A full-of-colour religious ceremony took place at the Youghal Parish Church when the annual Mass was said last Saturday ( 4th Feb 2012) for all the mariners lost to the water.

Uniforms were in abundance with the Irish Naval Service well represented. Also in attendance were the local Coastguard Service and the Royal National Lifeboat crew. The Mass was said by Canon Tom Browne, assisted by Fr. Denis Herlihy, recently retired back from England.

Another attractive and emotional aspect of the ceremony was the sea-shanty songs and music provided by members of the Lifeboat and Navy. Local historian and author Maurice Ahern, whose forefathers were sailors and fishermen, gave the homily and included a few lovely poems. ‘I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky, and all I ask is a tall-ship and a star to steer her by’.

The congregation mainly comprised members of sea-faring families from Ardmore and Youghal who were deeply moved by the prayers and singing. Everywhere could be seen hankies drying the tears from the eyes of adults as they were reminded of their loved ones — some of whom have no graves but the deep ocean. Canon Browne spoke of the strong heritage of seafaring in the area and how costly it was during storms and world wars.

The Offeratory gifts brought to the altar included many medals of honour belonging to forefathers of members of the congregation. Also brought up to the altar was a replica of a tall-ship and a painting of the ‘Kathleen-and-May’ schooner.

At the conclusion of a very inspiring, emotional and prayerful hour, that great lifeboat anthem by Phil Coulter ‘Home from the Sea’ was sung by all.

There was hardly a dry eye in the house.

In this year of the centenary of the loss of the Titanic, it is fitting that like Cobh, the port of Youghal should remember and honour its souls lost to the sea.

The Loughlins of the Mall, Youghal, were a typical seafaring family of the nineteenth century when sailing ships ruled the seas.

Tom Loughlin captained the sailing ship
‘Perfect’, a boat that left Youghal every Spring in the mid-eighteen-hundreds to sail to the Americas. Cargo outwards would be dairy produce and on the return voyage, timber like mahogany was imported. Tom had four sons named Tommy, Michael, Jack and Jim. Tommy was sailing with his father (at just nineteen) when he was washed overboard off the Lizard. Captain Tom had to be forcibly restrained from jumping overboard in what would have been a hopeless attempt to save his son.

Another son of Captain Tom, Miko Loughlin of the Mall, died on the schooner William S. Green, shipwrecked on the Devon Coast in 1904.

Move on to 1917, when Jack Loughlin, then himself a captain, was drowned with all his crew on the
‘S.S. Ballater’ (Liverpool). It was during the First-World-War, in September 1917, that a submarine attack caused that loss. Jack was then fifty-two years of age.

And so of the original four Loughlin sons, who sailed out with their father, only Jim (also now a captain) remained. He was affectionately known as Jimo and it was his belief that
‘Davy Jones Locker’ had taken enough of the Loughlin family. So Jimo retired from seafaring, settled down ashore and lived to a ripe old age.

Click on image to enlarge

Photographs and story courtesy of Mike Hackett. Video by Kieran McCarthy and Michael Hussey

On Saturday February 4th 2012 next at 10 am, a Mass will be celebrated in the Youghal Parish Church in rememberance of all the fishermen, sailors and navy men from this East- Cork and West-Waterford area who were lost to the water over the last one-hundred and fifty years.  The list is of ninety-five men who died on tall-ships, trawlers, salmon boats, naval ships and liners, in all parts of the world.  Sadly a great number were never found and have a watery grave.  Some others were buried in far-away lands that vary from Russia to Brazil.
A selection of awarded medals will be on display during the Mass and it is hoped to have uniformed members of the Irish Naval Service, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the Irish Coastguard in attendance.

Sailors and Seamen of Youghal who lost their lives to the water.

Captain Fleming of Youghal died on the schooner ‘Hertford’ when it shipwrecked on the Wexford coast in 1882. It was owned by local merchants Flemings and the captain was one of the family.

James Butler of Windmill Hill also died on the schooner ‘Hertford’. James was actually a baker by trade and this was his first voyage. Patrick McCarthy and Seaman Bennett, both of Youghal, were also lost in that incident.

