Mary Fanning tells the story of an extraordinary crash landing
The sixties are remembered for a lot of momentous events but in Dunmore in North County Galway, the crash landing of an Ecuadorian, Canberra jet bomber plane in a field just outside the town in 1962, has remained ingrained in their history and was celebrated earlier this year on its 60th anniversary. The three exotic pilots were unscathed in this dramatic landing and their welfare embraced by the locals.
The aftermath of the events, following the crash, was captured by local cinematographer, Jim Finnegan and his footage gives a rare insight into Ireland of the time! It also shows the dismantling of the plane before it was transported to the RAF base in Derry by lorries causing quite a stir in the towns it passed through.
Many of those who witnessed the crash and remember the three weeks that followed when the town became the centre of world media attention, contributed memorabilia, photographs and their personal stories of a nostalgic time when unbreakable links were forged between the South American air force and the West of Ireland Town.
Mary Fanning took a step back in time.
