Cobh branch of the O.N.E. Annual General Meeting

Cobh branch of the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel ( O.N.E. ). Held its annual general meeting in the Commodore Hotel Cobh on the 12^th. January 2012. The meeting was attended by the National President of O.N.E., Peter Byrne. On declaring the meeting open Chairman Tim Mc Cormack requested members to stand and observe a minutes silence in memory of deceased members.

National President Peter Byrne in his address wished members and their families a very happy 2012. Chairman Tim Mc Cormack thanked the members for their hard work, commitment and support during the year. Outgoing President Domhnall Mac Cárthaigh expressed his thanks to the members for choosing him as the Branch President for 2011. It was, he said, a great honour and he was proud to have served. He thoroughly enjoyed his year in office, he said, and wished his successor a very satisfying year in office.

Honorary Secretary, Michael Mc Carthy, gave a very comprehensive report of the principal branch activities during the year. Honorary Treasurer, Tim Mc Sweeney’s report showed the branch to be in a sound financial state.

National President, Peter Byrne, was requested by the Chairman to Chair the meeting during the election of officers for the coming year. The election resulted as follows: President, Jim Roche; Chairman, Tim Mc Cormack; Secretary, Michael Mc Carthy; Treasurer, Tim MC Sweeney; Assistant Secretary, Edmond Mc Carthy; Assistant Treasurer, Domhnall Mac Cárthaigh; Director of Ceremonial, Edmond Mc Carthy.

The new Branch President, Jim Roche, is a native of Harbour View, Wexford Town. He joined the Naval Service in 1954 and served until November 1977, retiring with the rank of Chief Petty Officer. The sea is in Jim’s blood, his Father Richard ( Dick ) . Served on the M.V. Kerlogue of Wexford Steamship Company. She was built in Rotterdam in Holland in 1939 and carried a crew of 11. She was regarded as the exemplar of neutral Irish ships during world war 11. She was very small, tonnage 335, length 43m. ( 142ft. ). She was attacked by both sides and rescued both sides. She was almost sunk by a German mine and was dive-bombed by the R.A.F.  She rescued the M.V. Wild Rose of Liverpool and her crew of 13 after she was attacked by German bombers two miles south of Tusker Rock. On December 29^th. 1943 on passage from Lisbon to Dublin with a cargo of oranges, in response to an “ SOS “ altered course. The German destroyer Z27 and Torpedo boats T25 and T26 had been sunk in the Bay of Biscay . The M.V. Kerlogue plucked 168 survivors from the water. Four died on board. The cargo of oranges saved the survivors from dehydration. Captain Thomas Donoghue ignored German request to bring them to Brest or La Rochelle and British Radio Orders to go to Fishguard . He berthed at Cobh on 1^st. January 1944. The rescued Germans remained at the Curragh internment camp until the war was over. Two are buiried in Glencree German War Cemetery. The M.V. Kerlogue was wrecked off Tromso in 1960.

Domhnall Mac Cárthaigh

P.R.O. Southern Area Council of O,N,E.