Shipwrecks off the coast of Greystones and surrounding area
Introduction
This section records some of the local shipwrecks off Greystones and the surrounding area. There are many unknown wrecks of the area, though these are not recorded here.
The Mary (went ashore off Killincarrick House)
The Mary was a brigantine which belonged to the port of Warrenpoint in County Down. In February 1861 and a hurricane was blowing and The Mary was close to the coast of southern area of Greystones. The vessel was laden with coal and had at least five men on board. It was 1 o’clock on a Saturday and off the coast close to Sir Vincent Hawkins Whitshed’s country estate of Killincarrick House, that just 100 yards from the coast that The Mary went down. All men on board lost their lives, even though the local population tried to assist the men on board. Not even the coastguard under Lieutenant Boileau cold assist. After the sails, anchors and rigging were were found, though days later no bodies were washed ashore.
Lady Harriet schooner of Chester (Sunk off Bray Head)
The Lady Harriett was a schooner built lost off Bray Head in 1852, it belonged to the port of Chester in the West of England. It was a timber built sailing vessel of 100 gross tonnage and was used for coasting. It was captain by a Mr. Evans and was driven ashore on the 12th of November 1852 with a crew of five people.
Adonis Steamship (sunk off Bray Head)
The Adonis was a steam ship of 600 gross tonnage, it was owned by the Malcomson families Waterford Steamship Company. The vessel was carrying 9 steerage passengers, as well carrying the captain, 2 mates, 2 engineers and stewards and a general crew of 18 men. The final voyage started at Belfast on Friday at 8 o’clock and was bound for London. It fate was sealed after it struck the Mugglins of Dalkey Island at 2.30 in the morning. After this the vessels engines were turned off and it continued to drift eastward gradually sinking as it drifted. It sank off the coast of Bray Head and is believed it went down in deep water 7 miles out to sea.
S S Trinidad
It was owned by Canada Steamship Lines Ltd. Of Montreal/A. W. Duckett & Co. It was En route from Le Havre to Liverpool and was carrying a cargo of onions. It was torpedoed by the German submarine U-101, off the coast south of Kilcoole railway station, (Wicklow, Codling Light Vessel, 12 miles E). 39 lives were lost.
S S Baldersby (torpedoed)
The Steel steam ship Baldersby was a 3360 gross ton ship. It was built at Stockton in 1913 by Ropner and sons. It was owned by R Ropner and sons. It was sank after being torpedoed by German submarine UD-91, enroute from Montreal to Avonmouth, it was carrying a cargo of grain. Two lives were lost.
S S Lanarkshire
The Iron Steam Ship Lanarkshire was built by Blackwood and Gordon at Port Glasgow in Scotland in 1871, of 929 gross tonnage. When the vessel was sunk in January 1882 it was owned by Burrell & Sons and belonged to the port of Glasgow. When it sank it was mastered by P Fraser and was wrecked at the codling Bank, 53 06 21.6N, 005 51 35.4W . It was carrying coal and had one passenger and 19 crew. Luckily there was no loss of life.
HMS Vanguard (Off Bray Head)
East off Bray Head lies lies the H M S Vanguard, which was a Royal Navy battleship of 6010 tons, built in 1870. It was sank following a collision with her sister ship the H MS Iron Duke on September the first 1875. When she was sunk she was serving as a guardship in Kingstown. She sank immediately and within an hour was 47 metres below sea level. All the crew were saved, though the captains dog was lost to the sea. The captain , Captain Dawkins and crew were later court-martialed and censored for the loss of the ship.
Rival (a Brig) (Off Greystones)
The Rival was a brigantine which was carrying Iron, Spirits and Tobacco. It wrecked off the coast of of County Wicklow, between Greystones and Kilcoole in 1854. Lloyd’s records two brigs named rival in 1853, one mastered by J Jackson owner was G Heyn and belonged to the port of Belfast, built in Halifax in 1825 and 149 tons. The other was mastered by J Gowans and built in 1844 at Montrs, owned by Birnie and Co and belonging to the port of Montrose. It was 188 gross tonnage. As Lloyds Records does not record the G Heyn owned vessel in 1855, it would appear it was this vessel that was sunk off Greystones. The Heyn family would later establish the Belfast Steamship Company and were a major force in shipping on the Island of Ireland. The company were ship owners up until the mid 1900’s.
