Mayo memories: Island doctor braved treacherous seas to get patient to hospital
By Tom Gillespie
A DRAMATIC sea crossing in open curraghs from Clare Island to the mainland, in a raging storm, 74 years ago this month, to convey a critically ill patient to hospital, was reported in The Connaught Telegraph on Saturday, January 12, 1952.
However, after battling the elements for two-and-a-half hours, the curraghs landed safely at Roonagh Point, only to find there was no ambulance waiting to take the ill patient to hospital.
Dr. M. McCrann, M.O., the Connaught reported, figured in one of the most dramatic sea incidents that took place in the vicinity of Clare Island for some time past when he braved the raging storm on New Year’s Day 1952 and escorted patient Miss Nora O’Malley, who was critically ill, to the mainland in a curragh, and had her conveyed to the County Hospital, Castlebar, just in the nick of time to be successfully operated on.
The story surrounding the incident told to a correspondent of The ConnaughT Telegraph was that on New Year’s morning, after returning home from Mass on the island, Miss Nora O’Malley became suddenly ill.
After some time the local medical officer, Dr. McCrann, was summoned and on examining her discovered that her condition was serious and that an immediate surgical operation was necessary.
At that stage one of the greatest gales that was ever experienced in this country was lashing the coast, and the doctor was left in the position that the only hope for the survival of his patient was by having her removed with the least possible delay to the mainland and conveyed to the County Hospital in Castlebar for an operation.
Disregarding their own personal safety, Dr. McCrann and the girl's two brothers made a quick decision to take the patient across the six miles of sea to Roonagh Point in the worst possible conditions ever experienced.
As the party prepared to set out with the patient in a curragh, which was the only type of boat available, a telegram was sent to Castlebar to have an ambulance standing by at Roonagh Harbour, where they proposed to land.
Eventually two curraghs left the island and set out on the perilous journey to the mainland.
As they left the shore a small group of islanders stood in a state of great suspense as they realised the great risk they were taking.
Dr. McCrann accompanied the patient in the curragh which was manned by the girl’s two brothers, and the second curragh was manned by Patrick Gallagher and two other islanders.
A battle against the raging sea and a terrible gale then took place and darkness had set in as they manoeuvred the boats into Roonagh Harbour, the six mile journey taking over two-and-a-half hours.
On arrival at Roonagh Point in darkness, and with a severe gale blowing accompanied by heavy rain, there was no ambulance standing by or nobody to greet the party.
The patient, who was well wrapped up in blankets, was left lying in the bottom of the boat while Dr. McCrann proceeded to Roonagh village on foot to phone for the ambulance.
In the meantime the other men lit a large fire as a signal to the islanders, who were still standing on the shore in a state of great anxiety for the safety of the party, that they had reached the mainland safely.
When the doctor got through on the phone to Castlebar to inquire why the ambulance was not standing by, he was informed that the telegram sent from the island had not been received.
The ambulance arrived at Roonagh Point in record time and the patient, Miss O’Malley, was conveyed to the County Hospital, where the operation was immediately performed, and she was making satisfactory progress.
Dr. McCrann and those who assisted him were to be highly complimented on their heroic action, the newspaper reported.
A native of Roscommon, Dr. McCrann was brother of Mrs. Thomas Cahill, Main Street, Castlebar.
HOUSE GUTTED
In the same edition of the Connaught, a report appeared on a house fire in Westport, headed ‘House gutted’.
It read: A fire which was discovered at noon on Thursday, January 10, 1952, gutted, in a short time, the dwelling house of Mr. James Moran, E.S.B. employee, the Quay, Westport.
Mr. Woods, of the Quay, ‘phoned the fire brigade, who, under chief Jack Corcoran, fought the fire for six hours, and one time, three members, including the chief, were in danger of being overcome by smoke while trying to take down the roof, which was of thatch, covered by galvanised iron.
The origin of the fire is a mystery as the house was unoccupied at the time it took fire.
Luckily there was a plentiful supply of water in the mains, as this enabled the brigade to save the house of the Downer family next door, and to save the furniture in Moran’s house.
The members of the brigade present were the chief and Messers. P. O’Donnell, T. Berry and Charles O’Malley (Jr.).
PILOTS REQUESTED INCREASE
Meanwhile, in the same month, pilots at Westport Harbour, employed by the Westport Harbour Commissioners, were seeking an increase on night work from £1 to £2.
A meeting in the Railway Hotel of the Commissioners, chaired by Mr. Charles O’Malley, and attended by members Messers. W. Murphy, P. Shanley, solr., Sean Malone, J. McBride, A. de Fleury and J. Mulloy, heard of the demand.
The secretary said the pilots got £1 extra for night duty.
Mr. Murphy said they were not in a position to encourage night work.
He added: “I propose we adjourn it. In their letter they state that other towns have got it, but they don’t mention the towns.”
The matter was adjourned so that the secretary could get in touch with Sligo and other shipping centres to see if the increase had been granted.”