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Irish Examiner
21-06-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Air India Flight 182: Cork photographer recalls taking iconic image of 1985 bombing tragedy
One of the most poignant photographs ever printed on the front page of this publication was that of the lines of dead bodies in the temporary morgue set up in Cork for the victims of Air India flight 182. A bomb placed on board the flight by militants exploded off the Kerry/West Cork coast on June 23, 1985, with the plane plunging into the Atlantic. Forty years on, photographer Denis Minihane can still recall second by second the lead-up to snapping that iconic photograph, which also showed a group of medics gathered in the background of the image. Now retired after spending 47 years as a press photographer, the then 26-year-old snapper had been looking forward to a busy afternoon shooting sports photos in Thurles for two Munster hurling games. HISTORY HUB If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading But when news broke of the horror air disaster off the west Cork coast, Denis' day took a different turn. He was not to know it as he returned from Thurles to the offices of the Cork Examiner on Academy Street in Cork city centre but his image would become synonymous with the tragedy unfolding in the sea off West Cork. Denis's image from the temporary mortuary set up in the then Cork Regional Hospital was syndicated across the world, and was featured in the New York magazine, Life, which was very influential at the time. Former Irish Examiner photographer Denis Minihane's picture of the remains of victims from the Air India Flight 182 air disaster on June 23, 1985, in a temporary morgue at Cork Regional Hospital (now Cork University Hospital). The world exclusive photograph taken through a window was published in newspapers and magazines all over the world including LIFE magazine and won a news picture of the year award the following year. Photo: Denis Minihane Looking back, the Skibbereen-born photographer said: 'It was the most significant photograph I took in my career really. Sadly it was one of a disaster. Such is life.' Denis retired last year and recalls entering the photographic trade after seeing his father Michael work as a photographer with the then Cork Examiner. After his Leaving Certificate, Denis entered the dark room in the Cork Examiner in October 1976, not knowing that one of the most iconic images of Irish press photography history would his. He recalls: 'On the morning of the 23rd of June 1985, I was marked to go to Thurles to cover two Munster hurling championship games and the 11 o'clock news came on on RTÉ Radio 1 and it said that Air India flight 182 had gone down off the Irish coast. "So we came back to Cork and parked the car and came into the office and it was rather difficult to get into the photographic department because it was packed with photographers who had arrived in Cork from different countries around the world.' He says of himself that he was just a 'young fella' at the time, aged 26. Forty years on, photographer Denis Minihane can still recall second by second the lead-up to snapping that iconic photograph. Picture: Chani Anderson He continues: 'I went out and attended the press conference (at the Regional Hospital) and there was a huge gathering of photographers and camera crews at it. I managed, through enquiries, to find out where the remains of the people taken from the wreckage were being kept and it was a temporary morgue that was set up in the gymnasium. "I got as far as the door and I obviously was not able to get any further so I went around the back of the building and I could see that there was a very high window. "But it was just down to my level so I could just about see in and didn't know if I could get a photograph or not because there was a very high thick net curtain, full length, inside the window, down on to the window sill. "So I could barely see into the room. I was by the window for quite a while and it was getting late in the evening. It must have been 10.30pm, may be 10.30/11 o'clock at night and I saw someone coming towards the window with a ladder and I move, I step back around the side of the building. I thought I had been seen but obviously I hadn't because what it was was that somebody had gone up and opened the window to let some air in to the building. Seeing his chance, Denis decided to have another attempt at seeing into the mortuary and recalls: 'That's how I had a gap of maybe two inches to get the photograph through and I managed to get a few frames.' But even then, he didn't know if his attempt was successful, in a time when photography took more patience than today. He explains: 'In those days, you had to come back to the office and process so I didn't know whether I had a photograph or not and it was a nervous seven or eight minutes developing the film – an anxious wait. Anxious also because it was also an upsetting scene that I had seen. It was a poignant scene.' He recalls seeing the images develop and night editor Liam Moher writing the caption for his now famous image, which included the words 'world exclusive picture'. He says: 'I just didn't understand the significance of it I suppose. It was over my head. I had done what I had done because it was my job and he had asked me to go and do it but I didn't realise how significant the picture was going to be in the following days and years afterwards.' He is mindful of the pain and suffering of the families and friends of those who were lost in the Air India disaster. He continues: Looking back at the photograph now, it evokes memories of that awfully sad day and my heart still goes out to the families and friends of all those people who died so tragically in that awful disaster when the bomb exploded off the Irish coast. The flight was due to stop over in London's Heathrow before travelling to India for stops in Delhi and Mumbai. Passengers were primarily from Canada, but others on board came from India and Britain, as well as other countries. More than 80 of them were children. Two men accused of murder and conspiracy relating to the crash were found not guilty in March 2005. It was alleged that the bombing was plotted by Sikh extremists in Canada as revenge on India for its storming of Sikhism's Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984. Read More A selection of images chosen by the Irish Examiner picture desk
Irish Examiner
08-06-2025
- Science
- Irish Examiner
