Falling Stars by Peter McGarry

Falling Stars by Peter McGarryFalling Stars by Peter McGarry
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Falling Stars by Peter McGarry

€22.00

New 2026 Edition
The latest edition of Falling Stars offers major new research and first-hand interviews exploring the air crashes linked to Shannon Airport. Featuring fresh insights into the Pan Am 1-10 (1948), Alitalia 618 (1960), KLM Triton (1954), and Hugo de Groot (1958) tragedies—alongside the 1949 Transocean and 1962 Flying Tiger ditchings—this powerful new edition keeps Ireland’s aviation history alive.

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Description

Falling Stars – 2026 Edition Released Sept 2025

The 2026 edition of Falling Stars is the most comprehensive update yet to this acclaimed book on Irish aviation history and the air crashes connected to Shannon Airport.

Building on the 2025 edition—which first detailed the Transocean Air Lines (1949) and Flying Tiger Line (1962) ditchings off Ireland’s west coast—this new 2026 release expands the story with major discoveries, newly uncovered archives, and deeply personal interviews.

In 2025, author Peter McGarry met with families, survivors, and researchers whose testimonies bring new life and humanity to these historic aviation tragedies:

* Pan Am Flight 1-10 (1948) – A moving insight from Lissa Merillat, granddaughter of passenger Frank Jakel, sheds new light on the Empress of the Skies Constellation crash at Shannon.
* Alitalia Flight 618 (1960) – Emotional visits with the Reiner (Buchinger) family, and an interview with Tony Russo from Canada, reveal untold family stories of survival and loss.
* Crash site discoveries – Desmond Clifford, now of Cape Cod, shares the results of his 1970s metal-detecting work at the Alitalia 618 crash site, deepening our understanding of the event.
* Dutch archives and family research – Extraordinary findings from The Netherlands uncover new details surrounding the KLM Triton (1954)* and Hugo de Groot (1958) air disasters.

Falling Stars continues to evolve as a definitive record of Shannon’s aviation history, preserving the stories of those lost and ensuring that Ireland’s air crash legacy is never forgotten.

A must-read for aviation enthusiasts, historians, and anyone interested in Ireland’s role in early transatlantic flight, this updated edition blends heartfelt storytelling with meticulous research.

Original Version Description:
Between 1946 and 1961, in the fledging years of Shannon International Airport, over two hundred lives were lost and countless others changed forever in a series of fatal air crashes.
As the decades roll past, the number of former airport workers and rescue personnel who had first-hand experience of these terrible events sadly diminishes with each passing year.
With his book, “Falling Stars”, Peter McGarry sets out to bring new light to details almost lost in the corridors of time. This book is far more than a forensic retelling of the Shannon crashes. “Falling Stars” is about human stories; the promising young lives cut short, the families ripped apart, tales of seemingly unshakeable careers cast side, takes of real heroics and decency found within ordinary people.
“Falling Stars” echoes how events from so long ago still reverberate to this day. This work, the culmination of over 15 years of research and discovery, is also the story of finding new friends made through a common bond of remembrance of these times. The past is never too far away.
“Peter McGarry has deftly, painstakingly and brilliantly brought to life a largely forgotten chapter in the evolution of aviation when it was in the throes of awesome change before the advances of the jet age. Peter’s passion for his subject, with an unerring eye for detail and amply researched, shines brightly through every page as he gives accounts of aircraft that fell from the skies and also recreates the lives of aviators and travellers cut short in truly tragic circumstances. The author handles the heavy subject matter with compassion and humanity as he guides us with a flickering lamp along the road of the past, reconstructing the events and reviving the whispers and echoes.” – Vincent Power, Journalist & Author.

1 review for Falling Stars by Peter McGarry

  1. Noel Heraty –

    “Falling Stars” is an excellent read. As an Irish person growing up in Limerick, I was fascinated in aviation and always had an interest in the various crashes that happened at Shannon Airport. I now fly for an American airline and my interest in reading about early aviation crashes continues to this day. I was intrigued when I heard about this book and decided to order it from Pilot.ie. It’s a great read, complete with personal stories from and about the crew and passengers on these historic events. In addition to this great book, Peter has an ongoing YouTube channel that brings various updates and interviews specific to the crashes covered in his book. You can tell he has a keen desire to bring these amazing stories to life. If you have even a slight interest in Irish aviation (or world aviation), this book should be in your collection. Excellent. Falling Stars is 5 stars!!
    Noel Heraty

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