Some of the information below is from a newspaper article around the time of the tragedy. Photos have been provided by the families and other sources.

Ted Carbery (Skipper )

The skipper of the ill-fated trawler “Carraig Una” was popular Mountmellick-born Ted Carbery (27) who married Anne Marie Boyle, of Meenmore, Dungloe, in 1973 whereupon he purchased the boat from his brother Denis and after getting his skipper’s ticket employed his own crew. He was a very successful fisherman and was in the process of building his own house opposite his father-in-law’s house where he lived since his marriage.
Ted and Anne Marie have one child and she is expecting another shortly.
On hearing of the disaster, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government, Mr. Oliver J. Flanagan, who is a native of Mountmellick, said he had only been talking to Mr. Carbery three weeks previously about planning permission for the new house. “He was an outstanding man and one of the most outstanding people to do the skipper training course. I am deeply saddened to learn the news. His parents have been personal friends of mine all my life.” he said.
Mr. Jim Lawlor of Portarlington, who is married to Ted’s sister, spoke about his brother-in-law’s love of the sea.

Ted’s body was recovered by a Garda diver, Tosh Lavery, on the first day of the search. Tosh describes finding the body in his book. This can be viewed here.

Anthony “Doalty” O’Donnell

Anthony “Doalty” O’Donnell (21) a native of Meenbanad, Dungloe, was the most unfortunate member of the crew of the Carraig Una. Up to the previous week he had fished with another boat “Mother’s Wish” but was approached by skipper, Ted Carbery, at the weekend to enlist as a crew member as one of his regulars, Eddie Baskin, was going to a wedding in Glasgow. His first voyage with the Carraig Una was to be his last.
“Doalty” as he was affectionately known, was a well known character in the Rosses and played with Keadue Rovers F.C. on occasions. He was a member of a local band up to a short time ago.
He is one of a family of seven and had three brothers and three sisters. His father, Joe, and mother, Mary, were grief stricken when they heard the sad news on Tuesday morning.
‘It’s a terrible tragedy to hit us all. I don’t know what we are going to do,” Mrs. O’Donnell said.

Doalty O’Donnell’s body was never recovered.

Micheál Coyle

Micheál Coyle (21), also a native of Meenmore, Dungloe, had only been fishing for three weeks when disaster struck. However, the sea life was not new to him as he had been working on an oil rig off the Scottish coast for the past three years.
The scene at his home on Wednesday was one of sadness and grief as his father, who works in the unemployment exchange in Letterkenny, said “Micheál was always a happy boy who loved life. He worked on an oil rig off the Scottish coast and earned $120 a week before he came back to fish.”
Micheál was a noted Bridge player and was a member of the Dungloe Bridge Club. He also played for Rosses Rovers GAA Club. This is the third member of the family to die within a year as Micheál’s uncle, Charlie Gillespie, took a sudden seizure and died in a boat at Braid, Kincasslagh last year and his grandmother was also laid to rest during the year.

Micheál Coyle’s body was never recovered.

Micheál Coyle with his mother Mary

John Boyle

John Boyle (18) of Meenmore, Dungloe, was a brother-in-law of skipper Ted Carbery and lived in the family residence in Meenmore. He was a son of Patrick (Pa Sonny) and Teresa Boyle and is a member of three of a family. He had been fishing since he left school and was a popular member of the Dungloe Community.

John had just turned 18 on the 13th of October that year. John’s was the second , and final, body to be recovered; almost 6 weeks after the tragedy.

“Johnny Mc Callig skipper of the 75ft trawler ‘Marie Angelique’ was in Donegal Bay on the 7th January 1977 searching for a net that he lost, one of his crew the late Conal Ban Gallagher RIP was on the deck & saw something floating in the distance, so they steamed towards it, they saw it was a body but their boat was too high to try to take it on board as they were afraid that the body could break so Johnny called the late Patsy Gallagher RIP Skipper of the 65ft ‘Loradon’ on the radio to steam to the location. The body had been floating and disappearing in the heavy swell, when the ‘Loradon’ came alongside the sea settled and the crew were able to lift the body on board on a blanket. The body was brought to Bruach Na Mara, Killybegs where the late Pa Sonny Boyle RIP identified it from dental records as his only son John Boyle RIP. The family were very thankful that after 45 days in the rough seas that John’s body was recovered and they had a grave to visit in the family plot in ‘Cille Bride’ Cemetery on Cruit Island.” – Ann Marie Carbery

Anthony McLaughlin

Anthony McLaughlin (19) was a native of Glengad, Malin, Co. Donegal. He came to Burtonport last year to take up fishing as a livelihood and immediately joined the Carraig Una’s crew. He lived with his grandmother in Glengad before coming to Burtonport.

Anthony McLaughlin’s body was never recovered.