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A FISH BOX from a boat that sank off Waterford over 21 years ago has been found on a beach in Co Clare after Storm Ophelia.
The 40-foot Jenalisa sank with her crew of three off Brownstown Head in Tramore Bay in February 1996.
Three fishermen, Peter Nolan (39), Niall Power (21) and Conor O’Grady (25) died in the tragedy. However, only the body of O’Grady was found.
The skipper/owner, Peter Nolan, was well respected in the fishing community and described as a committed member of the Dunmore East Fishermen’s Co-op.
A fish box from the ill-fated boat was found washed up on the shore at Fanore Beach in North Clare on Wednesday. Printed on the side was “Peter Nolan – Dunmore East Co-op”.
Beachcomber Liam McNamara didn’t realise the significance of the what he found until he posted the photo on the Burren Shore Beachcombers Facebook page asking if anyone knew the owner.
McNamara quickly learned of the box’s history and was contacted by friends and relatives of Nolan.
“I had no idea before posting the significance of the box and photograph. I took the photos on Wednesday on Fanore Beach. It was my first venture out after Hurricane Ophelia and the first time I’ve been able to return such personal items with a tragic tale,” he said.
“Various family members and friends have been in touch and arrangements are being finalised to get the box back down to Dunmore East and home,” he added.
Last March, McNamara also found a tag from a fishing boat that famously survived the “Perfect Storm” off the US coast in 1991.
A movie was made about the October 1991 tragedy which claimed the FV (fishing vessel) Andrea Gail and her crew while her sister ship the FV Hannah Boden survived the storm.
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Incredible
The box looks relatively unmarked after 20 years with zero marine life attached to it
@Quentin Moriarty: Demonstrates the problem with plastic pollutants.
@Joe Conlon: wouldn’t explain the condition of the box
@Quentin Moriarty: that’s the really surprising thing, you’d think it would be cracked and chipped. I remember that tragedy well.
@Caroline Otoole: me too, Caroline. I was working on the raising of the wreck.
@Joe Conlon: for God’s sake, this has a story to tell and comfort for that man’s family.
I call bull on this story there is no way that box was underwater for that long at the very minimum the black writing would be gone
It was in someone’s shed somewhere and the roof blew off and box ended up on the beach or something like that
@Chris Turner: Sounds very plausible. The box does appear in remarkably great condition.
@Chris Turner: agreed
If it sank there would be nothing left of it after that time
If it floated for 21 years it would at least be cracked and discoloured with oil particles etc and have lifeforms growing on it .
John Hearne 0894352404. Peter gave me my first start on the Naomh Nioclas a few months earlier but the day i arrived in Dunmore East the boat caught fire and ran aground on the flat rocks in Dunmore. Having no job he gave me a few days in the punt to keep me going. He bought another boat the Jenalisa and he gave me a start and myself and a lad called boots from somewhere near Bulmahon fished for a good together, Niall Peter and Coner were lost in bad weather in January Boots was later lost setting lobster pots. The three lads are remembered on headstones in Carbally and Killea church yards and on the wall in Dunmore East. A couple of years ago myself Damien Tiernan Dermot Keyes and Jim Griffin formed a committee to help DNA remains recovered at sea and Declan Barry of the Waterford Marine Search and Rescue on a winters night asked me to lay a wreath with familys of people lost at sea and and i was sitting next a man on a small rigid rescue boat and it turned out to be Boots son amazing Peter would love all this about the box washing up so to all the lads looking down thanks for all the good memorys .
At least Ophelia did something good.
@Dalya Al-Tulaihi:
What was the good that Ophelia did?
now thats a sign
@Christy Pop: No, it’s a fish box.
Something fishey I think
@FlopFlipU: indeed and looking to be a cod of a story unless verified
If you look closely you will see the box sitting squarely on the sand
One would expect that it would have indented somewhat into the sand had it washed or blown
ashore
Often see in fishing towns boxes from other boats etc highly doubtful this box was at sea all this time
Perfect storm-more like perfect fishing box !
Probably been used on another ship for last twenty years and fell over recently I’d guess ???
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