Appeal to Volunteers to Take Care as Search Continues in Galway Bay

22nd November 2024

Afloat.ie Team

Hundreds are still searching the shores and waters of Galway Bay for Máire Ní Fhatharta, the 32-year-old woman missing since she went swimming off Silver Strand on November 12th Credit: via Instagram

Freezing temperatures and a north-easterly wind have not deterred the hundreds still searching the shores and waters of Galway Bay for Máire Ní Fhatharta, the 32-year-old woman missing since she went swimming off Silver Strand on November 12th.

Her family have said they have been overwhelmed by the community response, but organisers of the continued search have appealed to volunteers to “wrap up well, stay hydrated and wear the appropriate clothing”.

“Everyone’s safety is our priority,”the organisers of the search have said. Met Éireann has issued a status orange weather warning for Galway, valid till lunchtime today.

Shore searches which have continued at low tide at night were stepped down on Wednesday night due to snow which began falling over the west coast.

A number of areas in Connemara west of na Forbacha, along with the Aran islands and parts of Clare, experienced power outages this morning as snow carpeted the area.

Information on the various search group times at sea and on land is on Instagram and the WhatsApp group, “Bring Máire Home”.

Wednesday’s search at sea was assisted in the afternoon by the Irish Coast Guard Rescue 115 helicopter from Shannon.

A GoFundMe appeal, Bring Máire Home, has raised over 96,000 euro, which will go towards paying the fuel cost of many vessels which have been at sea for the past eight days, along with search equipment.

“Any excess funds that are received will be donated to voluntary organisations that have been assisting us in this search,”the organisers have said on Instagram.

Ms Ní Fhátharta (32) was reported missing from Silverstrand beach near Barna last Tuesday, hours after songwriter Johnny Duhan also died that same morning. Conditions were very foggy and both swimmers may have become disorientated and developed hypothermia very rapidly.

Mr Duhan’s body was recovered from the water hours later.

Ms Ní Fhatharta had been working with Foram Chois Fharraige as an Irish language planning officer since August 2024, and the alarm was raised when she didn't arrive for work last Tuesday.

The GoFundMe page is here

Published in Galway Harbour, Sea Swim, Connemara

Published in Galway Harbour

Tagged under

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven't put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full-time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

You might also want to read...

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.