The Donegal Tunnel Tigers Committee has put a call out for names of deceased tunnel workers to be commemorated on a new memorial.
Plans are underway this year to construct a memorial in the new chapel grounds in Dungloe for all local workers who died in tunnelling accidents.
Generations of Irish emigrants have worked in tunnels across the UK and other parts of the world for decades, from digging the hydro dams in the north of Scotland, to the Channel tunnel and beyond. Some paid the ultimate price by losing their lives in accidents. Thousands of others passed away from tunnel-related illnesses, who will also be remembered in the project.
A local committee was formed in West Donegal last year to launch plans to honour deceased Donegal miners. Three tenders were received for the creation of a monument, which was eventually awarded to McGhee Memorials.
The project is expected to take five months to complete and will be funded by contractors in London.
In the meantime, the committee is calling for families to submit the names of former Tunnel Tigers to be memorialised.
Chairman Hugh Rodgers has said permission to add names to the memorial can only be obtained from living family members. If there are no living relatives then their names can still be put forward for consideration.
It is hoped that, when completed, the memorial would be a key attraction highlighting an important part of history for many emigrant workers.
The official unveiling of the memorial is scheduled for 7th August 2019. It will be followed by a Dinner Dance in the Waterfront Hotel Dungloe, where all former workers and families are welcome to gather for a grand reunion.
If you would like to have a miner or Tunnel Tiger’s name inscribed on the monument please contact: @DonegalTunnelTigers either on their Facebook page search ‘Donegal Tunnel Tigers’, call them on (00353) 087 0550008 or email them at – donegaltunneltigers@gmail.com