Walter William Burke of Hanover Street contracted Yellow Fever on the Tall-Ship ‘Melanope’ in 1894. He died at sea and the vessel brought the body into Rio-De-Janeiro, Brazil, where he is buried.

Miko Loughlin of the Mall died on the schooner William S. Green, shipwrecked on the Devon Coast in 1904. Danny Coakley of North Main Street and Tommy Walsh of Mary Street also died then on the William S. Green.

Jack Smyth of Flemimgs Court, Tallow Street, died on the ‘Annette’ when she went onto the rocks below Youghal Lighthouse in 1905. Captain Kirby of Dungarvan died on the same occasion.

Patrick McCarthy of Mouse Street caught a disease on a brigantine, died, and was buried in Archangel in Russia. He was grandfather of the late Noel Donoghue of Cross Lane.

 

Paddy O’Brien of Ballyvergan was lost overboard from the destroyer ‘Cossack’ at Ayr in Scotland, in 1919. He slipped on a steep gangway and hit his head on the quay-wall.

Captain Patrick O’Brien of Strand Street, died of blood poisoning on the ‘B.I.’ at Runcorn, Merseyside in 1914, at the age of 32.

Martin Bland of Church Street died on ship in 1920 and was buried in Aruba in the Dutch Carribean. He was father of the late George Bland of O’Rahilly Street.

James Duggan of Church Lane, in an attempt to rescue a fellow sailor,

was drowned while the schooner ‘Elizabeth Drew’ was berthed at New Ross in 1933.

William Perrott of Wales was drowned in 1933 while attempting to swim ashore from the ketch ‘Daisy’ while it was moored in Upper Youghal Harbour. There is a memorial to William chiselled into the rock near Youghal Lighthouse and he is buried in Templemichael graveyard.

Tommy Smyth of the Alms Houses was lost overboard at Rouen in france in 1933.

William John Coleman of Quay Lane died aboard ship in 1936 on the way to Australia. He was buried at sea.

Captain Michael Duggan of Church Street was lost on the ‘Nellie Fleming’ which foundered without trace between the Bristol Channel and Youghal in February 1936. Also lost on the same vessel were: Batty Glavin, on the way home to his daughter’s wedding; Eddie Sullivan of Raheen Road on his first voyage as cabin boy; Dan Kenneally of The Mall, father of a large family; and Declan Doyle of Penders Lane, eighteen years of age.

William Ring of 135 North Main Street was lost overboard in Cardiff Docks in 1937. Having managed to hold onto a rope all night, he died the following morning from exposure.

John Doyle from Gallagher Terrace fell overboard while on a voyage to Australia in 1938. He was a brother to Declan Doyle, lost on the ‘Nellie Fleming’ two years earlier.

Connie Troy of Windmill Hill was electrocuted while repairing his fishing boat at Cobh in 1946.

Michael O’Regan of South Cross Road was serving in the Irish Naval Service on the ‘L.E. Cliona’ in 1952. He took ill on board, was brought to hospital but sadly died at just eighteen.

Patrick Sullivan of South Cross Road, was lost overboard at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1962.

 

Teddy Murphy of Kent Street, was struck down with appendicitis at sea in 1962 on the ship ‘Ordinance’. He died in Dunkirk hospital.

Tom Paul Ring of Sarsfield Terrace and Joey Gaule of Mall Lane died while asleep in their bunks on the ‘Irish Sycamore’ as it lay docked in New Orleans in 1965. Smoke inhalation was the cause of death when a fire started in an empty cabin next door.

Gerry Griffin of Brown Street, was lost overboard from the ‘Mossville’ while berthed at Cork in 1967. It was said that a plank gangway collapsed.

Noel O’Brien of De Valera Street died when he fell overboard from a dredger on the river Thames in 1968.

Joe Higgins of Strand Street fell between vessel and quay at Greenock in Scotland in 1970 and was drowned. The ship was the ‘M.V. St. William’.

 

Timothy J. Harnedy from Inchiquin, Killeagh was drowned in 1982 while swimming at Bondi Beach in Australia. Ted was the ship’s radio officer and was on leave, awaiting a plane home.

James Jessie Collins of Raheen Road, died on the tanker ‘Rathcoyle’ in 1994. Asleep in his bunk, while docked at Ellesmere Port near Chester, he died of a heart attack.

