Suddenly a massive eight metres in height freak wave struck and capsized the boat sinking it.Īll people on the boat didn’t survive except Hugh Falkus, the film producer, who swam back ashore to get help swimming in the freezing water. On that day there was a thick fog over the island and sea even then the crew decided to go out at sea and film the planned scenes. The entire cast and crew filming the docu-drama “Shark Island” drowned around the dangerous Daisies Rocks just off Keem Bay. It is remembered as the Shark Island Tragedy. The railway line was closed in 1934 but it reopened for that, so the last passenger train to Achill brought back home the bodies of the victims for their burial to Kildavnet cemetery.Īnother drowning tragedy that shocked Ireland and UK occurred on 12th May 1951. As in the past they traveled to Scotland for potatoes picking. Ten young people from Achill were buried alive in a ‘bothy’ (hut) in Kirkintilloch, Scotland. The second tragedy, which fulfilled the prophecy, occurred in 1937. They were on their way to Scotland for potatoes picking (tattie hoking).

Seeing the ship they moved to one side of the Hooker to have a better look, suddenly a blast of wind overturned the boat and they all drowned. Thirty-two young people left Achill on a “Hooker” to meet up with a steamer at Westport Quay.

In fact in 1894, the first train on the Achill railway carried the bodies of the victims of the Clew Bay Drowning. The train provided a great service to Achill, but it also fulfilled an ancient prophecy.īrian Rua O'Cearbhain had prophesied that ‘carriages on the iron wheels, emitting smoke and fire would carry coffins to Achill on both its first and last train journey’. In 1894, the Westport - Newport railway line was extended to Achill Sound.

Clew bay drowning