THE loss of the three crew members of the Jenalisa off Dunmore East, Co Waterford, brings to five the number of reported deaths at sea to date this year.
Four of the deaths were fishing related, while the fifth was Mr Jimmy McDonagh (30) of Roundstone, Co Galway, whose body was recovered at midday yesterday after his empty currach was found at the weekend.
Last year 20 of the 48 recorded fatalities were fishermen in one of, the worst 12 months for accidents at sea on recent record. The incidents, relating to commercial fishing only, are as follows:
1996
February 4th: Three men lost from Jenalisa off Dunmore East, Co Waterford.
January 1st: Fisherman Paul Avington (47) of Strangford, Co Down, drowned when trying to board a boat in Greenore, Carlingford Lough.
1995
December 8th: Two cousins, Edmond Fitzgerald and Paul Dunne drowned when 21 foot fibreglass vessel hit rocks off Ardmore, Co Waterford.
November 16th: Timmy Currid (43) of Ballymitty, Wellington Bridge, Co Wexford, died when the Scarlet Buccaneer was driven on to rocks out Howth harbour in storm.
November 15th-16th: Six Donegal fisherman - Jeremy McKinney (27), his brother Conal McKinney (29), John Kelly (38) and his son, Stephen (16), Terry Doherty (21) and Bernard Gormley (18) - reported missing off Malin Head on the Greencastle vessel, Carrickatine. Despite an extensive 10 week search, the bodies and boat have not been found.
November 6th: 31 year old Portuguese crewman reported missing from Spanish fishing vessel Shark 61 miles west of Achill, Co Mayo.
October 17th: Six fishermen rescued when Maria Angelique hit rocks off Lough Swilly, Co Donegal.
October 5th: Body of Eamon Joyce (26) of Furnish, Lettermore, Co Galway, found in Knock Bay after he failed to return from a fishing trip the previous weekend.
August 25th: Crewman reported missing and presumed drowned from the Shay Og 90 miles west south west of Valentia, Co Kerry.
July 17th: Charles Meehan (70) and his nephew Stephen Meehan (20) drowned during salmon fishing trip in Inver Bay, Co Donegal.
July 14th: Sean Duffy (26) and James Kearney (36) drowned when their lobster boat capsized off Malin Head. Gary Duffy (16) survived.
July 4th: Six crew rescued by Irish and Scottish air sea rescue services when Donegal registered Radiant Way caught fire 40 miles north west of Malin Head.
June 6th: Francis Scanlon (38) of Clarecastle drowned during salmon fishing expedition in the Shannon estuary. His brother Anthony (35) survived.
May 2nd: Three fishermen feared lost when their vessel, the Alliance, sank off Co Cork return alive to Union Hall, having taken to their liferaft.
April 21st: Four crewmen on the Dithies of Rossaveal, Co Galway, rescued by another fishing vessel when their boat sank 17 miles off Doolin, Co Clare.
March 6th: Brothers Eugene McKevitt (39) and Ferghal McKevitt (34) drowned when their boat submerged during mussel harvesting trip in Carlingford Lough. One man, Seamus McCrum, survived.
March 1st: 15 crew rescued from a Spanish fishing vessel, the Asuncion Revierio, when it sank 20 miles south west of Valentia island, Co Kerry.
February 9th: Dominick Gallagher (26) of Dungloe, Co Donegal, swept overboard 25 miles, north of Tory island while his injured colleague was being airlifted from the vessel.
January 26th: A 20 year old fisherman from Skibbereen, Co Cork, missing and presumed drowned when his boat was found over turned near Kedge Rock off Skibbereen.
