This article is from page 36 of the 2007-05-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 36 JPG
in the Quilty Tavern at 9pm on May 5 will go towards a commemorative weekend for the last week in Sep-
tember.
PJ, who plays and tours with Séa- mus Shannon, said that the heroic rescue of the crew of French ship Leon XIII in October 1907 had in- spired generations.
“In a huge storm, the ship got stuck in a reef off the coast of Quilty and all rescue attempts failed. So the fishermen of Quilty had a go at it and they rescued them. It was the talk of the world and people came from everywhere to see and meet
them. Money donated at the time was later used to build the Star of the Sea Church.”
He added that reaction to the song, which has been played on Clare FM and is on sale locally and in Ennis, has been very positive.
“I did a lot of research when I wrote the song last January and it tells the proper story of what happened. It was very much a local job and we re- corded it in Malbay Studios. People seem to like it anyway. The launch
will have well-known guests like Kitty Hayes and David Culligan and maybe a surprise or two.”
PJ, originally from Mullagh, said that plans for the commemoration weekend and possibly a dedicatory plaque have not been finalised but there is already some interest in the event.
“Lots of the ancestors of the fish- ermen are still around. We are even expecting people to come home from abroad for it,” he said.