40th anniversary of the Air India tragedy
Families of the victims joined dignitaries, and the wider community to mark the 40th anniversary of the Air India tragedy at the Ahakista Memorial in West Cork.
On June 23, 1985, 329 lives were lost when Air India Flight 182 was brought down off the coast of Cork in what remains the worst aviation disaster in Irish and Canadian history. The annual commemoration serves as a solemn tribute to those who perished and as a reminder of the enduring bonds between Ireland, Canada and India.
This year’s ceremony began at the memorial monument with a minute of silence, followed by a moving tribute from the families of the victims through chanting and readings from Christian and Hindu representatives.
Family members then laid wreaths, alongside the Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Joe Carroll; Taoiseach Micheál Martin; the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Canadian Minister of Public Safety; Mr Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India; representatives from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; the Naval Service; An Garda Síochána; and members of the local community.
His Excellency Akhilesh Mishra, Indian Ambassador to Ireland; His Excellency Dennis King, Canadian Ambassador to Ireland; Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development, Jerry Buttimer TD, Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Moira Murrell; and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations in New York, Bob Rae were also in attendance.
Speaking at the event, Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Joe Carroll said: “Today, we come together to remember those whose lives were so tragically cut short and to stand in solidarity with their families. This memorial in Ahakista is a symbol of our community’s commitment to honouring their memory and ensuring that their loss is never forgotten.”
Taoiseach, Micheál Martin said: “Forty years on, we remember the 329 innocent lives lost in the skies above Ireland. Today, we gather in solidarity with the families of those who were aboard Air India Flight 182. While we are brought together in sadness on this occasion, we also recognise the deep bonds of friendship that have grown between our communities and nations.”
Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Moira Murrell, added: “Cork County Council is honoured to continue supporting this memorial, which holds such significance for families, friends, and communities on both sides of the Atlantic.
“Is le mothú domhain sollúntachta agus le machnaimh a dhéanaimid onóir dóibh siúd a fuair bás, agus dóibh siúd ar athraíodh a saol go deo ag an tragóid seo. Go bhfaighe siad síocháin agus sólás.”
A letter of thanks to the compassionate people of Cork
This is a letter from Lorna Kelly who lost her mother in the Air India bombing in 1985.
“My mother, Barsa Kelly, was aboard the downed airplane. The anxiety of not knowing what to expect, combined with our terrible grief, was almost intolerable.
The compassion, sympathy and support that we received from the moment we arrived in Cork somehow made our ordeal more bearable. The people of Cork made us feel as if it was their tragedy as well as ours.
We were met by two wonderful ladies when we landed, a nurse and a sister - we think their names were Geraldine and Lorna. We met Garda Donal McCarthy at the then Cork Regional Hospital, and we will be forever indebted to him for his kindness and patience. His gentle way was a crutch for us. He later phoned us at the hotel to say how glad he was we had found my mother. We were extremely touched by this gesture.
We are also indebted to Donal Cullinane and Dan Lordan who went above and beyond their required duty to help us. Without their keen observation regarding the matching of the identification forms, we would not have found mom.
With their kind manner they made sure we were never rushed, yet everything they did was concise and professional.
We would like once again to thank the staffs of the Imperial Hotel and of what’s now Cork University Hospital, as well as the taxi drivers who refused to let us pay them.
Not a person at the hospital passed me without asking if I needed something or just wordlessly put an arm around me.
The death of my mother will scar us forever, but we will always remember the exceptional kindness with which we were treated by the people of Cork.
We have never encountered kinder souls.”