Velinheli
The Velinheli was a timber schooner of Greystones owned by the Greystones Coal merchant Arthur Evans. The Velinheli was lost on the 13th of October 1910 in a storm when it sank in the harbour in Greystones. It was one of three that sunk in the harbour on the same day.
Federation
The Federation was a timber schooner or ketch which sank in Greytones Harbour along with the Vel on the 13th of October 1910. It was owned by a Mr Widnes or Widens.
Reciprocity
The Reciprocity was one of three vessels lost in Grestones Harbour in a storm which occurred on the 13th of October 1910. The Reciprocity was a timber ketch of Liverpool and was of 75 tons and the master of the vessel was James Hackney and had come from Widnes to Greystones .
John and Mary
The John and Mary was a wooden Sailing Vessel that was captained by Capt. Gaul when it was lost off Bray Head on the 1st of May 1740. The vessel was broken to pieces off the rocks at Bray Head. Though the Earl of Meath sent a part of foot to assist the vessel, aid the rescue of the crew and preserve the cargo.
Robert Seymour
The Robert Seymour was a wooden brigantine of Bray which was lost off Greystones on the 11th of February 1861. It was carrying coal and lost in a storm. Three of the crew were saved.
Stag
The Stag was a timber sailing vessel travelling from Chester to Wicklow that was lost on the 6th of February 1766 off Greystones. The vessel was assisted in its rescue by a Packet named Barburgh.
Jan A Stat
The Jan a Stat or Jean A Stat was a Dutch Timber Galliot that was lost near Greystones on the 24th of February 1838. The vessel was enroute from Fathard to Llanelly.
Prussian Prince
The Prussian or Prushian Prince was lost off Greystones on the 1st of January 1850 and was a timber vessel. The crew were rescued by the local residences of the area.
Wanderer
The Wanderer was a Bn that was built in Stettin in 1843 and owned by Schultz and co and belonging to the port of Stettin. The vessel was lost off Greystones while sailing from Liverpool to Stettin on the 7th of December 1849.
Flint Castle
Flint Castle was a timber sailing vessel that was lost off Greystones on the 12th of February 1855 and was captained by Capt. Evans.
Mary
The Mary was a Iron Brigantine of 88 tons built at Annan in 1828. It was a Newry register vessel owned in 1860 by J Courtney of Newry. The Mary was Lost on the 2nd of February 1861 close to Greystones and had a cargo of Coal.
Limerick
The Limerick was an Iron screw steamer built in Newcastle in Northern England and was registered to the port of Grangemouth. The owner was Robertson and Company at the time of its fatal voyage. Previously it was owned by the Limerick Steamship Company. It was 212 feet in length and 463 tons. It was lost on the 19th of March 1871 while sailing from Huelva to Glasgow, close to Greystones.
Ann
The Ann was a 75 ton schooner built in Newry and owned by M T Hunter. It was lost on the 12th of May 1886 under the command of Capt J McGinn off Greystones.
Mary and Anne
The Mary and Anne was a 50 ton schooner of Liverpool built in 1847. It was lost off Greystones, carrying Coal from Garston to Greystones or Wicklow on the 12th of May 1886 under the command of Capt. N Downs. The vessel was owned by A Doolittle.
Peggy and Jenny
The Peggy and Jenny was lost on the 17th of October 1843 carrying coal and materials. It was lost off Greystones. The materials were recovered.
Sarah Jane
The Sarah Jane was a 46 ton schooner owned by Kearon ad Evans of Arklow and built in 1851. The vessel was lost on the 23rd of October 1886 off Greystones carrying coal from Troon to Greystones and was mastered by R Finlay.
