Marine gallantry awards presented following ‘Tit Bonhomme’ tragedy

Three medals for marine gallantry were handed out last night as a result of the Tit Bonhomme tragedy which occurred in January 2012 off the Cork coast. Five fishermen drowned when their trawler sank after hitting rocks at the entrance to Glandore Harbour in Cork near Union Hall.

The Union Hall community received a marine meritorious service medal for their “most dedicated and heartfelt care and hospitality which was far above and beyond the call of duty for any voluntary community-based effort”.

The Toe Head Glandore Coast Guard Unit received the Michael Heffernan silver medal for marine gallantry for risking their lives to save the Tit Bonhomme's sole survivor, Mohammed Add Elgwad.

The unit launched from Union Hall. The men in the rescue lifeboat heard a shout from the shore and one swam in rough seas to the stricken man and alerted the helicopter. He was airlifted to Cork.

"It was a terrible tragedy. It is not something we will ever forget," said Richard Hurley, officer in charge at Toe Head.

Humanity and selflessness

Retired Union

Hall fisherman

Bill Deasy

won a marine ministerial letter of appreciation for meritorious service for his “dedication, professionalism, compassion, humanity and selflessness in providing every conceivable assistance, including his invaluable local knowledge to the search and rescue operation”.

The National Marine Gallantry and Meritorious Service Awards were presented last night by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Paschal Donohoe at Farmleigh House.

Mr Donohoe said his department was preparing a new maritime safety strategy to reduce the numbers killed in maritime incidents.

The highest-profile recipient was singer Damien Dempsey who rescued two people who got into trouble while swimming in the river Slaney in June last year. Dempsey was not on hand last night to pick up his marine ministerial letter of appreciation for meritorious service.

Jim Griffin received a marine ministerial letter for rescuing seven people who were cut off by the tide at Tramore Bay in August last year.