterford family is being honoured for their contribution to local history and heritage after donating a deactivated World War Two mine to Waterford City and County Council. 

The Harty family of An Rinn has been presented with a Certificate of Appreciation by Councillor Declan Doocey, Cathaoirleach of Dungarvan/Lismore MD Council, in thanks for their generous donation. 

The mine was originally purchased by Joe Harty Snr (who didn't realise its significance) at an auction of the estate of former Waterford County Surveyor, John Bowen. 

It was reportedly used by Joe to store oil in the 1950s and in the intervening years lay disused on the family farm.

It is not known how the original owner John Bowen came to possess the mine, however it has been widely reported that because many of the battles of World War Two were fought at sea, some of these sea mines were carried on the currents away from their intended targets, washing up on the Irish coastline. 

According to the Harty family, three fishermen from An Rinn were tragically killed on May 2, 1945 when their boat struck such a mine. John Griffin Snr, his son John, and Nicholas Cuddihy were killed, while Patrick Whelan was the sole survivor. 

After Joe Snr’s son Tommy Joe and family donated the deactivated mine to the council, it was restored and is now erected on the Jetty at the Quay in Dungarvan Harbour.  

Tommy Joe’s son, Joe, was delighted to see the mine restored to its former glory, stating, "Having grown up in Gortnadiha with the mine in our yard for years, it was a great source of entertainment to my brother and me.

"We spent many a weekend, trying to force it open with vice grips and lump hammers, not even considering whether it was live or not. Fortunately for us, it was deactivated, and we never managed to prise it open, despite our best efforts!”

Kieran Kehoe, Director of Services and Dungarvan Town Manager, welcomed the donation by the Harty family.

He said, "It’s great to see this piece of history from World War Two displayed so prominently on the Quay side. We may never know the origin of the mine, or the circumstances which brought it to the County Waterford coastline, but through the foresight of John Bowen and the generosity of the Harty family, we now have a genuine World War Two artifact on display for generations to see.” 

Image: Pat Crowley