My book, St Columba’s Industrial School, was published last year.  Perfectly done?  Not exactly; here are some of the mistakes that have come to light since:

1. The list of Chapters at the beginning does not always correspond with the page numbers – there is a slippage of two or three pages.
2. Page 339: The boat, Ard Finnian, D402, was not built for Shemie Corr, but for Paddy Sugrue of Howth.

And here is the first of the things that did not make it to the final version:

 Omissions from St Columba’s Industrial School (1).

 During my time in the Boatyard each new boat setting out on a passage to its home port was monitored by the foreman, Charlie Conaghan, until it arrived safely.

The smaller boats that had no radio equipment were tracked using the Garda stations on the coast, which were alerted to the approximate time of the boat’s passing their district. The Garda were always very co-operative in this kind of exercise, and went out of their way to report back on a sighting or arrival of the boat and crew.  The phone system then was primitive and slow, but the method worked very well. When the Garda at the boat’s destination, who had been given an approximate ETA, reported its safe arrival, the Yard personnel could relax.  Before the phone system reached Killybegs, any such scheme had to rely on the Telegraph, and would have been very cumbersome.

In 1929 some Easkey fishermen had a yawl, built at the Boatyard, and set off for home. The bigger boats were always supplied with masts and sails, (Tommy Cunningham of Spout street being the rigger), but the Easky men had oars only.  The men on board were: Michael Munnelly, Killeenduff, Easky, aged 30, married, six children; William Leonard (20) Easky, single; Patrick Weir (30), Fortland, Easky; Thomas Killeen (30), Easky.

It was in March when the men rowed out of Killybegs harbour for home, as this report explains:

‘The feared loss of the Easkey fishermen who had left Killybegs in an open boat, and were not heard of for several days caused anxiety in the town. Rev. J. Deeney, Rector of St Columba’s Industrial School, where the boat was built, was in touch with the relatives of the missing men during practically all the time, but unfortunately could not give them any consoling news.  On Saturday the Government patrol steamer, Muirchu, arrived in the harbour.  Father Deeney went on board and suggested visiting Inishmurray Island.  The captain agreed, and a couple of hours afterwards the vessel reached the island.  A boat was lowered and a few of the men went ashore.  Immediately on landing they learnt of the safety of the missing men.  It appears that the boat was not equipped with sails, and that progress by rowing was necessarily slow.  Shortly after leaving Killybegs a dense fog enshrouded them.  Bereft of a compass, and in strange waters, the crew were absolutely helpless.  They continued rowing, but having provisions for only a few hours’ journey, their food supply soon became exhausted, and their powers of endurance consequently curtailed.  Fortunately the sea was perfectly calm.  After 36 hours of rowing they knew not whether they sighted land through the fog.  It proved to be Inishmurray.  They landed, and were well looked-after by the hospitable islanders.  They resolved to remain on the island until the fog cleared away, but had no means of communicating with their friends.  The arrival of the Muirchu was timely in that respect, as messages were sent to Easkey as quickly as possible, and all anxiety allayed’.