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The Devaneys of Sligo have sea in their blood.

The strength of family tradition and its influence to guide its adherents along a definite pathway of life is in the Devaney family of Rosses Point, Co. Sligo, which boasts of five mariners in a family of eight – six sons and two daughters.

          Born to the sea and encouraged by a sea-faring father, who was a master of his art, five sons went to sea and are now either in command or walking the bridge as Chief Officers.

          This is the age of records but the Devaney family holds a unique position in the maritime lore of the country of the present day. The sons of Capt. John Frances (Frank) Devaney, a master mariner are, except for the junior member of the sextet, currently sailing in ships plying between Irish and British ports.

          My story of the family comes from Capt. Michael Devaney, the 34-year-old Master of the Caltex Whitegate, and most of it was obtained after breaking down a mariner’s natural reserve to figure in the limelight.

          The eldest son, John, is master of tee B & I ocean vessel Wicklow. Then comes James, Chief Officer of the Irish Larch. Michael is next in line, and the fourth member Paddy is Chief Officer on the Hadrian Coast (she went aground on a sandbank in Cork Harbour during the storm of last week)

          The junior member is Vincent and he is a Chief Officer in the fleet of Stephenson & Clarke of London. The sixth son, Thomas, never went to sea. He is employed by Goulding Fertilisers.  

Michael told me that he first went to sea with the Limerick Steamship Co. 22 tears ago, sailing between Irish & British ports and getting his Masters Certificate in 1954. From that time he served aboard cargo vessels and tankers until he joined Celtex Tankers in 1959. He describes the Whitegate - Dublin trip as most fascinating and says he has no wish to change.

Taken from the Irish Independent Cir 1964