Shocking tragedy as three young men drown off Clogherhead coast

July 1945

A shocking tragedy occurred at Clogherhead on Tuesday last. Three young Dublin men who were holidaying In the village were drowned when their boat overturned some distance out from the harbour.

The men were : Peter Purfield, Berkeley St., Dublin; Joseph O’Gorman, 216 Clonard Road, Crumlln and Matthew Porter, 6 Sandford Park, South Circular Road.

The boat in which the men set out was a small collapsible canvas one and when they were at the pier the local fishermen expressed doubts as to its seaworthiness. However, the men were reported to be good swimmers and, despite the warnings, the boat set off from the pier. When at 3 o’clock, several hours after the craft had left the pier, there was no sign of her return the fishermen and villagers became anxious and the Guards were Informed. The Clogherhead lifeboat immediately put out to sea and after searching for some time found the upturned boat, with the body of Mr. Purfield entangled in the rigging of the sail. When the lifeboat returned a search party went to the beach to look for the other bodies. A second body, that of Mr. Porter, was found at Dunany Point north of Clogherhead.

The men had been staying at the An Oige Hostel in Clogberhead. Hugh Hodgins, Harbour Constable at Clogherhead. said that on Monday he had seen these three men setting out to sea in the frail canoe. He signalled them to come back and shouted at them that they would come to grief.

He later met the lifeboat coxswain’s son, Laurence Kirwan who said that he should go and tell his father.

Thomas Sharkey, owner and skipper of the fishing boat “Bremou “said that on the day of the tragedy he was at the harbour with his crew mending nets when the three men set out. Patrick Lynch, a member of the crew of the “Bremou” said he saw the three men going down to the harbour. One of them asked him was red rubber the best bait for mackerel.

Michael Kirwan, coxswain of the lifeboat, said that at 5p.m. on that day he left his home and went down to the harbour where one of the hikers came and told him that the canvas boat was not to be seen. After this. he. with Guard Casey, decided to put the lifeboat to sea. They found the boat and the body of one of the men. They applied artificial respiration without avail.

Henry Dolan, a farmer living at Dunany, gave evidence of finding the body of Joseph O’Gorman.

The three are recalled on a memorial in Clogherhead (above).