Mystery of identification of Achill Famine drowning victims solved

IN the winter of 1847, at the height of the Great Famine, a group of desperate and starving Achill men left the village of Keel in small canoes to cast their makeshift nets in the hope of a bounty of fish to ease the pain of their hunger.

The sea on the evening of Monday, November 8, 1847 was calm and tranquil which tempted the men to leave the safety of land. However, out of nowhere a ‘storm of unusual violence came’ which drove them away from Keel beach and towards the treacherous rocks.

Only one small canoe managed to return to safety and when the sun rose and calm was restored, the power of the Atlantic had claimed the lives of 19 men, leaving 14 widows and 38 orphans.

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The tragedy devastated the seaside village so much so that over the decades the memories of that horrific event of November 1847 faded in memory. It reached the point that the names of the 19 men who drowned were forgotten.

In recent years efforts have been made to identify the names of the victims without success but it seems that the mystery has been solved.

The story of the tragedy resurfaced on social media during the week when Keel woman Martina Calvey of Achill Mountain Lamb posted an extract from an eye-witness account from Dr Neason Adams, who worked in the infirmary in the Achill Mission Estate in Dugort.

“I was aware of this story as part of our history in Keel and that it had happened and I put a post up of it,” she explained.

As more people engaged in the post, a conversation took place as to who were the victims and it emerged that nobody knew.

“Some people responded and they had tried to research it years ago and could not get the names and more or less the sources who may have known are exhausted,” she added.

However, thanks to the reach of social media, a man called Kevin Gorman, whose great-grandmother, Mary Gaughan was a native of Dooagh came across the post.

He had been researching his great-grandmother and Achill history and had come across an extract in the Saunder’s Newsletter printed in Dublin on November 16,1847.

Dr Adams had issued an appeal for charity to help the families involved in the tragedy and had included the names of the 19 victims.

They were listed as P Mangan, unmarried; J Murray, leaving an aged mother; T Lavelle, father and mother in a helpless state; N Mangan, mother and two sisters; M Mangan, widow and two sisters; A Gilty, mother and two sisters, he was their only support; E Mangan, father, mother, and two sisters; J Lavelle, widow, mother and two sisters; J Moran, widow and one orphan; E English, widow and five orphans; P Mangan, widow and three orphans; J Gallagher, widow and two orphans; E Mangan, widow and five orphans; D Lavelle, widow and one orphan; P Mangan, widow and one orphan; P Lavelle, widow and four orphans; M Kane, widow and two orphans; D Sweeny, widow and three orphans; M Mangan, widow and five orphans; J Mangan, widow and six orphans.

In the extract in the newsletter, Dr Adams wrote: “I have just returned from the melancholy and afflicted village of Kule (sic), where I made out the following list of 19 men drowned, leaving 14 widows and 38 orphans.

The Irish cry resounding from the cabins, the wild screaming of the orphans and the tears of the aged, made it one of the most distressing sights I ever witnessed.

“A sack of Indian meal and a bag of rice, from the Friends’ Society, were instantly dispatched, but my store is nearly empty, and this appeal is for the purpose of obtaining funds to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the afflicted.”

Martina said the extract from the newsletter shows the devastation which must have come over the village during the height of the Famine.

“These were first hand accounts of the time and he described the harrowing tragedy and the crying and obviously the village was devastated. That was a significant amount of men to be lost from the village.

“Imagine how painful it was and how life changing and transformative it was for the place. It had such an impact on the people and it was the end of fishing and that is why Keel was not a fishing village.

Nobody had the names and they were just not known. Was it because it was so traumatic and painful? Whatever the reason the names were not there,” she said.

Now the names of the victims have been revealed, she hopes that this will start a new conversation regarding erecting a lasting memorial to the victims and bring the community together.

“Now the names of the victims are finally known, hopefully it will stimulate conversation in the village and the names will be marked on some monument or plaque and marked in a significant way.

It is important to Keel people because when you think of it, for 19 men to get drowned on the one night and to leave 14 widows and orphans, the significance is enormous.

It is an enormous tragedy.

“Now we have uncovered the names it will be nice to bring the focus onto Keel and bring the community together.

“This may be one of the catalysts to remind people we are a community and that this is our village and make the best we can of it and set the standard,” she added.