Dear Editor,
In a recent edition of the Keith Finnegan radio programme, I had the honour of being on air with former crew members of the much lamented M.V. Naomh Eanna, who spoke about her life and times on The Galway–Aran service from 1958 to 1988.

In the course of interview, two former crew members, Asst Eng, Eamonn Tobin and Deck Steward, John Reck spoke poignantly about 15 August 1958 when the ship received a May Day call to attend to the site of the KLM airliner Hugo De Groot that had crashed into the sea some 200 miles west of Slyne Head. The ship's master, the late Capt. Arthur Anderson, responded immediately and sailed for the disaster site, stopping off at Kilronan, Aran Islands to pick up Dominican priest Fr Leahy and two nurses who had been on holiday on the island.

Unfortunately, there were no survivors of the terrible disaster and remains that were discovered were transported to Galway docks by the M.V. Naomh Eanna and other vessels. The unidentified bodies were interred in the New Cemetery in a communal grave and some were subsequently re-interred in their native countries when later identified.

I would like to call on Galway City Council to hold an appropriate memorial service for victims of the terrible air disaster that brought world focus on our wonderful city 50 years ago.

Yours sincerely,
Martin Quinn,
134 Dangan Heights,
Galway

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