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SKULMARTIN LIGHTSHIP
Jim Blaney recounts
the history of the Lightvessel station and pays tribute to its crew
members.
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Do you hear a low boom as of thunder
Rolling in from the East far away?
A deep note that the distance keeps under
King Summer is holding his sway,
And the land ‘neath the Sun’s sheen and splendour,
When July’s richest flower is gay
Yet Skulmartin is speaking today.
Skul-Martin, grim name! at the
sounding
The cheek of the sailor grows grey,
And that sullen voice, once more resounding,
Stills the lightness of laughter and play.
For it tells, despite sunshine surrounding,
Despite gladness and beauty abounding,
That the ocean-mists surge and creep thicker
On that desolate coast far away,
Till e'en best eye and skill be in vain-
Hark! Skul-Martin is sounding again.
And so all that long summer
sunshine,
Comes that voice from the east far away;
And beneath its weird spell, e'en the radiance
Of noontide it seemeth to stay.
Yet again rolls that note-and again!
Oh, well may the mariner pray,
For Scul-Martin is sounding to-day.
The poem on Skulmartin, from Songs of a Port by W.H.F. (1920), is
introduced by the following note, Skulmartin is the most dreaded of
the many dangerous reefs on the County Down coast, near Ballywalter.
From the Lightship stationed nearby is sounded, in fog or storm, an
explosive signal which may sometimes be heard in Belfast, over
twenty miles away.” The Skulmartin Rock, anciently Skyr Martyn
(Norse sker - a reef), which covers at half tide, is marked today by
a 40ft red iron perch. It lies about 3 miles north of Burr Point,
almost a mile off shore, opposite to Ballywalter Park. It gained an
unenviable record for shipping disasters over the past century and
proved a cause of great concern for all those involved in the safety
of sea travel. The following are some of the vessels which came to
grief on the Skulmartin Rock over the years.
23. 2.1803 - Union Workington
20. 1.1804 - Diana Port Glasgow
21.10.1813 - Caesar Greenock
16. 1.1816 - Queen Charlotte
? 1.1828 - Sheffield Glasgow
10. 3.1830 - Commerce Bangor
25. 3.1843 - Stillman Glasgow
14. 9.1861 -Cora Greenock
? 1.1867 - Lisbon Glasgow
11. 9.1867 - Tana (Yacht)
27. 6.1878 - Aberyswith Aberyswith
11. 1.1879 - Loch Sunart Glasgow
13. 11.1879 - Ladyland
4. 11.1880 - Fitzjames Glasgow
16. 12.1883 - Argo Carnarvon
Dozens of other voyages ended or were interrupted on the nearby Long
Rock, at Ballyferris Point, and at Wallace’s Rocks. The Caesar above
mentioned was driven ashore during a violent gale on voyage from
Greenock to Jamaica and three of the crew were drowned. Five local
men who put out to the rescue were also drowned by their boat
upsetting. They are commemorated in the poem Wreck of the Caesar by
local lady Asmy Purse. The bell of the Caesar is preserved in
Ballywalter Presbyterian Church.
On 25 March 1760 a buoy which marked the Skulmartin Reef had been
carried away in a gale. Some local gentry and fishermen replaced it
and also agreed to maintain it.
An interesting letter from Belfast Chamber of Commerce dated 28 June
1821 was sent to John Cossart Esq. at the Ballast Office in Dublin,
and it read as follows:-
In consequence of the several losses that have been sustained by
Merchant Shipowners and Underwriters, by vessels running on the
Skulmartin and the Long Rock, the Chamber of Commerce of this town
have to beg that you will be so kind as to lay the (enclosed) chart
and the remarks thereon before the Corporation who if they have the
power of fixing perches on the rocks there laid down, will by so
doing render a most essential service to vessels passing through the
Channel. The number of vessels that have struck on these Rocks is
greater than Mr Mathews’ statement and the Caesar in 1813 was
totally lost and not more than about £80,000 saved out of about
£120,000 the value of her cargo, and since this chart was made out
the Britannia belonging to Messrs Barber & Purdy of your City, was
on one of these rocks but got off. Should the Corporation have it in
their power to fix perches on these Rocks, I shall be happy to get
them any further information.
