Tsunami, December 1942, Dunmanus Bay, Kilcrohane, Ahakista, West Cork, Devastates Remaining Seine Boats and evidence of earlier 1755 Tsunami uncovered in 1968 building of Barley Cove Hotel, Swimming Pool.
When the pool was being built the builder had to go down 18 feet to reach solid ground through sand. Atthe bottom they located an anchor.
Over a very short period a tsunami came in dried up the sea bed and then swept all in front including a umber of seine boats. The O’Mahony family ran a fishing business from Letter, in Kilcrohane, their seine boats were destroyed as were the sheds and ancillary equipment.
The tsunami extended as far in as Ahakist devestating any boats on the coast/
That fishery had been badly affected by the outbreak of war but the tsunami by breaking up the boats put another nail in its coffin.
The experience was witnessed by a local man then a youth who later became prominent.
It occurred at a point some 70 to 80 yards inland from the pier in Kilcrohane which was reached by a freak tide one winter when he was a teenager.
It occurred in 1755. It originated as the result of a huge earthquake on the seabed off the coast of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. It occurred on All Saints Day, the 1st. November, at about 9.40AM, when the churches were full of worshippers at Mass in the city.
Between 30,000 and 40,000 people died in Lisbon as a result of the earthquake, the resultant fires and the huge tsunami which followed. Most of the Atlantic coastline of North America and Europe, which included Ireland, was affected by the Tsunami. It is speculated that the sand dunes of Barley Cove originate from this.
West Cork History 
The heading was attractive, but the article was confusing, with little detail. Two separate tsunamis were mentioned, almost two centuries apart. After reading it, there were many questions but no answers.
Is it possible that the tsunami that was referred to as having occurred in the 1740s, was the one that actually occurred in 1755? It originated as the result of a huge earthquake on the seabed off the coast of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. It occurred on All Saints Day, the 1st. November, at about 9.40AM, when the churches were full of worshippers at mass in the city.
Between 30,000 and 40,000 people died in Lisbon as a result of the earthquake, the resultant fires and the huge tsunami which followed. Most of the Atlantic coastline of North America and Europe, which included Ireland, was affected by the Tsunami.
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It is a pity that there was no detail in this article. i recall my father pointing out to me a point some 70 to 80 yards inland from the pier in Kilcrohane which he said was reached by a freak tide one winter when he was a teenager. i suppose that was the ‘tsunami’ of 1942.
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There is a lot of unrecorded and untapped knowledge out there, which would be a goldmine for researchers.
This reminds me of some old African saying, which goes something like this: “every time an old person dies, a library is destroyed”.
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Yes, interesting but I am a bit befuddled! Perhaps a topic to explore again?
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Ditto = got a bit confused…
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