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"This could have happened to anybody" - Locals raise €90,000 for bereaved family of slipway tragedy

Michelle Black and Martin McGranaghan have raised a huge sum between them in an effort to help in any way they can.

24/3/2016. Buncrana Drownings. Two women look out Two women look out across Lough Swilly in County Donegal, on the morning of the Buncrana funerals Eamonn Farrell Eamonn Farrell

Updated 12.30pm

OVER €90,000 HAS been raised by thoughtful locals for the family of the five people who lost their lives in last weekend’s horrific tragedy in Buncrana, Co Donegal.

Derry woman Louise Daniels lost her husband, mother, sister, and two sons, in the freak accident as their car slipped into the water on an algae-covered slipway in the north Donegal town.

Her infant daughter, Rioghnach-Ann, was saved by local man Davitt Walsh who swam to the family’s sinking car and returned to shore with the baby.

23/3/2016. Buncrana Drownings. The McGrotty and Da The McGrotty family, pictured weeks before tragedy RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

Now, locals Martin McGranaghan and Michelle Black have launched a crowdfunding campaign to help out in any way they can.

The two had never met each other before this week, but took it upon themselves to do whatever they could to aid the grieving family.

marty Facebook Facebook

And their funding campaigns have exceeded all expectations – raising about €90,000.

“I first knew something was happening when I heard the helicopters out, and then everyone was saying on Facebook that something had happened,” says Michelle, a Scottish native living in Buncrana.

The idea of setting up a funding page came to her “when I heard it was a family, when I heard there were children involved”.

“I was quite unsettled all evening, because this could happen to anybody,” she says.

Then Marty contacted me to say ‘well done’, and we realised we were doing the same thing from different angles.
At first I thought I’d take mine down because we were doing the same thing, but I’m glad I didn’t now. The response has been really overwhelming.

In Martin’s case, the initial aim for his campaign was to raise £5,000 (about €6,300). That figure is now a distant memory for the Derry native – his crowdfunding page has so far raised about 10 times its initial target, and currently stands at £49,300 (€62,000).

24/3/2016. Buncrana Drownings. Louise James (front left)carries the coffin of one of her two children, Evan and Mark from the Church of the Holy Family in Derry, afer the funeral service. Ms. James also lost her partner Sean McGrotty, her sister Jody-Lee Louise James carrying a coffin at the funeral of five members of her family who lost their lives in the tragedy last Sunday Eamonn Farrell Eamonn Farrell

Meanwhile, Michelle’s Justgiving campaign has raised an additional £16,400 (€21,000).

On top of this a fundraising dinner in New York this week raised another €10,000, bringing the money raised to over €90,000.

michelle Facebook Facebook

“No words to describe the generosity of each and everyone of you who has donated, completely overwhelmed you have done an amazing thing,” Martin said in a Facebook post.

“I’m stunned and pleased,” Michelle meanwhile said in a separate post on Facebook.

Money won’t change what happened but it will hopefully show Louise that everyone around the world is thinking about her and her beautiful baby girl.

Originally published 11.10am

Read: Massive concert to mark 1916: 1,100 singers from 32 choirs join forces with RTÉ orchestra

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17 Comments
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    Mute Larry David the 2nd
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    Jul 4th 2015, 5:41 PM

    Ok advertising works cos I am getting me one of those babies ASAP.

    432
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    Mute Red Marauder
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    Jul 4th 2015, 5:52 PM

    This must have every peeping Tom drooling!

    221
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    Mute dstaffx
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    Jul 4th 2015, 6:20 PM

    Can it see through curtains?

    123
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    Mute David Carino
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    Jul 4th 2015, 7:12 PM

    only shower curtains

    68
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    Mute Oliver
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    Jul 4th 2015, 5:43 PM

    I want it…

    108
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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Jul 4th 2015, 8:10 PM

    I went and checked and for some strange reason there is a shortage. Berminghams say 6 weeks wait and camera.ie have 10 on backorder and you have to pay full price €650 up front. Oh well.

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    Mute cosmological
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    Jul 4th 2015, 5:48 PM

    Excellent, thank you Journal.

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    Mute CW
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    Jul 4th 2015, 5:47 PM

    That’s crazy stuff, holy mother of Devine Julie’s Caesar’s àrses bloody banana….

    Must get me one of them.

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    Mute Pee Shank
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    Jul 4th 2015, 7:20 PM

    amazing

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    Mute Tap Solny
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    Jul 4th 2015, 5:58 PM

    A Nikon D3200 or a Sony A58 would cost €450 including a 18-55mm kit lens. Either camera is far superior to the Nikon Coolpix p900. The D3200 is a DSLR, the the A58 is an SLT and the Coolpix is a bridge camera. The Coolpix is quite good up to 83x but it cannot be compared to a DSLR.

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    Mute Pee Shank
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    Jul 4th 2015, 6:07 PM

    Wow

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    Mute Joseph Siddall
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    Jul 4th 2015, 6:18 PM

    Tap, all very true but “Bridge” cameras sell very well for a reason. Most people see them them as being a very acceptable compromise answering all their needs in one piece of reasonably priced kit. Modern bridge cameras are really quite superb…within their operational parameters.

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    Mute Tap Solny
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    Jul 4th 2015, 6:32 PM

    Agreed Joseph. I have the Nikon Coolpix P900 and a Sony HX400v – both are superb bridge cameras. I also have a Sony A58 and a Sony A77ii – both are excellent DSLRs (SLTs).

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    Mute Maximus
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    Jul 4th 2015, 7:50 PM

    Very impressive, WoW!.

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    Mute Paul Mc Nulty
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    Jul 4th 2015, 8:28 PM

    Tony and Joseph comparing their cox…

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    Mute Gemma Shah
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    Jul 4th 2015, 9:31 PM

    My Uncle visited last week toting one of these. Totally in awe. Well worth the money I reckon.

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    Mute Kemberlee Shortland
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    Jul 5th 2015, 1:45 AM

    My Canon Powershot SX60 does the same shot of the moon, if not better.

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    Mute Eoin
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    Jul 5th 2015, 12:41 AM

    Paparazzi wet dream.

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    Mute Ger Clifford
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    Jul 5th 2015, 12:05 AM

    So does my Canon 18x zoom SX600hs.

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    Mute Una Simms
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    Jul 5th 2015, 12:48 PM

    eh..I dunno…..I’d like the zoom to go a little closer….. This just doesn’t try hard enough…….. (awesome actually)

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    Mute cp
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    Jul 5th 2015, 10:35 AM

    Now that’s impressive! Definitely putting that on my wish list!!

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