- J. G., Sec. Chamber of Commerce of Belfast. |
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Buoy
In 1836 Trinity House and the British Government sent the Naval
Sloop Rainbow to survey the reef and decide on the most suitable
place for a buoy.
About 1840 Trinity House agreed to place a floating buoy, in the
shape of a cone, to be coloured black. It was useless at night and
about 1854 it was replaced by a cage buoy containing a bell which
rang continuously by the action of the waves. During heavy winds
however the bell could not always be heard from the windward side.
Lifeboat
In 1866, as a result of the great number of wrecks on the Skulmartin
and nearby rocks, it was decided to establish a Lifeboat at
Ballywalter. A niece of Admiral Meynell, formerly MP for Lisburn,
donated the Lifeboat in his memory; others including resident
landlord Andrew Mulholland of Springvale also subscribed generously.
Named Admiral Henry Meynell it measured 32 by 7½ feet, and had 10
oars. Local fishermen provided a strong and efficient crew.
On 11 January 1879, Saturday night, the Loch Sunart of Glasgow, a
passenger clipper ship of 1,231 tons, from Glasgow to Melbourne with
45 passengers ran ashore on the Skulmartin Reef. The passengers were
easily rescued, the women and children being taken ashore by the
Lifeboat, the others by a Coastguard galley. Captain Weir’s
certificate was suspended for nine months and the Mate David Higie’s
for three months. At the enquiry it transpired that the Mate took
the Rock for a schooner.
On 1 April 1877 a new boat-shaped buoy of an entirely new pattern,
fitted with a powerful bell, was moored. It was carried away on 4
April 1881 and was recovered by the Ballywalter Lifeboat.
In November 1883 Belfast Harbour Board received a letter from the
Commissioners of Irish Lights who had recently been requested by the
Glasgow Shipowners Association to improve lighting in the County
Down Coast and to place a light on the Skulmartin Rock. The Harbour
Board was asked whether it would be preferable to erect a lighthouse
on the rock or moor a lightvessel off the dangerous reef. On 16 May
1884 a deputation from Belfast went to Dublin to discuss the
question in detail. They pointed out to the Commissioners that it
would not be necessary to place any light on or near the Skulmartin
Rock if a lighthouse were erected on the eastern extremity of the
South Ridge. The Commissioners pointed out the heavy expense and the
length of time it would take to build a lighthouse, but promised
their engineer would examine the possibility. In the meantime they
would be prepared to place a lightship on Skulmartin Rock which
together with the existing South Rock Lightship should meet their
requirements.
Lightship
On 1 January 1886 the bell boat-buoy which marked the Skulmartin
Rock was removed and the first lightship was placed on station by
the Irish Lights Tender Princess Alexandra. She was the Petrel built
in 1853 by Money-Wigram of London. She had a fixed white light and
during fog two reports separated by an interval of 2 seconds were
fired from the guns every ten minutes. Moored about 1 mile East
South East off the reef in 20 fathoms low water springs, the fixed
white light was exhibited from her main mast at a height of 38 feet
and was visible about 10 miles. The vessel carried 2 half globes
from her mainmast head, circular parts up, and she was painted black
with a white stripe with Skulmartin Reef in white letters on her
sides.
After this the number of casualties dwindled in the immediate area
but further south they continued unabated into the next century,
particularly around the mouth of Strangford Lough - Ballyquinton
Point being the main offender. Complaints continued to be made about
the imperfect state of the lights, buoyage and signals on the County
Down coast. Mr Samuel Lawther, a Belfast shipowner, prepared reports
by captains visiting Belfast. His contention was that many of the
old lights were only suitable for sailing ships or ships travelling
at 6 knots. |
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The first decade of the new century was to see many disasters on the
County Down coast. In the 10 years ending 30 June 1909, there were
no less than 176 of which 37 were total losses. The lighting on this
part of the coast was discussed regularly in the House of Commons.
On 20 February 1908 the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in a reply to a
query by T. L. Corbett the Member for North Down, stated:
"The Commissioners of Irish Lights have made a proposal to improve
the lighting in the vicinity of the entrance to Strangford Lough,
not by erecting a lighthouse at Ballyquinton Point, but by the
establishment of a Lightvessel about 4 miles south south east of the
entrance to the Lough. The matter is still under consideration by
the Board of Trade".
