Last hurricane to hit Ireland in 1961 killed 17 people

AS IRELAND prepares for the worst storm in over 50 years, the Irish Independent recalls the devastating impact of Hurricane Debbie, the last hurricane to hit our shores.

In mid-September 1961, the storm killed 15 people in the Republic and two in Northern Ireland, and caused millions of pounds worth of damage.

Debbie brought winds of up to 183kmh, with most of the damage occurring in Kerry, Limerick, Donegal and Sligo. To this day, Debbie is the only fully accredited hurricane to hit Ireland.

The storm uprooted hundreds of trees, destroyed roofs, knocked down church belfries and even electrocuted a cow.

The hurricane reached the peak of its ferocity over Kerry between 8am and noon on Saturday, September 16, 1961.

Debbie formed off the west coast of Africa – causing 60 deaths in a plane crash off the Cape Verde islands – and reached category three status in the mid-Atlantic before turning north-east for Ireland.

Killorglin man Paul McMahon managed to block a slate rocketing towards him on the morning with his hand.

Dingle man Eamonn O’Loughlin walked away unscathed when a telegraph pole smashed on to the bonnet of his car. A farmer in Knocknagoshel watched as his prize Pomeranian dog was swept away along with the roof of an outhouse.

A man in Tralee town park was knocked away by the wind as the tree he was sheltering under came crashing down in the storm.

The belfry was blown off Abbeydorney Church and a cow was electrocuted when it came into contact with a damaged ESB line in Reenrusheen, Iveragh.