County of Lancaster
The County of Lancaster was a 150 ton timber Ketch of Glasgow. The vessel went missing on the 12th of November 1901 and was abandoned off Greystones by its crew while sailing from Ayr to Dundalk carrying lime and coal. All eight of the crew lost their lives and were from Northern Ireland, the captain was Henry Murray. The owner was Archibald Stewart of Glasgow.
Eliza
The Eliza was a timber sailing vessel that was enroute from Skerries to Wicklow and was lost on the 18th of February 1865 close to Greystones. It was rescued and towed ashore.
Hector
The Hector was a Screw steamer that was stranded close to Greystones. Date is unknown. The steamers crew were rumoured to have been assisted in their rescue by two dogs who were awarded medals for the rescue.
Trifylia
The Trifylia was a 1336 ton Iron steamer of 258 feet in length, built 1878 by Tynel S B Co of Newcastle. The steamer was owned by P Benardos & Co and belonged to the Greek port of Piraeus. The steamer was lost on the 12th of November 1915, enroute from Greenock to Ayr and travelling in a gale. The cargo was 2000 tons of coal. The steamer was lost close two miles south of Greystones harbour, captained by Capt. Constantinion. In 1985 two anchors were raised and are now on a plinth on the beach at Wicklow.
Eliza
The Eliza was a timber sailing vessel which was carrying Copper Ore and was lost off Bray Head on the 24th of December 1803 while travelling from Wicklow to Neath.
Cabrenangue
The Cabrenangue was a schooner of Pernambuca which was sailing between Maranham to Liverpool when it was driven ashore off Bray Head on the 28th of April 1809. The crew and cargo were saved.
Frances
The Frances was a timber Sailing Vessel that was sailing from Wexford to Liverpool when it was stranded off Bray Head. It was carrying beans and wheat when lost on the 1st of December 1824.
Sovereign
The Sovereign was carrying Linen when on the 4th of November 1844 it was lost near Delgany. The vessel was a timber sailing vessel sailing from Liverpool to Nova Scotia. This would appear to be a schooner built on Prince Edward Island in 1825 and owned by Jarvis and Co and registered to the port of Colchester.
Betsey
The sailing Vessel Betsey was a Maryport Brigantine that was 101 tons and built in Scarbrough in 1818 and owned by Ritson and Co and belonging to the port of Maryport. It was lost during the great storm of 1852 north of Bray Head and was carrying a cargo of coal.
New Valiant
The New Valiant was a 55 ton Schooner of Portmadoc which was lost on the 1st of January 1852 off Bray Head in the great storm, while carrying a cargo of grain . The vessel was built in Port Padoc in 1841 and owned by Griffiths and belonged to the port of Port Madoc.
Eglington
The timber Schooner Eglington was lost off Bray Head on the 9th of February 1855. The vessel would appear to have been 99 tons and built in Ayr in 1839 and in 1851 owned by A B Telfer and belonging to the port of Ayr. The Figure Head and nameboard were recovered.
Pimorrero
The vessel Pimorrero was an 800 ton Italian Barque which was lost off the northern side of Bray Head on the 27th of January 1873 carrying grain. The crew were rescued and taken to Kingstown today known as Dun Laoghaire.
Firth of Solway
The 1313 ton Iron Barque the Firth of Solway was lost off Bray Head on the 19th of April 1896, due to a collision with a vessel named Marsden and was going from Clyde to Dunedin. The vessel was 228.7 inches in length and belonged to the Port of Glasgow. It was built in Glasgow by W B Thompson and owned by J Spencer and Co.
Rose of Lough Gill
The Rose of Lough Gill was a timber motor powered fishing boat which was lost on the 15th of October 1995 about 5 Km east of Bray Head and a Dublin built vessel enroute between Dun Laoghaire and Arklow.
Agnes
The Agnes was a timber built Brigantine of 61 tons of Arklow. It was built in 1817 and was going from Ayr to Bray when on the 1st of January 1880 was lost off Bray Head with a cargo of coal.
