Roonagh Pier where the incident occured on December 20, pictured on Sunday at low tide.AN accident involving a passenger ferry at Roonagh Pier, Louisburgh, just before Christmas has led to demands for proper navigation lighting at the regularly storm-tossed location.
The 'Pirate Queen', owned by the O'Grady family from Clare Island, is still out of service following the incident on the evening of December 20 when it ploughed onto a rock while conveying a small number of passengers from Inishturk Island to the mainland for Christmas shopping.
The vessel is undergoing repairs in Co. Donegal at the moment.
Passengers and crew of the 'Pirate Queen' endured a number of 'scary moments' before their 96-seater vessel berthed safely.
The manager of Clare Island Development Company, Mr. Donal O'Shea, has blamed 'the unsatisfactory situation as regards navigation lighting' at Roonagh Pier, for what he claims could have been a serious emergency.
”Let's face it, there could have been a tragedy,” he stated.

”The navigation lights at the pier are sometimes working, often not,” he added.
Mr. O'Shea continued: “It's time decisive action was taken on the lighting situation.”
Since the incident evening boat passengers from Inishturk have been leaving 40 minutes earlier so that some natural daylight remains when they arrive at their destination.
”But for the grace of God, there could have been a very serious accident in December,” Mr. O'Shea stated.
”Emergencies in the past week such as the sinking of the trawler at Glandore in Cork and the cruise liner sinking off the Italian coast reminds us that tragedy is always around, waiting to happen,” he continued.
Mr. Chris O'Grady of Clare Island Ferry Company wasn't available for comment yesterday (Monday) on the incident involving 'The Pirate Queen'. He is understood to be out of the country on holidays.