The 2026 edition of Falling Stars, by Irish author and aviation researcher Peter McGarry, marks the third major update to what has quickly become a cornerstone work on Shannon Airport’s aviation history. First published in 2024, Falling Stars set out to document the many air crashes linked to Shannon and Ireland’s west coast during the golden age of transatlantic flight. The 2025 edition expanded on that foundation with two major new chapters covering the Transocean Air Lines ditching of 1949 in Galway Bay and the Flying Tiger Line ditching of 1962 in the North Atlantic. Now, the 2026 edition brings further groundbreaking material – drawn from new interviews, family archives, and international research – that adds remarkable depth and humanity to the historical record.
During the spring and summer of 2025, McGarry met with families, survivors, and researchers whose connections to these air disasters have helped uncover new layers of understanding. Among the most notable visits was that of Lissa Merillat, granddaughter of Pan Am Flight 1-10 passenger Frank Jakel, who died when the Empress of the Skies Constellation crashed at Shannon in April 1948. Her visit brought a personal and emotional perspective to one of Shannon’s earliest and most tragic aviation events.
McGarry also welcomed members of the Reiner (Buchinger) family, who lost half their number in the Alitalia Flight 618 disaster of February 1960. Their time in Shannon provided new context and family material for McGarry’s continuing work on the accident. An interview with Tony Russo of Woodbridge, Canada, offered a rare insight into the legacy of the same Alitalia tragedy. Russo’s parents survived the crash with severe injuries but lost their young daughter Antoinetta. His reflections give voice to the long-term human cost of survival and loss intertwined.
Further first-hand evidence came from Desmond Clifford, now living in Cape Cod, who shared the findings from his 1970s metal-detection work at the Alitalia 618 crash site. Clifford’s material, combined with his memories of growing up in Shannon as the son of Aer Lingus crew, adds both technical and personal context to the historical record.
Beyond Ireland, Falling Stars continues to benefit from an expanding network of international collaboration. New research from the Netherlands has brought to light archival material and family correspondence related to the KLM Triton (1954) and Hugo de Groot (1958) accidents, both involving aircraft that met their fate near Shannon. These findings help clarify the operational and human stories behind two lesser-known events in Irish aviation history.
Throughout its three editions, McGarry’s Falling Stars has evolved from a memorial project into a dynamic historical investigation, one that continues to grow as new evidence and voices emerge. The 2026 update stands as both a record of Irish and international aviation tragedy and a tribute to those who were lost.
The 2026 edition of Falling Stars is now available from here.
