Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

Tá lúcháir orm go bhfuil an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Smith, anseo tráthnóna inniu. I am pleased to have this opportunity to raise the issue of the Ballymanus mine disaster on behalf of the families who lost loved ones in the disaster on the evening of 10 May 1943 in Ballymanus, which is located along the Donegal coastline between Annagry and Kincasslagh.

In 1943, when the Second World War was raging throughout Europe, the small island of Ireland was light years away from the horrific brutality taking place on land and sea. As a consequence of the war, a continuous flow of wreckage was being washed up on the shoreline of the Irish coast. As many of the battles of the Second World War were fought at sea, an important feature of naval policy was the laying of sea mines. The sea current often altered the direction of these floating mines away from intended targets and in to unintended areas. One such mine was washed ashore in Ballymanus, County Donegal.

On the evening of 10 May 1943, word went around Ballymanus that a curious and strange looking object was floating in the water close to the coast. Some 23 young people went to investigate the object which turned out to be a mine approximately 8 ft. high and with some of its spikes bent owing to being crushed against the waves and rocks. Some of the people gathered on the shore tied a rope around the already bent spikes and an attempt was made to haul the object closer to the shore. The mine subsequently exploded with a horrifying bang which could be heard up to 40 miles away. It was only when the dust settled that the true extent of the incident became known to all. It was a horrifying experience. Many were killed instantly and others died later in hospital. Four people survived the explosion. However, 19 men ranging in age from 14 years to 34 years lost their lives.

I raise this matter on the Adjournment this evening on behalf of members of the families, some of whom are in the Visitors Gallery, who lost loved ones in the tragedy and who to this day, some 65 years on, remain aggrieved that despite the attention of the local authorities and the Garda Síochána being drawn to the presence of the mine close to the shore, no action was taken to isolate the area until the mine was rendered harmless. There was available to the authorities a period of time, prior to the locals finding the mine, that could have been used in a more efficient manner. Had this happened the lives of those who died could, in the opinion of the families, have been saved. The results of the subsequent inquest into the tragic event chaired by Dr. McGinley from Letterkenny were never published or conveyed to the families. The inquest was held in the community hall in Mulduff. The representative for the area at the time, the late Tom Breslin, represented the then Taoiseach at the funerals. According to newspaper articles made available to us, he acknowledged at that time that the relevant authorities did not take the required corrective action when the presence of the mine was first brought to their attention.

A mass will be held on the 65th anniversary of this tragedy. It takes place on Friday, 9 May. The tragedy will also be marked by the publication of a book by a son of one of the men who died, Pat Gallagher. Pat and his brother Séamus are in the Visitors Gallery. The families are requesting that the State examine the failure of the relevant authorities to take the required steps to isolate the mine.

I respectively urge the Minister of State to convey to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the need to, if at all possible, provide an apology to these families ahead of the 65th anniversary on 9 May. The Minister's assistance in respect of this sensitive issue would be well received by the local community and those families who lost their loved ones, young men in the prime of their lives, working and rearing families and helping their parents. What happened can only be described as a tragedy.

I am glad to have had the opportunity to raise this matter on the Adjournment. I hope the State will acknowledge what happened on that evening.