Coastguard Cutter

The Coastguard Cutter 2.14

-> Tony on April 30 2016
P24. Raid on Cullenstown station. 1920.

In a daring and successful raid at Cullenstown (Co.Wexford) Coastguard station raiders carried off 5 Webley revolvers, ammunition and equipment . Shortly after midnight 12 masked men surrounded the station and apprehended one of the coastguards who was bound and brought at the point of a revolver to the station, where he was compelled to seek admission. The Chief Officer answered the knock, but, becoming suspicious, fired several shots, to which the attackers replied with a hot fire. During a lull the Chief Officer was informed the building was mined and would be blown up unless he surrendered within 5 minutes. Having exhausted his ammunition, the Chief Officer surrendered. Meanwhile other Coastguards living adjacent, on hearing the shots came on the scene, and were seized and bound with ropes.

Reference; Irish Independent 22 June 1920.



P65. Wreck of a vessel at the North Bull. 1879

At 11 o’clock on the night of the 13th inst. The Brigantine Alice Wood of Ardrossan stranded on the North Bull. At daybreak on the 20th she was seen from the Coastguard station at Dollymount in a disabled condition, but not flying any distress signal. The officer on duty, Mr.John Bynon with four coastguards immediately put off in a boat. The men, the captain and six sailors were lashed to the rigging. The sea being heavy the Coastguard boat was unable to approach on the lee side of the brigantine, and considerable difficulty attended the rescue of the sailors. They were obliged by means of ropes to jump on to the half tide wall and from thence with their clothing they were taken to the boat and conveyed in safety to the station.

Reference; The Irish Times 22 November 1879.



P177. Herring Fishery. 1843.

Kingstown, Co.Dublin. 14 December. The fishermen around this coast have been most successful this season in the herring fishing. There are at least 200 boats in full occupation and their take averages from 10 to 100 meaze each boat. Notwithstanding, the efforts of the Coastguard to prevent them, they fish at all hours, day and night. They incur a penalty of 10 pounds for each time they cast their nets, from sun-rise to sunset, as by ding so they scare away the fish, and not only injure themselves but their neighbours. The magistrates are really called upon to make one or two examples with the view to have the law obeyed and those who do not fairly protected.

Reference; The Cork Examiner 18 December 1843.



P216. Wreck of the Lydia. 1860.

To the Editor of the Irish Time

Sir,- Having seen the report of the wreck of the ‘Lydia’ in your paper on Friday, I take the liberty of stating more accurately the facts as they really occurred.

The vessel anchored outside the Roosk Bank on Saturday night, when on Sunday , it is stated some boats reached her, and that their assistance was refused. This I entirely deny, as from the time we knew the dangerous position we were in until the vessel struck we anxiously looked for help that never appeared. It is also stated that the vessel was water-logged; this was not the fact. We struck at 3 p.m. on Monday, and from that time till daybreak next morning no lifeboat ever made its appearance, though I understand it was sent for the day previous. Had it not been for the rocket apparatus aided by the great exertions of the Coastguard and the country people, we should all have inevitably perished. Your correspondent stated that 18 lives were saved , whereas 19 was the number.

I am, sir, yours, obediently, Frederick D. Bltthman. (passenger per Lydia) Kilmuckridge Dec.3.1860

Reference; The Irish Times 6 December 1860. p.3.



P317. Blacksod boat acc.1877.

Melancholy Boat Accident.

A very sad occurrence, resulting in the drowning of three Coastguards, took place in Blacksod Bay, Belmullet, Co.Mayo, on Thursday evening. The three men, in company of one of their wives, had gone across the bay from the Blacksod Coastguard station to the town of Belmullet, a distance by water of three miles, for the purpose of marketing, and were returning in the evening when the galley in which they were was struck by squall and capsized, the sea at the time being very rough. The boat was seen from the shore to turn clean over the three men, and they did not ever once appear above the surface. The bodies have not been recovered, although the men’s caps, a basket, and other tings which were in the boat have been washed ashore, the boat being held fast by its anchor, which dropped out when it capsized. The woman was afraid to return in the boat, and thus escaped a similar fate.

Reference; The Irish Times 1 September 1877.



P321.Ballywalter disaster. 1877.

This morning about 6 o’clock a lamentable occurrence which resulted in the death of six men, took place at what is known as the Roddens near Ballyhalbert. A heavy rain and rough seas, about five a small craft said to be a Welsh craft laden with slates was in imminent danger of going on the rocks and making signals of distress.. John Bell, a newspaper proprietor yoked his car and proceeded to the coast, accompanied by a retired sea captain named Bailie, and with two of the Coastguards of the Roddens station put off to the rescue of the crew. The smack was reached in safety, and the crew of three men taken aboard the boat, which, when close to the shore, on its return was swamped by the breakers. No assistance could be rendered. Only one man survived. The smack sunk in a short time.

Reference; The Irish Times 14 April 1877.



P328. Measles at Schull. 1888.

Skibbereen, Wednesday.

Another terrible epidemic of measles has broken out in Schull and its district and is of so virulent a type as to cause considerable uneasiness. Dr.Shipsey, medical officer of the district, states that the disease first made its appearance in the Coastguard station amongst some of the children belonging to the men, two being attacked. At the doctor’s suggestion, Father O’Connor, P.P. manager of the schools, had all of them closed, and steps also will be taken, under the sanitary laws, to prohibit the holding of “wakes,” as well as to cut off all possible intercourse with infected families. In Ballydehob the contagion has spread amongst a number of families, but for some reasons very obvious the people will try and keep the matter a profound secret. The epidemic has laid hold of the place firmly, and a number of persons are already stricken down, there being now over 50 cases. Not until yesterday did the first death take place, the victim being a young child, and the mother of which is at the present moment also very ill.

Reference; The Irish Times 9 February 1888.



K51.

In more recent times a little discreet smuggling has continued all along the coast of Wexford. Probably the most unusual form of barter, which legally amounted to smuggling occurred during the 1914-18 War, when German submarines, operating off the south coast of Wexford, occasionally sent dinghies ashore for supplies of fresh water, eggs and vegetables. They usually exchanged bottles of schnapps for these. One resident of Kilmore Quay swore that it was Germans who stole half of the six drills of cabbage plants he had planted behind the lifeboat house. No one contradicted him.

Reference; “Tales of the Wexford Coast” by Richard Roche.



G77. Melancholy Shipwreck.

On Thursday night last, during a heavy gale from the N.E. accompanied with a heavy storm of sleet, a vessel belonging to Mr.Rickard, of Howth, unfortunately struck on part of the iron bound shore of Lambay, and we regret to add, that she soon went to pieces, and her entire crew namely, two Rogans, father and son, Murphy, Larkin, and Cashel, in all five persons, unfortunately perished, ere any assistance could be rendered, or, before the people on shore were aware of their dismal situation. There has been only one of the bodies recovered – one of the Rogans. When it was discovered, on Friday morning, it was found that the poor sufferer had reached a buoy, to the iron ring of which he had looped his arm with a piece of rope, but from the length of time he had to remain more than half immersed in the sea, life had entirely forsaken him before the party of the Water Guards, by whom he was found, reached where he lay.
Reference: Morning Register Tuesday April 1st.1828.

In Coastguard Cutter -  0 Comments - 38669 Reads - Print    


This news item has been tagged

 

Comments

No Comments have been Posted.
 

Post Comment

Please Login to Post a Comment.