Third Day of Search for Missing Young Woman in Galway Bay

14th November 2024

Afloat.ie Team

Coastguard Helicopter Rescue 117 from Waterford swept the bay on Wednesday afternoon

A search resumes in Galway Bay this morning today for a 32-year-old woman reported missing from Silver Strand, Barna, on Tuesday.

Vessel owners and other volunteers have been asked to register with the Garda, which set up a control unit at Silver Strand.

All non-motorised vessels, as in kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, will be assigned groups and zones at 8 am on Thursday at Silver Strand.

Shore walkers have been asked to meet at Séipéal Barna, Barna chapel, at 7.45 am to be assigned search zones.

The young woman, named locally as Máire Ní Fhatharta of An Spidéal, was reported missing after she failed to show up at work on Tuesday morning.

A second swimmer who died off Silver Strand near Barna on Tuesday has been named as musician, composer and writer Johnny Duhan.

Both swimmers had gone out separately. While seas were calm, a dense fog had covered Galway and Barna throughout Tuesday.

The foggy conditions over the last two days precluded the Irish Coast Guard Shannon rescue helicopter from joining the search on Tuesday, but Rescue 117 from Waterford did a sweep of the bay on Wednesday afternoon.

The search, which is being co-ordinated by the Irish Coast Guard’s Marine Rescue Sub Centre in Valentia in support of the Garda, has involved RNLI vessels from Galway and the Aran islands, Irish Coast Guard units, Civil Defence, local fishing vessels, members of Galway Sub Aqua Club, Cumann Seoltóireachta an Spidéil and Galway Bay Sailing Club, along with kayakers and stand up paddleboarders.

Hundreds of people have also taken part in shore searches from An Spidéal to Barna and eastwards towards Oranmore.

The circumstances surrounding the double tragedy are still unclear, with one theory being that Ms Ní Fhatharta may have tried to assist Mr Duhan when he got into difficulty.

Superintendent Paudie O’Shea of Galway Garda Station told RTÉ News that it was possible that both of the swimmers had become disorientated in the fog "which was lifting and dropping within seconds".

He said there had been huge and overwhelming support from the local community since the search was initiated on Tuesday.

Published in Galway Harbour, Sea Swim, Coastguard, RNLI Lifeboats

Published in Galway Harbour

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Galway Port & Harbour

Galway Bay is a large bay on the west coast of Ireland, between County Galway in the province of Connacht to the north and the Burren in County Clare in the province of Munster to the south. Galway city and port is located on the northeast side of the bay. The bay is about 50 kilometres (31 miles) long and from 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) to 30 kilometres (19 miles) in breadth.

The Aran Islands are to the west across the entrance and there are numerous small islands within the bay.

Galway Port FAQs

How old is Galway port?

Galway was founded in the 13th century by the de Burgo family, and became an important seaport with sailing ships bearing wine imports and exports of fish, hides and wool.

How old is Galway bay?

Not as old as previously thought. Galway bay was once a series of lagoons, known as Loch Lurgan, plied by people in log canoes. Ancient tree stumps exposed by storms in 2010 have been dated back about 7,500 years.

What is the tonnage of the port?

It is about 660,000 tonnes as it is a tidal port.

Who is the harbourmaster of Galway port?

Capt Brian Sheridan, who succeeded his late father, Capt Frank Sheridan

When are the lock gates open?

The dock gates open approximately two hours before high water and close at high water subject to ship movements on each tide.

What's the biggest ship that can 'fit' in the harbour?

The typical ship sizes are in the region of 4,000 to 6,000 tonnes

Is renewable energy generating a lot of business for Galway port?

Turbines for about 14 wind projects have been imported in recent years, but the tonnage of these cargoes is light. A European industry report calculates that each turbine generates €10 million in locally generated revenue during construction and logistics/transport.

Is Galway a European cable location?

Yes, Iceland has selected Galway as European landing location for international telecommunications cables. Farice, a company wholly owned by the Icelandic Government, currently owns and operates two submarine cables linking Iceland to Northern Europe.

What's the update on the Galway port expansion plans?

It is "very much a live project", Harbourmaster Capt Sheridan says, and the Port of Galway board is "awaiting the outcome of a Bord Pleanála determination", he says.

Where does all the scrap go at Galway Port?

90% of the scrap steel is exported to Spain with the balance being shipped to Portugal. Since the pandemic, scrap steel is shipped to the Liverpool where it is either transhipped to larger ships bound for China.

Why is Galway Port exporting silage and the Irish farmers are crying out for it?

It might look like silage, but in fact, its bales domestic and municipal waste, exported to Denmark where the waste is incinerated, and the heat is used in district heating of homes and schools. It is called RDF or Refuse Derived Fuel and has been exported out of Galway since 2013.

When is the new ferry starting service from Galway?

The new ferry is arriving at Galway Bay onboard the cargo ship SVENJA. The vessel is currently on passage to Belem, Brazil before making her way across the Atlantic to Galway.

Is the Volvo Ocean Race coming back to Galway?

Two Volvo round world races have selected Galway for the prestigious yacht race route. Some 10,000 people welcomed the boats in during its first stopover in 2009, when a festival was marked by stunning weather. It was also selected for the race finish in 2012. The Volvo has changed its name and is now known as the "Ocean Race". Capt Sheridan says that once port expansion and the re-urbanisation of the docklands is complete, the port will welcome the "ocean race, Clipper race, Tall Ships race, Small Ships Regatta and maybe the America's Cup right into the city centre...".

When is Seafest coming back to Galway?

The pandemic was the reason why Seafest did not go ahead in Cork in 2020. Galway will welcome Seafest back after it calls to Waterford and Limerick, thus having been to all the Port cities.