Fishermen who died in River, Harbour and Bay tragedies.

James Hannigan of Wesley Place, drowned when a salmon yawl overturned in Youghal Harbour in 1886. Connie Glavin of Greens Quay was also lost in that disaster.

Two Flaherty brothers and two Mulcahy brothers of Monatrea, were drowned when their salmon boat capsized at Mangans Cove in 1887.

Four men were drowned near the Metal Bridge in 1892 when their salmon yawl turned over. They were Maurice Keogh, Maurice Fleming, William Keating and John White — all were from Ardsallagh. They were using a dipping-lug sail at the time with which it was hard to change tack.

John Hogan of Ardsallagh went for a swim in 1916 at the High Rock near Fleming’s Ferry, between fishing the tides., and it cost him his life. He had his passage booked to America and a tailor named Bride in Youghal was making a suit of clothes for him.

Tommy Smith of Primrose Lane, was drowned in Youghal Harbour in 1923 when his salmon boat captized. With him and also lost were Pats Murray of Monatrea and Tom Aher of Porters Lane. Saved that day was Mike Hannigan, who was Cox of the local lifeboat for years.

Bob Foley of Water treet was drowned when another salmon boat turned over in 1927. Also lost then were Declan Kenure of Windmill Lane and Jim Boland of Water Street.

Then in 1933, yet another salmon yawl capsized on the river. Drowned that day were Johnny Brennan of The Mall and Tommy Truxie Griffin of Mill Road. Rescued were Tommy Muta Heaphy and Mike O’Neill.

Mick O’Brien-Stokes of Sarsfield Terrace died of a heart attack in his boat while fishing down the harbour in 1949.

Paddy Barry of Ceann a Bhotair (Redbarn) received severe head injuries when his boat turned over off the beach at Redbarn in 1954. He died of his injuries in hospital.

Declan Hannon of South Main Street was lost overboard from a fishing boat in Waterford Harbour in 1972.

 

 

Danny Twohig of Blackwater Heights suffered a heart attack while hauling his nets on the river in 1992. He died in the boat.

Lost at War

Richard Ahern of Youghal, died when the ‘H.M.S. Goliah’ was sunk in 1915.

William Patrick Nolan of Brown Street, died in the sinking of ‘H.M.S. Defence’ in 1916.

 

Michael Mulcahy of Ardmore was killed when the ‘H.M.S. Indefatigable’ was sunk in 1916.

Maurice McGrath of the Clock Gate, died on the ‘H.M.S. Davis’ in 1917.

John Hyde of the Ferrypoint, died when the ‘H.M.S. Cornwall’ went down in 1918.

When the ‘H.M.S. Laurentic’ hit a minefield off Malin Head near Derry in 1917, it cost the lives of four Youghal sailors. They were: Patrick Brennan and John Buckley, both of The Mall; William Lynch, Buckley’s Lane; and Jacky O’Brien, Windmill Lane.

William Glavin of Windmill Hill was lost when the minesweeper ‘Mignonette’ was torpedoed off the Cork coast in 1917.

Tommy Stack of South Cross Road, Miley Long of Water Street and Jack Murphy of South Main Street died in 1940 when the aircraft carrier ‘H.M.S. Glorious’ was sunk by battle cruisers in the North Sea.

Brendan Murphy of Market square and William Kirby of The Mall died on the cruiser ‘H.M.S. Gallatea’ when it was torpedoed and sunk off Alexandria in 1941. It sank in ninety seconds.

Two more Youghal men died when the battleship ‘H.M.S. Barham’ was torpedoed and sunk off Alexandria in 1941. They were Jerry Connolly of Cork Hill and Bobby Webster of Sarsfield Terrace. The two men were stokers down below and had little chance of escape following the four torpedo hits.

Tommy Roche of Water Street died when the armed trawler ‘Lincoln City’ was sunk in the North Atlantic in 1941. He is buried on the Faroe Islands.

Jimmy Walsh of Raheen Road lost his life early during the Second World War when his ship, a merchantman, was sunk by a torpedo. It is said that in his house was a picture of a sailor returning home with his bag over his shoulder and his family running to greet him. On the night that Jimmy died at sea, the picture fell off the wall for no apparent reason — the cord had not broken and the nail was still firmly stuck in the wall.

