On December 7, 1940 the Dutch steamer Stolwijk ran aground off the coast of Donegal in hurricane force winds. The crew of the Arranmore lifeboat risked their lives to rescue 18 men in the worst weather conditions that locals can remember before or since.
The men involved rarely if ever spoke about that night. It was not their way to seek praise or indulge in self congratulation.
The RNLI, however, recognised their exceptional efforts with a gold medal for coxswain Jack Boyle and silver and bronze medals for his crew, this honour was replicated with medals from Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. This is one of only three stations in Ireland to receive this accolade.
The story of December 1940 was passed down through the generations and in 2015, Jerry Early decided that it was time these heroes were given a fitting tribute. Along with his cousin John Gallagher they composed a song dedicated to the memory of the crew and their actions that night, the resultant song entitled simply, ‘I’ll Go’ was released 75 years after the rescue.