A large crowd attended the Donegal Association Annual Mass and Lecture on Sunday, 15^th of November in the Regency Hotel. The mass was concelebrated by Fr. Michael Mc Cullagh and Fr. Charlie Cunningham. After the mass the Fr. McDyer Memorial Lecture was delivered by historian, Sean Boner from Dungloe. It was fitting this year that the lecture was based on the Arranmore Disaster as it was as a result of this tragedy that the Donegal Association was founded 80 years ago.

At the lecture, Sean gave an insight into the tragedy which ‘struck a chord with the emerging Irish state at the time.’ The drowning took place on the 9^th of November 1935 and four days later a meeting was held in the Gresham Hotel which marked the foundation of the Donegal Association in Dublin. At around 6pm, a yawl left Burtonport with 20 passengers many of whom had been returning from the potato harvesting in Scotland. Sean spoke of how the speed the boat was making caused confusion to the passengers as to their exact location when the yawl hit a rock. All but one of twenty people on the boat drowned with Patrick Gallagher being the sole survivor. Sean spoke of the fact that Patrick watched the lights going out in Arranmore on the night of the tragedy and sang to his brother during the night. The Irish Press and The Irish Independent took photographs including one of a crowd of people saying the rosary at the Lifeboat Station. The photographs which are available today are a result of the national coverage which the tragedy received at the time because of the number of lives which were lost.

It was a fitting tribute on the 80^th anniversary of the association that long standing members Kathleen Sheerin and Charlie Mc Ginley were recognised and presented with a token of appreciation for their hard work and commitment to the association down through the years. Kathleen has been a member of the committee since 1973 and was the first lady chairperson and the second lady president. Charlie first joined the committee in 1956 and has been part of the committee for the majority of those years. He has been joint treasurer since the late 1980s. Kathleen and Charlie are two familiar faces of the Donegal Association and it is through committed individuals like them that the association continues to grow from strength to strength.

The association had an exhibition of old photographs from the Arranmore Disaster and artwork from the children of the Arranmore Schools based on the tragedy on display. There was also an exhibition of old photographs from Donegal Association events over the years and live music for the 80^th commemoration was provided by the fantastic Early Family from Arranmore Island.