Industry
The 56 ton timber schooner named Industry was enroute from Whitehaven when it was lost on the 11th of February 1861 during a violent storm off Bray Head. It was carrying coal and captained by Capt. Fearon.
Trustful
The Douglas registered steam trawler Trustful was lost when it foundered off Bray Head on the 30th of December 1924. All the crew were saved.
Annabella
The timber sailing vessel Annabella was lost off Bray Head on the 12th of March 1830. It would appear to be owned by C H ross and built by T Baird at Gaspie and was 375 tons.
Salmonby
The Salmonby was a steam fishing trawler of Fleetwood and was lost on the 1st of January 1925 off Bray Head when the engine room flooded.
Peggy
The sailing vessel Peggy was lost on the 12th of February 1774 off Bray Head and was enroute from Dublin to Liverpool and captained by Capt. Stuart.
Mary Rosaleen
Mary Rosaleen was an MF vessel a dandy of Dublin lost on the 28th of September 1931 off Bray Head due to a fire and the crew were saved.
Mary HMS
The Mary HMS was a 4th rate sailing vessel with a cargo of 48 cannons which sank off Ballygannon point north of Kilcoole railway station in 1691. It is believed it was the ship that Captain Hopton Scott was in command of when he first arrived at Ballygannon house. He later married the daughter of the owner Thady Byrne. They married the following year in 1692, her name was Randelia.
John Scott
The Whitehaven registered timber Brigantine was lost off Ballygannon Point on the 1st of February 1873. It was carrying Pig Iron and enroute between Whitehaven and Newport. It would appear to have been built in 1835 in Whitehaven and 222 tons. It was owned by J and I Hodgson.
Mountain Ash
The Mountain Ash was a Motor Coaster and was lost in the winter of 1950 off Kilcoole, and was driven ashore at Kilcoole. The wreck was dismantled by the Hammond Lane Foundry Company.
Eliza Murray
The Arklow registered schooner Eliza Murray was breached south of Kilcoole on the 27th of November 1862. The vessel was carrying slates and enroute to Wexford in heavy winds.
Captain Perry
The Screw Steamer Captain Perry was
East Wind
The East Wind was a yacht which was lost off Kilcoole on the 13th of May 1939, while enroute from Belfast to the South of England.
Thucydides
The American Sailing Vessel the Thucydides was washed ashore on the 1st of January 1811 at Kilcoole. The vessel was carrying timber from Boston to Liverpool and captained by Capt Westcott. The vessel was auctioned in March 1811.
John Morrison
The 202 ton Arklow Barquentine was lost south of Kilcoole on the 17th of December 1925. It was built in 1874 by Tracy of Arklow and was carrying Pitt Props. when it sank.
Dollinda
The timber Schooner Dollinda was lost on the 17th of December 1925 off Greystones. The vessel was assisted and towed to safety.
Guerrera
The 406 ton Italian Brigantine of Italy was lost off Newcastle on the 28th of January. It was enroute from Dublin to Cardiff.
Hibernia
Other vessels
Martin – Unknown type lost off Wicklow/ Kilcoole 1889
Betsey – type Maryport Brig – cargo unknown – date 1872 (Off Kilcoole)
Gael – sailing boat off Bray Head and date 1903 this was bray head co Kerry.
Factor Wreck no W13735 lost south of bray and unknown type lost 1828.
Eva – schooner lost Greystones harbour and date 1902
Susan off Greystones a sloop and 1 mile s of Greystones date 1864.
Myrtle – Unknown type – lost Greystones – wreck no. W17222 – Date 1838
Active schooner – lost Greystones – wreck no. W15011 – Date 1890
Annie plus others were lost off or on shore of Kilcoole on the 9th of February 1861 and was carrying Coal and was a timber sailing vessel, weather was stormy and the crew was lost.
Bibliography
Lloyds register of shipping – https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/archive-library/lloyds-register-of-ships-online
Irish Shipwrecks – https://www.irishwrecks.ie/
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