Birds of Ireland: Coot
Coot | Cearc cheannann | Fulica atra A coot is about 36-40cm long with a wingspan of 70-80cm. They are a common breeding species found here all year round — typically on wetlands. Smaller than a mallard, both sexes appear similar. Coots can dive quite well. Birds of Ireland: coot An adult coot has a conspicuous white beak and forehead shield; black plumage; dark red eye; and large, lobed green-grey feet. Juvenile coots are paler than adults, especially on the head, neck and breast. Similar to a young moorhen but they lack white on the undertail; downy chicks dark brown with an orange-red head. A coot in its first winter after hatching looks like an adult but has a smaller forehead shield and a grey tinge to the beak. In flight coots appear all dark with narrow, white trailing edge to the secondaries. Their voice sounds include a loud short krouw, repeated mechanically, with several intermittent brief high-pitched nasal whistles. Coots skipping across the Lough in Cork. Picture: Denis Minihane Tip of the Week: Binoculars, telescopes and cameras are some of the important tools a birdwatcher uses when identifying and studying birds. Like cars, they range from the very cheap and nasty, via the practical and reliable 'value for money' models, right up to incredibly expensive equipment which sometimes functions mainly as a status symbol. If you do your homework before choosing, you can get a pair of binoculars and/or a telescope that will last you a lifetime, for less than the price of a weekend away. When it comes to birdwatching, a pair of binoculars should definitely be the next purchase after your identification guide and notebook. Birds have an unfortunate habit of flying away if you get too close. This can be thought of as part of the challenge, or sometimes the frustration, of birdwatching. The more interested you become in birds and their identification the more apparent it will be that, to learn more about them, you will need to get a closer look, and binoculars are essential to do this without disturbing them. Birds of Ireland: A field guide By Jim Wilson, with photographs by Mark Carmody Read More Birds of Ireland: Swallow
Irish Examiner
26-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
'Ireland needs fresh strategy to protect its extensive maritime area'
Ireland needs to have proper strategies and capabilities in place to protect its maritime area because of its sheer size — seven times its landmass — and the growing commercial activity in it, according to a report. It said government officials in affected countries such as Ireland 'need to understand the potential cascading effects' of ruptures to subsea cables on their critical national infrastructure. Roles and responsibilities across defence, law enforcement, diplomacy, and industry need to be clarified in responding to events, it added. It pointed out that there was still a 'big disconnect' between what national policies say and the ability of a country's agencies to respond if a cable, or cables, are damaged — whether accidentally or deliberately. The report highlights the potential benefits of modern sensors to show what is happening near seafloor infrastructures and to detect damage to cables— although it said these technologies raise legal and regulatory issues. The report is based on the presentations and views of a wide range of experts at a conference held at Valentia Island Transatlantic Cable Station in Co Kerry. The symposium, entitled 'Subsea Cable Security and Resilience', attracted notable Irish and international speakers from industry, academia, and Government. The report said that a 'greater number' of activities are now taking place in the oceans, including subsea cable operations; fishing, deep seabed mining; and oil, gas, and offshore wind infrastructure. A map provided by Infomar showing the large scale of the country's maritime area. Ireland's national seabed mapping programme, Infomar is run jointly by Geological Survey Ireland and the Marine Institute. Picture: Infomar The report said: 'For countries like Ireland that have a maritime domain seven times its landmass and with a lot of diverse activity on and in its waters, having the right strategies, capabilities, and domain awareness is key, as is participating in strategically important projects relevant to CUI [critical underwater infrastructure] protection within the EU and, where applicable, through its Individually Tailored Partnership Programme with Nato.' It said that around 80% of subsea cable breakages result from fishing and anchoring. However, it did point out that the use of commercial vessels — such as trawlers — to deliberately cut cables or other infrastructure by dropping their anchors, could by used by malicious states. It said that any such behaviour is 'very difficult' to attribute to such states. Ireland's maritime area is seven times the size of its landmass. File picture: Denis Minihane The report said: 'State-backed sabotage and espionage at sea, at cable landing stations, or at terrestrial points of presence have remained persistent threats, even if technological developments are making some of these activities more difficult. It is also possible for malicious state or non-state actors to target the subsea cable network without fully understanding the fallout from their actions. Government officials need to understand the potential cascading effects — whether significant or not — of downed cables on their national infrastructure. The report said it was 'important to clarify the roles and responsibilities' across defence, law enforcement, diplomacy, and industry in terms of national preparedness. 'Regardless of developments under way, there is still a big disconnect between state national policy aims and direction, and the ability to respond with the right capabilities,' the report stated. It said that advances in sensing technologies — many of which use the fibres in the fibre optic cables — can be used for environmental monitoring, disaster early warning and 'situational awareness' (a military term for knowing what it going on in an area). The report said situational awareness would be a combination of these sensory technologies with other monitoring tools, such as AIS (automatic tracking system for vessels), radar, satellite, and submersibles, which together could provide a 'relatively reliable picture of what is happening under the ocean and close to critical infrastructure'. It said that industry needed a regulatory framework that was predictable and streamlined.
