Fundraisers to Mark 10th Anniversary of Buncrana Pier Tragedy

March 2026 will mark ten years since the Buncrana Pier tragedy, a night that forever changed one family and left an indelible mark on the wider community of Inishowen and Derry.

On 20 March 2016, five members of the McGrotty and Daniels families tragically lost their lives when their car slipped into the waters of Lough Swilly at Buncrana Pier. Those who died were Sean McGrotty (48), his two sons Mark (12) and Evan (8), his partner Louise James’ mother Ruth Daniels (57), and Louise’s sister Jodie Lee Daniels (14).

Miraculously, baby Rioghnach-Ann McGrotty, just four months old at the time, survived after Sean McGrotty, Rioghnach-Ann’s father, managed to hand baby Rioghnach-Ann out a window before the car in which the family was travelling became submerged in the water. 

Former Finn Harps player Davitt Walsh bravely entered the freezing water to rescue her. Rioghnach-Ann, the sole survivor from the tragedy, recently celebrated her tenth birthday.

At the heart of the tragedy is Louise James, who lost her two beautiful, playful sons, Mark and Evan, her beloved sister Jodie Lee, her mother and best friend Ruth, and her partner Sean, the father of her children. 

Louise wishes to express her heartfelt thanks to the emergency services who responded that night and worked tirelessly to bring her loved ones home, allowing them to be laid to rest with dignity. She remains forever thankful for the life of her daughter Rioghnach-Ann, whose survival has given her strength and purpose in the years since.

To honour the memory of her loved ones and to give back to the services who were there on that horrific night, Louise, supported by a dedicated committee, is organising a series of fundraising and remembrance events to mark the tenth anniversary.

The first event will be a 5K remembrance walk on Sunday, 22 March, beginning at 11am. The walk will start at the play park in Buncrana, where Mark, Evan, and Jodie were last seen playing, and will continue out towards Ned’s Point. Refreshments will be available afterwards at the Lough Swilly RNLI station.

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The cost to take part is £10 per person or £25 per family of four. Registration will be available on the day from 10.15am, or participants can contribute in advance.

This will be followed by a Gala Ball on Friday, May 8, at the Ebrington Hotel in Derry, to raise much-needed funds for the emergency services.

Louise is also currently writing a book in memory of her loved ones, sharing her deeply personal journey through grief, resilience, and hope. The book is scheduled for publication in 2026, with further details to be announced. The tenth anniversary will be a time of remembrance, gratitude, and celebration of lives that will never be forgotten.

Those wishing to donate to the fundraising campaign can do so via: In Memory of the Buncrana Pier Tragedy March 2016

For further information or queries, the committee can be contacted at: RememberMe.life05@gmail.com.