Fenit, Co. Kerry, and Galway Bay, Co.

Galway.—In the early morning of the 15th of August, 1949, an air liner from Rome, calling at Shannon Airport on its way to America, made a forced landing on the sea west of Kilkee in Galway Bay. The Civic Guard informed the Fenit life-boat station, and the life-boat Peter and Sarah Blake was launched at six o'clock. A south-westerly breeze was blowing with a moderate sea. The life-boat reached the position at 9.15 and found that survivors and bodies had already been picked up by the British trawler Stalberg and the Lim- erick steamer Lanahrone. The life- boat set course for home, but when four miles north-east of Loop Head met an airport launch. She was searching for another launch, with a crew of five, which had broken down. The life-boat joined in the search, found the dis- abled launch near the high cliffs of Clare and towed her to Kilbaha. She arrived back at her station at half past four in the afternoon. News of the aeroplane's forced landing was a1 so sent to the Aran Islands, ana the Galway Bay life-boat K.E.C.F. was launched at eleven o'clock just as the Stalberg, with rescued aboard, was approaching.

As the Stalberg was taking them to the mainland a member of the life-boat's crew went on board to pilot her to Galway. The life-boat then joined in a search for persons who were missing from the aeroplane and searched for several hours, but she found only pieces of wreckage. She arrived back at her station at six in the evening.

Of the fifty-eight passengers and crew in the aeroplane nine were lost.— Rewards: Fenit £17 2s.; Galway Bay, £13 17*. 6d..