Doherty calls for war mine apology

A CALL has been made for the State to apologise for failing to carry out its responsibilities in dealing with a war mine which exploded on a beach in Co Donegal during the Second World War, killing 18 people.

The tragedy occurred on May 10th, 1943, at Ballymanus in west Donegal where a mine exploded after locals hauled it ashore with ropes. Seventeen men and boys between 13 and 34 were killed at the scene and another died the next day in hospital.

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said he would “reflect” on the issue. He said, however, that it was “questionable” whether it would be practical to inquire if anything more should have been done to prevent the deaths, 68 years after the event.

Pearse Doherty (SF, Donegal South West) who raised the issue in the Dáil, said the mine was reported to gardaí when it was a mile offshore, more than three hours before it exploded. He said the then secretary of the department of defence said gardaí “did not take any steps to prevent members of the public from approaching the mine”.

Other documents showed there was “hostility against the local sergeant who apparently has been unpopular in the area for a long time and who was of course guilty of grave neglect of duty in this matter”.

Mr Doherty believed the families of those who lost their lives deserved an apology or acknowledgment from the State “that it did not carry out its responsibilities in the way it should have”. He said “the issue of compensation may be a stumbling block” and he asked the Minister to be “open-minded” on the issue.

Mr Shatter said the mine was reported to gardaí at Annagry in Co Donegal. A local marine service lieutenant went to Ballymanus strand, waited until the mine came ashore and “warned a group of men who were present on the strand to stay away”. The lieutenant said the reaction of some of the people towards him was “almost hostile”. Some of those present hauled the mine onto the beach and attempted to unscrew portions of it, when it exploded.

Mr Shatter said there was “little local demand” at the time for an inquiry but authorities said the sergeant involved had not dealt properly with the report of the mine, failed to go to the scene before the explosion and “no attempt was made to cordon off the area”.

Mr Shatter said he would reflect on the issue and it was “important not to forget such events”.