Bill Kelly of Market Square was killed when his vessel, the ‘Swiftpool’ was bombed while moored on the Thames river.

 

Maurice Cooney of Kent Street, on another merchantman, was killed by U boat action in 1941.

 

Tommy Mulcahy of Market Square died on the ‘Kingston Hill’ after it was torpedoed in 1941. He was engaged to be married.

John Ronayne of South Cross Road was in the merchant navy and was lost as a result of U boat action early in the war.

Edward Fowkes of Ashe Street was on the ‘Shakespeare’ during an aircraft attack on the ship. He was killed on deck.

Peter Lynch of Church Street lost his life when ‘S.S. Milos’ was torpedoed and sunk in 1942. His parents later lived in the house which had been the Fever Hospital at Raheen Road.

Alfie Hartnett of Barrys Lane was on the ‘Irish Pine’ when it was sunk by U-608 in the North Atlantic in 1942. The ‘Irish Pine’ was clearly showing neutral markings and was lit up to show the Irish connection. It was a bad decision on the part of the U boat captain.

Connie Glavin of Cork Hill died when his vessel the ‘S.S. Miriam

Thomas’ was run over by an American troop ship in the Irish Sea. There was no survivor from Connie’s ship after that calamity.

Eddie Glavin of Cork Hill, Connie’s brother, died when his ship was torpedoed, just three days out of New Zealand, in 1943.

Michael Lynch of Kent Street fell ill on board his ship ‘S.S. British Renown’ in 1944 and died. He is buried on the Isle of Wight.

Paddy McGrath of Strand Street died when the ‘S.S. Empire Heritage’ was sunk by a mine in 1944. He had earlier survived two sinkings by torpedo in the North Atlantic.

More Youghal Seaman Lost

Captain William O’Brien of The Mall was drowned when he fell overboard at Greens Quay from the ‘Rob Roy’ in 1900. It seems that he had been asleep in his bunk for awhile before he awoke to find the ship ranging (beginning to tug) at her ropes due to a build-up of sea swell. A storm was imminent! William got up to adjust the fenders of the vessel, ensuring that it would not damage itself against the quay wall. Tragically, in the process, he fell overboard and was drowned.

Another Captain, William Jones of Friar Street, was lost from the ‘S.S.’ Athena’ as the vessel navigated the Majellan Straits in Southern Argentina. It happened in 1904, ten years before the opening of the Panama Canal. At that time, the only way from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic for large ships was around Cape Horn, or via the nearby Majellan Straits for smaller ones.

 

When the ‘Hiland Mar’ went onto the rocks at Ardo Head near Ardmore in 1894, it cost the lives of two Youghal sailors. They were named as seamen Bennet and Fenton and both were from the Windmill Hill area. The ‘Hiland Mar’ was carrying steel for an extension to the Youghal Brickworks on that ill-fated voyage. The skipper — Captain Nagle of The Mall — escaped by climbing the cliffs to reach the nearby house of the Terry family.

 

In the second half of the last century, two disasters in Ardmore cost the lives of four of their salmon fishermen. On both occasions, the boats overturned. Lost to the sea in 1982 were: Liam Lincoln and Tom Morrissey of Ardmore.

Then in 1995 cousins Paul Dunne and Edmond Fitzgerald also died in similar circumstances when they were drowned while salmon fishing at Ardmore.

The total number listed here ( and this may not be complete ) is ninety-four.

God grant peace to all their souls.

Ever wonder how far it is from Cork to Swansea?  Staff at the 4 star Garryvoe Hotel, on the shore of Ballycotton Bay in East Cork, decided to run a fundraising event that would cover the distance to raise funds for their local RNLI lifeboat station across the bay in Ballycotton.

Proposals were put forward and the idea of Swimming to Swansea was born.  It is approx. 314 kms from Cork to Swansea and the organisers wondered if they could cover the distance in 24 hours.  Those taking part quickly realised that if this mammoth task was to succeed they would need some help.  Posters were put up in the hotel leisure centre looking for volunteers.  Leisure centre members interested in taking part were encouraged to take sponsorship cards.

