One of the worst maritime tragedies in Irish history will be remembered this week with a special Mass in west Cork to commemorate of the 25th anniversary of those who lost their lives.
Over 50 people perished when an oil tanker, the Betelgeuse, exploded in Bantry Bay on the night of January 8th, 1979, killing all on board.
The maritime tragedy was a deadly blow for the west Cork town of Bantry, which had experienced a boom in the late 1960s with the arrival of Gulf Oil and the establishment of the terminal on Whiddy Island.
The Betelgeuse was originally scheduled to travel from the Persian Gulf to Portugal but was forced to divert to Whiddy Island.
The tanker was discharging 220,000 tonnes of fuel oil at the Whiddy oil jetty when an explosion rocked the terminal.
The force of the explosion was heard 25 miles away. Most of the casualties were French seamen, but local oil workers, as well as an Englishman, also perished in the disaster.
Relatives of the victims of the disaster have travelled to west Cork over the years to gather at Abbey cemetery, where a stone cross stands as a memorial.
The Mass to commemorate the 51 victims will be held this Thursday at 10 a.m. in St Finbarr's church in Bantry.