DUBLINTIMEMACHINE: Today, in 1927, the Cleggan Bay Disaster occurred off the coast of Cleggan Bay, County Galway. A sudden catastrophic gale caused several fishing boats to capsize, leading to the deaths of 45 fishermen. This maritime disaster devastated the coastal communities of Connemara.
For the close-knit communities around Cleggan, the perilous tradition of fishing was their livelihood. Boats used were often small, open vessels called currachs, which were designed to be light and manoeuvrable but were vulnerable in harsh weather. Meteorological forecasting at the time was limited.
That evening, a retired local doctor called Holberton heard a storm warning on his radio and sent his farmhand, Tommy Mullen, to alert local fishermen. Sadly, they had already ventured out to sea. The maelstrom was so severe that it tore slates from the roof of the Star of the Sea church.
Survivors of the ordeal included James Cloherty from Inishbofin, who described hearing “terrible screams and shouts in the darkness” as the boats struggled against towering black waves. He and his crew fought for 12 hours before a wave miraculously finally pushed them to safety on Boffin Beach.
Sadly, most of the men at sea that tempestuous night were not so lucky. Their fragile vessels were capsized by pitiless waves or dashed against jagged rocks.
Most of the fishermen could not swim, yet even those who could were unable to survive the freezing, turbulent waters. The bodies of the drowned were discovered in the days following the storm, strewn like ragdolls along the sands and boulders. Battered beyond recognition.
The losses were shocking. 16 fishermen from Rossadilisk, 10 from Inishbofin, 10 from Lacken Bay, and 9 from Inishkea, County Mayo, perished.
The disaster not only shattered families but also dealt a severe blow to the region’s fishing industry. Many survivors’ families faced economic hardship, with some forced to emigrate. In many cases, multiple members of the same family were lost, leaving behind impoverished widows and orphans.
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