This lightship station never materialised.
On 2 February 1909 a new lightship was placed on the Skulmartin. The
fixed white light was replaced by a red revolving light of increased
power, flashing every minute. The explosive fog signal remained
unchanged, but the new vessel had a fixed lantern and a daymark at
the mast-head of the jigger mast.
In January 1910, during the wedding celebrations of Miss Eva
Mulholland of Ballywalter Park, the village was decorated for the
occasion. The Coastguard Station was decorated by Chief Officer
Richard Fowler, the harbour by Harbour Master J. B. Glover, and the Skulmartin Lightship was ‘dressed in rainbow fashion’ by the Master
Nicholas Murphy and crew, permission having previously been given by
the Commissioners of Irish Lights. |
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Shipsmaster - Nicholas Murphy
(1865 - 1949) |
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Lightshipmen
The crew of a Lightship consisted of a Master and six men on board
and a Master and three men ashore off duty. In 1911 the full line
out for the Skulmartin vessel Brilliant was as follows:-
Nicholas Murphy - Master Wexford
George Conway - Mate Portaferry
Henry Merron - Carpenter Portaferry
William Curlett - Lamplighter Ballywalter
George Roddy - Lamplighter & Naval Reserve Dublin
Patrick Convery - Fogsignalman Portaferry
Thomas Delaney - Fogsignalman Wexford
Hugh Murphy - Fogsignalman Ballywalter
Mathew McMurran - Seaman & Naval Reserve Antrim
Robert Roche - Seaman Wexford
John Patrick Perth - Seaman Dublin
The Master, Nicholas Murphy, was born in Wexford in 1865 and served
his apprenticeship as a boy on the local barque Saltee owned by
Lambert & Walsh. After going deep sea for some years, he was
appointed as a Seaman on Irish Lightships in 1890. In 1907 he went
on promotion as Master of the Skulmartin. There he remained until
transferred to the South Arklow Lightship in July 1912. He retired
from service in 1925, and died in 1949 aged 85 years.
The Mate George Conway was born in Portaferry in 1856, and at the
age of 14 went to sea on the schooner Harbinger which belonged to
local merchant James McDonnell and traded to Liverpool. He remained
on this vessel for 15 years, and in 1885 he entered service with
Irish Lights. When Nicholas Murphy was transferred to the South
Arklow Lightvessel in 1912, George was appointed Master of the
Skulmartin until he retired in 1917 after 32 years service. George
Conway died in Portaferry in 1951, aged 95 years. |
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George Conway (1856 - 1951) |
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On 12th September 1914 at 6.15 pm the steamer Devonshire of
Liverpool, of 500 tons, owned by J. J. Mack & Sons, collided with
the Skulmartin Lightship Torch which was cut down four feet below
the water line. The Devonshire, which had some stem plates damaged,
stood by but eventually was able to proceed. The Lightship was towed
to Belfast and drydocked on Saturday 19th.
Between 1923 and 1939 several proposals were made to replace the
Skulmartin Lightship but all met with objections. On 17 January 1933
at a meeting of the Belfast Harbour Board a letter was read from the
Commissioners of Irish Lights proposing to withdraw the Lightship.
The Board decided to inform the Commissioners of their strong
disfavour to the proposal.
What was life like for those on board a Lightship? That great man of
English letters, Dr Samuel Johnston, once said “A life on a ship is
like a life in a prison, with the chance of being drowned”. One
wonders what the learned Doctor would have said about life on a
Lightship which, unlike other vessels, has no power of propulsion
and cannot run for cover during violent storms but is designed to
disobey wind and wave and remain on station. One writer paints a
gloomy picture:
The crushing monotony of the same scenes, the eternal spectacle of
foam-crested waters rolling wherever the eye is turned, the
ceaseless noise of the winds, the everlasting murmur of the ocean,
swelling at times into so terrible a roar that it renders inaudible
the human voice, could not fail to exercise a depressing influence
on the mind."
