World War 2 Memories from Moville
The BBC did a series a while back called WW2 People’s War.
They had several accounts from people from Moville about their memories of the war.
Here are some of them:-
Bumboats at Moville, Donegal
This story is taken from an interview with Anthony McMonagle & Sonny Fiorentini
Charlie McCann’s boyhood memories of Greencastle, Donegal
Charlie Mc Cann’s father was a sea pilot who guided the ships up into the quay in Derry from Donegal.Charlie lived in Greencastle and saw planes crash and ships anchored at Moville in the Irish Free state even though Ireland was neutral.
The ‘British Lady’ Tanker at Moville
Unknown. Poem written by crew member on British Lady identity unknown.
(The British Lady tanker was docked at Moville – the ships coming out of Derry to cross the Atlantic,escort ships and merchant ships alike filled up in Moville even though it was over the border in Irish Neutral territory.)
Memories of a Bumboater in Moville
As told by George Clarke.
Patsy Gillen’s Memories of Moville, Donegal
Another night we were up at a concert in the wee Protestant hall and it was hosted by Lady Montgomery and the officers and men from the ships were in it, they were the artistes that night. And during it the Guards arrived.
The Story of the British Lady Oil Tanker by JJ Keaveney
JJ Keavney lived in Moville as a boy and remembers the British Lady tanker and the lively atmosphere in the town during the war years or as it was called in Eire ‘ The Emergency’ as the 26 counties were neutral. The poem about the tanker written by one of the crew was given to him and based on this and his memories and research he has written the following.
Living in Donegal, Working in Derry
By Dan Gillespie.
Stroove is in Donegal, Eire. It is located on the south-eastern side of the Inishowen Peninsula, just outside the passage that enters into Lough Foyle.
A Boy’s Own Story of Donegal During the War
By John McLaughlin.
From what I can remember about Carromenagh in the war years there was no oil so therefore there were no lights in the houses, just a few candles.