On Saturday, 23 July 2011, at 8am, a team of 25 swimmers started a relay swim in the Garryvoe hotel leisure centre swimming pool.  Their aim was to swim 80 kms in 12 hours.  When the swimmers were finished their part of the swim they were presented with a bag with fruit and bottled water, sponsored by the Village Greengrocer in Castlemartyr.

The second part of the fundraising event was to row the balance of the distance, i.e. 234 kms. Approaches were made to the Fastnet Line, who kindly agreed to sponsor the return trip for the fundraising team and provided a cabin to rest in between rowing.  At 6pm on the 23rd a team of 9 rowers took a bus from the Garryvoe Hotel to Ringaskiddy to catch the Fastnet Line ferry to Swansea.  They brought three rowing machines with them. Two came from the Garryvoe Hotel leisure centre and a third was provided by T&T Fitness.

The 9 rowers formed three teams of 3 and commenced rowing on deck in relays.  They rowed from Cork to Swansea.  While one team was rowing the others rested in the cabin provided by the Fastnet Line.  To ensure the fundraisers got the best support possible, and raised as much money for Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat as they could, regular announcements were made throughout the ship encouraging travellers to visit the rowers and offer their support.  RNLI lifeboat collection buckets were placed close to the rowing machines and passengers dropped money into them to help with the sponsorship effort.

The weary but delighted team of swimmers and rowers completed their 314 kms task.  In January 2012, when all funds were counted, Stephen Belton, General Manager, and staff at Garryvoe Hotel presented a cheque for €3,500 to members of the Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat fundraising committee.  Mr. Belton related that the staff at Garryvoe Hotel were delighted to support this local charity.  Committee Chairman, Fiona Flynn, said the funds raised by the Garryvoe Hotel and Leisure Centre staff and members would go towards on-going training of lifeboat crew.  Ms Flynn thanked them for their efforts and explained how much it is appreciated by all involved at Ballycotton RNL lifeboat station.

We queued up at Garryvoe in East Cork on Christmas morning to park our car.  I wondered had I hibernated for six months and awoken in a different season.  When it was our turn to go we had to park the car three quarters way down the promenade and walk back to the hub of the activity.  This was not a normal day; the swimmers were all going to swim for charity.

We got out of the car wrapped in our winter woollies and fleece lined jackets.  A strong wind was blowing, bringing with it the rain and the cold.  We were greeted by people wrapped in towels.  Many had Santa hats on and towels wrapped around them.  I felt the odd one out with my jacket keeping me warm and dry.

There was no hanging around.  They were on a mission and that was to do what they were paid to do, get wet.  The Irish lifeboat service was one of several charities represented at Garryvoe this Christmas morning.  The banter was good humoured but their reason for being there was serious.

In 2010, when many were sitting down to their Christmas dinner the crew of the Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat launched to assist three persons who had become stranded on the island off Ballycotton pier by the incoming tide.  Ralph Gunn is one of many who happily give up an hour on Christmas Day for this well needed charity.  Who knows when you or a friend or even a member of your family will need to call on this service?  The Irish lifeboat service depends on donations and fundraising events to operate this free service.  Ballycotton in East Cork is one of over forty RNLI lifeboat stations throughout Ireland who are on standby 24 / 7 and they are very thankful for all the support they have received in 2011.

Youghal Lighthouse Offered To Town Council – By Christy Parker

The transfer of Youghal Lighthouse into the care of Youghal Town Council was the subject of a presentation to December’s town council meeting by Tim Ryan, the Inspector of Local Aids to Navigation for the Commission of Irish Lights (CIL).

Mr Ryan began by explaining how the CIL, which dates back to 1665, remains tasked with responsibility for Irish lighthouses, north and south of the border, under the 1894 Merchant Shipping Act. The commission oversees general (outer harbour more or less) navigation across 80 lighthouses, 145 buoys, 488 beacons and several electronic aid mechanisms such as marine DGPS’s, along with 4,200 local (inner harbour) navigation aids, including sea farming.

Technological advances have now surpassed the need for many navigational aids, inclusive of lighthouses and every five years the CIL reviews its remit. Elaborating, Mr. Ryan explained that “there are two buoys south of Youghal to warn general shipping of the dangers from the Barr Rocks and the Blackball Ledge. The lighthouse in turn guides local shipping to the north or west of the dangers. Effectively, if need be, the lighthouse could be replaced by three more buoys.”