Fortunately lightships did not attract men who were easily
depressed, certainly not Irish lightships; quite the reverse in
fact, and for many there was scarcely a dull moment. Each man had
time for his preferred hobby when daily duties were completed. Some
put ships in bottles; others made rope mats or models. About 1961
the first television on an Irish lightship arrived on the
Skulmartin, a gift from Cyril Lord who owned a carpet factory in
Donaghadee and was an occasional visitor in his yacht. Then in a few
short years the Skulmartin Lightship was gone forever - gone but not
forgotten. Those who manned it for 81 years should also be
remembered.
Withdrawal of Lightship
In October 1963 it was eventually agreed to replace the Lightship
with a high focal plane buoy, the new light to be 19 feet above sea
level with 1,345 candelas, visible at 9 nautical miles. The buoy was
also to be fitted with a whistle fog signal emitting a deep note at
short intervals.
On Friday 9 June 1967 the Skulmartin Lightvessel Guillemot was
finally removed from the Skulmartin Station, the last in a line of
vessels guarding shipping from this killer reef for 81 years. It was
a sad day for the crew. For the final roll call the following were
present:
Siney Griffin - Master - Cappa, Co. Clare
Bobbie Mullan - Lamplighter - Portaferry
Myley Doyle - Fogsignalman - Wexford & Newry
John Woods - Fogsignalman - Cobh & Dublin
Joey Smith - Seaman - Portaferry
Eddie McGee - Seaman - Portaferry
Dennis Behan - Seaman - Clare & Monaghan
The Senior Master on shore liberty was Dan Hawkins (Donegal &
Holywood).
For the people of Ballywalter it was a lonesome occasion since the
Lightship had been part of the village scene for over three
generations. It was especially so for those families involved with
the vessel, among them the Murphys, Dunbars, Glovers, Regans, Corrys
and Eccles. The late Sam Fowler requested the bell of the Guillemot
as a memento for the people of the village, but as the vessel was
still in service the bell could not be removed.
It would be impossible to name all those who served on the
Skulmartin over its long history, but perhaps there would be no harm
in remembering a few of those not already mentioned, some of whom
did duty for a great number of years, others perhaps for a couple of
trips. Among them were Denis Behan, J. Blair, Sam Breen, Phil
Broaders, J. J. Butler, Jimmy Busher, Joe Carley Master, Sam
Carpenter, Matt Carroll, S. Codd, W. J. Coffee, P. Convery, R.
Convery, Ned Convery, George Conway, Bob Corry, Aidan Cullen,
William Curnett, Ronan Curran, Thomas Delaney, William Delaney, John
Doyle, James Doyle, Mylie Doyle, W. Duggan, C. Dumigan, W. Dunbar,
John Eccles, Ivan Eccles, Ted Edge, N. Ferguson, John Fitzsimons, J.
Foley, J. Forde, R. Fortune, C. Fox, L. Furlong, N. Furlong, W.
Gaddern, Jimmy Gibson, Bob Gill, Siney Griffin Master, Bob Hanna,
Dan Hawkins Master, J. J. Higginbotham, P. Hogan, J. Hunter, J.
Kinsella, M. J. Lacey, Sam Long Master, J. Lucking, Mick Malone,
John Mageean Master, Jimmy Mageean, H. Mason, John Melican, B.
Mullan, E. Mullan, Henry Merron, T. J.Morgan, Davy Moreland, Hugh
Murphy (Sen), Hugh Murphy (Jnr), Harry Murray, Nicholas Murphy
Master, A. F. McEvoy, Denis McCallig, Jimmy McClean Master, Hugh
McCluskey, Eddie McGee, William McGrath, Hughie McKeating, Eddie
McMullen Master, Paddy McMullan, T.McMullan, Mathew McMurran, J.
Nolan, John O’Connor, Simon O’Connor, Jack O’Neill Master, Tommy
Pender, John Perth, Paddy Power, Paul Power, B. Quaile, C. Roche,
Jim Roche, K. D. Roche, Robert Roche, George Roddy, D. Ross, Paddy
Ross, J. Saunders, J. Scanlan, P. Scanlan, Jimmy Sinnot Master, Joey
Smith, John Smith, Tom Smith, W. Smith, P. Swan, Bertie Swift, H. M.
Thomas, Eddie Turkington, Robert Tweedie, John Tyrrell, Laurence
Walsh, William Walsh, Tom White, George Williams, V. Whitmore, John
Woods. They should be remembered for their unique contribution. |
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