In late February the Parish Hall Committee and Donabate Portrane Historical Society came together to put on a two-day event commemorating the Tayleur Tragedy. In the afternoon of Day 1, we had Music with Sea Songs by Gerry & the Plonkers with Tea and sambos organised by the Parish Hall Committee. In the evening, the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr. Adrian Henchy, opened the event with the lighting of a candle, in remembrance of those lost on the Tayleur. Then Stephen Rae very kindly narrated an eye-witness account from a book written shortly after the tragedy. After this Edward Burke, author of “Bound for Australia”, gave an informative talk on The Tayleur and Laddie De Jong told tales about diving on the shipwreck with Myles Dockrell. Breda Dockrell opened the night and Peader Bates closed it after Willie Cahill sang a few songs of the sea.On Day 2, the Senior Classes in the local primary schools came to a short play co-written and performed by Shona O’Donohoe and Áine Dileen, ‘The Tragedy of the Tayleur 1854’. Áine’s daughter, Ana, played Peggy a young girl emigrating, while Shona’s son Fiach was the ‘Ocean Child’ who was rescued from the ship by a Frenchman played by Jim O Donohoe and given to Jane Dockrell played by Breda Dockrell. Fiach is a direct descendant of Jane’s mother Elizabeth, an amazing connection. Joe Pryme told some diving stories and demonstrated the use of diving equipment. While Edmund showed how the compass baring could be altered by an iron object and Laddie told some tales of diving on the Tayleur. In the evening, Cormac Lowth gave a great talk on the Ships half-model which he had with him from the National Museum. The film ‘A Night to Remember’, based on the Titanic Shipwreck, was shown. There was an exhibition of artefacts on display for the two days; including a bottle of wine! brought up from the wreck by the diver Paul Fogarty. All in all, it was a great two days of history brought to life, involving young and old in the community. Thanks again to all the people who made it such a remembrance of such a sad time.