By Niamh McGovern
A FERMANAGH man who was killed in one of Donegal’s ‘worst ever sea disasters’, was remembered at a 50th anniversary Mass last week.
Large crowds gathered at St Columba’s Church, Burtonport on Tuesday (January 7), to mark exactly 50 years since the crew of the Evelyn Marie tragically lost their lives when their fishing trawler hit rocks and sank at Rathlin O’Byrne Island off Glencolmcille.
Twenty-five-year-old Roland (Rolo) Faughnan, pictured below, only son of Mr and Mrs Brendan Faughnan of Castlecaldwell, Belleek was one of the six man crew on the 60-ft long fishing vessel which set off to fish in the waters off the shore from Burtonport to Killybegs.
The crew intended to land a £1,000 catch of herring but the ship got into difficultly when it broke up on a treacherous reef off the uninhabited island of Rathlin O’Byrne.
One last short message heard by radio from the ship told of their plight: ‘We’re sinking fast’.
Speaking at the anniversary Mass last Tuesday, Parish Priest, Fr Pat Ward, said, “I was about nine years old when the Evelyn Marie went down. I was probably too young to understand what had happened.
“But even without understanding, it was obvious that something had taken place that would leave an indelible mark on these communities and that has been proved true.
“The impact of the death of these six young men was felt first and foremost by their families, who still feel that personal pain of loss to this day.”
Mr Faughnan was married only a year to the former Sylvia Breslin of Burtonport and was the father of six-month-old, Donna-Marie.
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