It was a proud day, a lump-in-the-throat kind of occasion, a day for remembering. The bitter cold down on Dublin's City Quay made us think of the days they must have spent at sea. The rolling waves, the lift and fall of a ship as it ploughed through dangerous seas. Down on the River Liffey we could imagine how it might have felt out on open water during the war.
We had come to honour all those seafaring men who served on board Irish-registered vessels during the Emergency. After a wreath was laid at the National Irish Merchant Seamen's Memorial, it was up to Dublin Castle to hear a roll-call of those who had served.
We all thought of the men who had died at sea, of the men who were lost at sea, and the men who had come home after working on merchant ships during those dangerous times. They had kept the supply lines open during the second World War. No-one at Government level had ever said well done. No-one had ever said they were brave. Most of them are gone now but they'd served, they'd been brave, they'd been true. Many of us shed a few tears.
Merchant seamen
My grandfather, Joseph Walsh, who was a harbour pilot in Passage East, Co Waterford, had served on the Irish Fir and the Irish Willow during the war. He went to sea along with hundreds of others to work as a merchant seaman. To the men who joined the Irish merchant fleet, it was a matter of earning a living, as much as doing their duty.
My grandfather wanted to supplement his income, which had dropped considerably with the outbreak of war. He and others helped to keep the system running, the channels open. They helped to keep the Irish economy afloat in a real sense, bringing goods in and out. He was among those who was honoured posthumously in Dublin Castle last winter.
A total of 31 men were honoured on that particular day last November. Many of the families who attended came from the coastline counties of Wexford, Waterford and Cork. Those men who are still living came to receive their valour medal and certificate also, which were presented by Hugh Byrne, the Minister of State at the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources.
My grandfather's certificate and medal of valour were collected by my mother, his eldest child, Ena Foley (nee Walsh). She beamed with pride and walked bravely up to collect her father's awards. The Minister, who comes from a fishing area near the Hooke lighthouse at the mouth of the Suir Estuary, spoke graciously and from the heart to each individual who went up to collect an award. "Keeping the supply lines open during the second World War greatly helped to minimise the sacrifice our people had to endure in those times, something we must never forget," he said.
"Although over 60 years have passed since the beginning of that troubled period, the debt of gratitude we owe to these brave men, over 150 of whom made the ultimate sacrifice in carrying out their duties, must never be forgotten."
Many of the 150 men who died during the war are probably entitled to posthumous awards which remain unclaimed, he said.
"All the men should feel rightly proud of their service, as should you the many other relatives here today who will accept awards on behalf of loved ones who were lost at sea or are since deceased."
Government's thank you
That day in November was the time for the Government to say thank you, he said. According to one historian, Capt Frank Ford, within a few days of the outbreak of war there was a massive exodus from the Irish register and we were left with only 56 ships. Finding suitably qualified personnel to serve was a problem but Irishmen came forward, glad to serve and the manning shortage was overcome.
Eight men were present to claim their awards in Dublin Castle. They were Desmond Branigan, John Clarke, John Gaul, Edward J. Johnston, Thomas Kelly, Stephen O'Reilly and brothers James and Richard Nugent.
After the presentations, we gathered outside to hear the Artane Boys Band play the Last Post. A special day to remember men who had served. We studied each other as the day wore away, looking for the giveaway seafaring signs, the links that hint at lives which are connected to the sea. The telltale signs which are evident in families who are tied over generations to the sea: the jaunty, rolling walk, the short back and sides, the upright back, the ruddy cheeks, the rough-hewn hands, the far-away blue light in the eyes.
Ancient mariners have a world of wisdom in their bearing, and their families recognise that. The bond between the wives, mothers, daughters, brothers, sons and nephews of Irish seamen is not obvious, but it is there and that day at the castle brought it to mind.
We all shared a knowledge of the days away at sea, the nights of worry, the lost lives, the stories of tragedies at sea, images of the boats at sea, the long hours waiting, bombs dropped during the war years, letters written and never delivered. Ireland's seafaring tradition is a long and proud one, Mr Byrne reminded us. "As an island nation our reliance on the sea as a means of trade is enormous.
Dependence on sea
"Our dependence on those who work at sea cannot be overstated. At the best of times a seafarer's occupation can be hazardous, often exposed to treacherous conditions. When this task is further complicated by the perils of war, we can begin to realise the extent of the bravery of those who served on board Irish vessels at that time."
The minister also encouraged relatives, next of kin and seafarers themselves to come forward and claim any honours due. The department's Mercantile Marine Offices in Dublin and Cork, he says, will be only too happy to assist claimants or people acting on behalf of others with their inquiries.