Vin Mahon 09.11.20 -09.05.79
Vin was the 8th child of Joseph Senior and the 6th of Minnie Montague. He trained as a Radio officer in Hull, Yorkshire and went to work on the SS Canberra on the P&O line. At the outbreak of war he joined the Merchant Navy as did his brothers Jim and Don. After being torpedoed numerous times he joined the Trans Atlantic Sea Plane base in Co. Clare where he was one of the first to guide the fledgling flying boat service from the USA to Shannon. He came back to Irvinestown in the 1950's to run the family Hotel and Farm. Vin married twice. His first wife, Maisie Garety died of a brain haemorrhage in 1963 at 38 and he married Maureen Kearns. He had 4 children, 3 of whom run the hotel today. Vin never spoke of his days in the Merchant Navy although his brothers and sisters recalled his experiences below. He always had a great interest in Flying Boats, new technology and Industrial Heritage, building up a collection of artefacts in the Hotel when many others were throwing it out. He could type faster with 2 fingers than many with 10 due to his Morse code training. He started up the highly successful Lady of the Lake festival in Irvinestown in 1978 which is continued by his children today.
Click on the youtube link to Malachy and Nora talking about Vin's war experiences to the left below the photo. |