Eight fishermen from the Claddagh area lost their lives while sailing on Galway Bay, near Kilcolgan. These men (Patrick Folan, Patrick Burns, Patrick McDonagh, John Barrett, Michael Burke, Michael Dwyer and Stephen Hynes) when journeying home from a wedding across the bay tragically lost their lives when a squall capsized their boat within sight of their destination. Many people witnessed this terrible event but were unable to reach the men. One man, Patrick Walsh, managed to make it ashore but died of exhaustion.

Photo: Opposite St. Mary’s Church in the Claddagh is a modern monument erected in memory of the Claddagh fishermen. The monument is engraved: I lint De go gcastar sinn “In the lines of God may we be entwined.”