Rosgailve, Mulranny
“I never more will see again
the scenes around Clew Bay”
The recent death of Jim O’ Donnell, Rosgailve, took place in St Brendan’s Nursing Home, Mulranny on Thursday, April 7. Jim was a fisherman all his life and his love of the sea was a constant in his life to the end.
Jim was born in Sandhill, Tiernaur on April 18, 1926 to Tilly and Frank O’Donnell. Jim was second born in a family of seven comprising of Pat, Jim, Mary, Liz, Frank, Anne and Neil. Self sufficiency, from the land and bounty of the sea, was key to the survival for rural families in the ‘Hungry Thirties’. Jim often recalled his memories of seeing, with other neighbours, the last train on its sad journey to Achill with the ten victims of the Kirkintilloch disaster in 1937 when he was a young boy of 11 years.
From an early age Jim showed fondness for fishing by catching small trout in the stream that flows through Sandhill. That love of fishing stayed with him all his life. As he grew up his knowledge of fishing improved by working with his neighbours, catching fish for the family and also for selling.
In 1952 while working with Bord Iascaigh Mhara he was part of a group who travelled to Germany to take home three trawlers for the Irish State. In March 1954 he went to Achill to work on trawlers owned by Joe Sweeney of Achill, fishing for white fish, herring, shellfish and the capture of basking sharks for their liver oil. Jim was one of the last of the 1950s sharkmen.
While there he was one of the crew of “The Bernie” owned by Sweeneys and fished very successfully. He always said that the years of his life working with Achill men were very happy. The names of Johnny Corrigan, Michael Pat and both Paddy Kilbanes, along with many others, featured in his memories of great times spent there. By 1958, he, Willy, Bernard and Paddy McHale were lobster fishing in Clew Bay in summer months, and he was still doing winter fishing in Achill.
On June 1, 1963 he married Katherine Masterson of Kiloun, Ballycroy and they lived in the Old Post Office, Rosturk, moving to Rosgailve on Good Friday 1972. They had three in the family – Francis, John and Mary. The untimely death of Katherine, aged 38, in November 1976 was a devastating blow.
He too had several stays in hospital over the years, but kept going. Jim continued fishing up to 2008, until he was 82, having seen 50 lobster fishing seasons. Jim was heavily involved in the setting up of the ‘Achill Fishermen’s Co-Op’ in the late 1960s and was to the forefront of of setting up the ‘Clew Bay Oyster Co-Op’ in the late 1970s. The arrival of his grandchildren, Kathryn and Shaun, brought him much happiness. He was fortunate to have the life-long friendship of Willie McHale, Sandhill and Tommy Chambers, Rosgailve. It must be stressed too, that all Jim’s neighbours in Rosgailve and Rosturk have done so much for the O’Donnell family down the years and are still doing so today.
Jim could tell a story sometimes with a bit added! We all know too that Jim was a robust character and would hold his own, as he saw it, when confronted! He had his faults, but didn’t hold grudges. Failing health and the loss of his walk in early October, 2015, was a turning point in his life. He was admitted to St Brendan’s, Mulranny on October 10, 2015 and was greatly looked after there. Jim’s last outing was on Easter Monday last to Newport, where he saw the parade, attended Mass and the function in Hotel Newport to mark the 1916 centenary.
Jim passed away quickly on April 7 in St Brendan’s with the caring staff and Dr Jerry Cowley by his side. Despite their great efforts, Jim’s time had come to leave this world, ten days short of his 90th birthday.
Jim’s remains reposed in St Brendan’s on Sunday, April 10 from 3pm to 6pm and then reposed in his family home in Rosgailve on Sunday night, until 11am Monday morning. Funeral Mass at 12pm in Tiernaur Church was celebrated by Fr Todd Nolan with co-concelebrant Fr Paddy Gill.
The theme of the Mass was reflected in the readings, prayers, gifts, hymns and music and the visual presence beside his coffin of his own hand made lobster pots.
A fitting eulogy of his life was read by his nephew Pearse O’Donnell. After communion the final tribute in the Church was the song ‘Fiddlers Green’, sang by the Mulloy brothers.
Jim’s coffin was draped with an oilskin to reflect the lyrics of the music. The funeral cortege travelled through his native Sandhill, crossing the stream he fished in happily as a boy, pausing at his birthplace where he was born almost 90 years ago.
A lone piper accompanied him to his final resting place in Killeen cemetery, where he was buried next to the sea, beside his wife Katherine, who pre-deceased him almost 40 years ago. After graveside prayers ‘The scenes around Clew Bay’ was sang in a final tribute to Jim. The huge attendance at both his reposing and funeral Mass is a testimony to the high esteem in which he was held.
Finally, Jim was a son, brother, husband, father and mother, father-in-law, grandfather, uncle and friend. We thank God for his long life, his contribution to the wider community, and his impact on us all. May he rest in peace.
“Wrap me up in my oilskins and jumpers,
No more on the docks I’ll be seen”