Under this criteria, a CIL review in 2010 deemed Youghal lighthouse an aid to local navigation only. Government funding, strictly audited, now only supports assistance to general navigation aids, so the commission wants to hand over the Youghal Lighthouse to the local authority. Similar arrangements continue to occur throughout the country, whereby the CIL will provide advice and assistance but will not advance monetary support.

On departing, the CIL would bequeath a large quantity of the 1,000 watt bulbs (two a year) required to flash warnings, but the remaining cost of maintaining the acquirement was estimated at about €5,000 a year. Cllr O’Connell, to general agreement, suggested that the structure could generate income towards this through tourism initiatives, as has occurred in, to similar circumstances elsewhere. She also wondered -half joking but fully serious- if the house could be handed over at a “knocked-down” price but the CIL representative pleaded that his organisation was as funds deficient as everyone else these days.

No house

Cllr Linehan-Foley reflected the widely-held sentiment that Youghal Lighthouse, in common with the Clock Gate and Town Walls is iconic to Youghal and has to be maintained. So far so good, but the discussion hit the rocks somewhat when Mr Ryan explained that the CIL is only parting with the lighthouse and its adjoining out houses. It will retain ownership of the nearby dwelling and garden that also occupy the compound. The reason for this is quite simply that this section –currently leased as a holiday home- has a market value, which the CIL is in the process of defining.

The CIL envisaged erecting a 2m high dividing fence between both aspects, while creating a separate entrance for the garden. Rejecting this notion, Cllr Liam Burke argued that, “It has been a complete site since Norman times. In fact the Norman’s brought over nuns from the Order of St. Ann in France to run the lighthouse. A dividing fence would tarnish its historical integrity and reduce its heritage value,” he argued as he asked that CIL consider providing the house as well.

Mr Ryan was not of a mind to give away houses however. He suggested two alternatives. “You could either buy it or, perhaps, lease it,” he urged. When light is thrown on the market value of the house and garden, he will inform the council.

 

Related Story: Click here to read ‘Ireland To Pay For Its Own Lighthouses’

 

They swam in the snow in 2010 on Christmas morning for Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat.  Would you look forward to your Christmas Day swim this year?  Ralph Gunn’s hardy men and women are.

They are gearing up to take their annual Christmas morning swim at Garryvoe Beach in East Cork at 12 noon in aid of Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat.  The swimmers are currently looking for sponsorship for their efforts but are always interested in swelling their numbers.  If there is anyone interested in fundraising by taking a dip at Garryvoe Beach for Ballycotton lifeboat they could contact 087 4151475.

The swim at Garryvoe has become a Christmas Day tradition for many in East Cork.  If they are not going into the water many travel to the beach to support the swimmers and wish all a Happy Christmas.

Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat station are thankful for the support given to them throughout the year.  Weather permitting, crew members will be seen in their lifeboat boarding boat at Garryvoe in support of those taking a dip for them this Christmas morning.

Many supporters of Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat look forward to their annual fundraising event at Ballymaloe House early in the New Year.  Around this time of year their thoughts go to booking their tickets and supporting this worthy cause.

Phil Coulter has been a great supporter of the RNLI lifeboat service in Ireland for many years.  What many people don’t know is that he was in Ballycotton when, going down the hill to the pier, past the lifeboat house and onto the steps leading up to the storm wall that runs along the length of the pier, the final verse of Home from the Sea came to him.

The Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat fundraising committee are organising their annual event in the impressive Grain Store at Ballymaloe House on Wednesday, 8 February 2012, and Phil Coulter has kindly agreed to act as host.  Tickets are €65 and are available from the organising committee.  Enquiries can be made by ringing 087 4151475 or via email to ballycottonrnli14@eircom.net.  These tickets  would make a wonderful Christmas present, with something to look forward to in the New Year and supporting the Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat at the same time.

The organisers are thrilled that Phil Coulter will be hosting the event and are thankful for the continued support of management and staff at Ballymaloe House.  They hope the event will be well supported and will be a good start to their fundraising efforts in 2012 for the vital RNLI lifeboat service at Ballycotton.

