Donegal fishing tragedy: How the sinking of the Jack Buchan 'left its mark'
- Published
The Jack Buchan capsized after begin hit by a wave
"You never get over something like that."
Until now John James Lyons, 84, has never spoken about the fishing tragedy he experienced 62 years ago, a tragedy that claimed the lives of five County Donegal men.
He was the sole survivor when the Jack Buchan capsized just yards from the pier at Dunmore East in 1958 after being hit by a wave.
He was on the deck when it went under and survived by clinging to a fish basket before being rescued by another trawler.
'Closer than brothers'
He recalled the harrowing events of that day in a new BBC radio documentary The Sinking of the Jack Buchan.
"We were closer than brothers on that boat and it still hurts today," he said.
John James Lyons speaks about the events of the day more than 60 years ago
"You never get over something like that even now 62 years later - I still pray for them every day."
John James described how the 60ft (18m) trawler "flipped over in a second" after being hit by the wave.
He shouted to his fellow crew member, 18-year-old Benny Armstrong, to grab on to the wheelhouse.
"I could see it coming over the rail and told Benny to hang on," he said.
"The next thing I remember was being under the water and trying to get to the surface."
This picture includes three of those who were lost as well as survivor John James (second from left): Benny Armstrong (back row middle wearing a jumper); John Byrne (back row far right); and James White (front row, second in from right arms folded)
"Three times I made it to the top and I managed to grab a fish basket and then a rope came across my arm," he said.
Despite the 30ft (9m) swell he was pulled to safety by the crew of another Donegal trawler.
"When I turned and saw the Jack Buchan upside down and the propeller still spinning I knew the others had no chance," he said.
No wake, no funeral
Those who were lost included my grand uncle Donnachadh Mac Laifeartaigh, from Downings, who was 45 and left behind five children.
The others were Skipper George Buchan, 40, who also had five children; James White, 24; John Byrne, 30; and Benny Armstrong, 18.
Four bodies were recovered but the remains of my grand uncle Donnachadh were never found.
In the programme, his children Hughie, Mary and Annie talked about living with the loss of their father and never having a body to bury, a trauma which also affected their siblings Evelyn and Micheal.
"I will never forget that knock on the door. The whole house went silent - it was the local sergeant to tell us our daddy was gone. It was awful," explained Annie.
"I couldn't speak about my daddy for 20 years after that, it was just too painful."
Donnachadh Mac Laifeartaigh (left) and on his wedding day (right)
"It never ended because we had no wake, no funeral, the pain is just as raw today as it was 62 years ago," said Mary.
The programme also heard from brothers Peter and William Power, and their cousin John, who witnessed the tragedy.
"We all watched from the shore as the boat capsized and then drifted upside down over on to the rocks," said Peter Power.
"We knew the men were all inside but there was nothing we could do. We were so helpless.
"That Jack Buchan left its mark on Dunmore East, no one here could ever forget it," he added.
The documentary will air on Saturday, 26 September on BBC Radio Ulster and Radio Foyle at 12:00 BST and also on BBC Sounds. It will be available on BBC Sounds after broadcast.