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A documentary following the largely unknown tragedy which befell the small Irish coastal community of Ballymanus on the evening of May 10th , 1943 . As many of the battles of WW2 were fought at sea an important part of naval policy was the laying of sea mines .Sea currents often altered the course of these large floating mines and consequently a number washed ashore . One of these was swept in with the tide at Ballymanus , a small coastal village in north west Ireland . Scanning the beaches was common practise then , people on the look out for the detritus of war , barrels of oil , timber etc. , valuable commodities in war time . On the evening of May 10th , 1943 word got around that a curious object had been seen in the water and attracted the attention of a group of local young men who attempted to tie a rope around what appeared to be a bent spike . Efforts were made to haul the mine ashore but the mine collided with rocks which , in turn , caused an explosion . The bang could be heard up to 40 miles away . When the commotion had settled it became evident that many had lost their lives . Many were killed instantly and others died later in hospital from their severe injuries . Somehow four survived the explosion but nineteen men ranging in age from 14 to 34 were killed . Largely ignored by the British government justice for the victims has never really been seen to be done . This documentary aims to put this right using interviews with the survivors and relatives of those involved . Much of it in Gaelic , sub-titled in English , the film is a moving and poignant tribute to the victims of this small community .