 

Related Video:

Santa Claus is in a bit of a pickle this year.  He didn’t take up the scrappage scheme and now realises his sleigh has seen better days.  It is going to need considerable work done in order to pass its NCT in January.  At this late stage in the year he can’t bring it into the workshop or it won’t be ready for Christmas and he can’t disappoint the children.  He will have to draw up a contingency plan.

As Ireland is surrounded by water there is the possibility that Santa’s sleigh could run into difficulties at sea.  His sleigh can land anywhere but how would he get ashore if he had to ditch it at sea.  He knows the RNLI lifeboats are on call 24 / 7 and has been talking to members of the crew at Ballycotton in East Cork.

Santa usually takes the reindeers for a run a week before Christmas to get them ready for Christmas Eve.  He has arranged to do an exercise with Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat on Saturday, 17 December, at 12 noon.  The lifeboat crew will rescue him and bring him ashore at Ballycotton pier so he knows what to expect in case of such an event occurring.

Santa Claus is inviting children to come down to meet him at noon on Saturday, 17 December on Ballycotton pier.   He would like to hear what they want for Christmas and in return is looking for some ideas on what he should do in case his sleigh breaks down and he needs help.  His time will be short in Ballycotton as his sleigh will only stay afloat for a couple of hours.

The volunteers at Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat station have told Santa they will be ready to answer his call (or anyone else’s for that matter) if the need arises.  Santa hopes he will meet plenty of children before he has to return to his sleigh so, children, don’t disappoint him.

THE YOUGHAL RNLI was launched for the second time in a week on Thursday 1st December at 13:47. It went to the aid a 20ft fishing vessel with 3 persons on board that had broken down with engine failure 2 miles south of Black Ball Head. Weather conditions were calm at the time.

The Youghal Lifeboat The Patricia Jennings with its volunteer crew Patsy O’ Mahony, Thomas Cliffe and helmsman John Griffin Jnr arrived on scene and established a tow.  The fishing vessel along with the 3 casualties were towed safely to the Shipping Quay in Youghal where the Lifeboat handed over to the Youghal Coast Guard. Pic: John Hennessy | website: www.jhennessy.net

 

Related Video: Youghal Emergency Services Demonstration 2009

Youghal Emergency services in action in Youghal, An exercise involving the RNLI, Coast Guard, Ambulance Services, Civil Defence and Air Rescue, This exercise was carried out near Claycastle Beach, where there was a command post set up, including a decontamination area.

9:03 PM 30th Nov. 2011
Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat was launched this evening, Wednesday, 30 November, at 2040 hours to an Irish registered fishing vessel taking water approx. 20 miles south east of Ballycotton.  The Waterford based Coastguard helicopter, Rescue 117, was also launched and is en route to the fishing vessel.  Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat is expected to be with the casualty at approx. 2130 hours.  Weather conditions are rough with winds blowing Force 8 in the area.  When on scene attempts will be made to place a salvage pump aboard the fishing vessel to help manage the water intake and the fishing vessel will be taken under tow. More to follow later….

Wed, Nov 30th, 2011 at 11:17 PM - Latest : The alarm was raised this evening, 30 November, by an Irish registered fishing vessel taking in water approx. 20 miles south east of Ballycotton.  Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat and the Waterford based Coastguard helicopter, Rescue 117, were requested to launch to lend assistance.

With winds blowing up to Force 8 in Ballycotton the RNLI lifeboat, Austin Lidbury, with its volunteer crew, slipped her moorings at 2045 hours and headed towards the fishing vessel’s reported position.  The four man crew of the fishing vessel were keeping the water intake under control with buckets and steamed their fishing boat towards the oncoming lifeboat.  Conditions in the area were poor, with high winds, rough seas and squally showers.  At 2140 hours the Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat arrived on scene with Rescue 117 arriving shortly thereafter.

The emergency services stood by the fishing vessel while it headed towards Ballycotton harbour under its own power.  Rescue 117 returned to base having updated themselves on the situation and the Ballycotton RNLI lifeboat escorted the fishing vessel for the remainder of the journey.  The fishing vessel arrived in Ballycotton at 2300 hours and an RNLI salvage pump was placed aboard to extract the excess water.  The four man crew offered their thanks to the emergency services for the assistance given.