About 50 years ago a large sailing ship named the "Alfred-de-Snow" homeward bound from America with a cargo of grain for Falmouth ran for Waterford Harbour. The captain made an error of tide and found when he got inside of Dunmore that they had not sufficient water.

He tried to put the ship back out to sea but she ran ashore at Broomhead on the Wexford coast below Passage East. "The Dauntless", the river steam-boat, went to their assistance, but on reaching Duncannon owing to the huge waves the engines stopped, the paddles broke, and she drifted with the tide.A large tug boat, weather-bound at Ballyhack called, the "Storm-cock" was piloted by Paddy Toole from Passage. The captain of the Storm-cock was not available as he had gone to Waterford and could not be found. The lifeboat from Dunmore went to the assistance of the Alfred de Snow but the weather was so rough that the lifeboat turned over and one of the crew was drowned. She had to put back to Dunmore. The Alfred de Snow was then left to the mercy of the waves at Broomhead and the crew of nineteen was drowned. Passage-men for weeks afterwards