School: Cúirt an tSéafraidh

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1. The Wreck of the Guelph

   

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   On a bad, wild, winter's night about the year 1887, a bark named the Guelph carrying baulks of timber drifted ashore on the south-west of Garrettstown. A crew of fifteen were on board, and four of those were aft, and they got ashore on baulks and the other eleven were drowned.
   At four o'clock that evening she passed the Galley Head and her sails only consisted of rags hanging to the masts. She was seen drifting to the Barrels by a man from Travara, who mounted a horse and drove to Courtmacsherry and reported the matter to the Coastguards who gathered the crew of the oar-lifeboat and went out. The crew of the lifeboat were, Noble Ruddock, Frank O Driscoll, his brother Jerh, John O Donovan, Jerh Keohane, John Brown, John O Brien, and two coastguards named Kirby, and Attridge. Only one of that crew is now living and he is Johnny O'Donovan.
   At ten o'clock that night these men left Tanner's pier, and before going they were told when the rocket would go off at the Point to answer it.
   An hour after they went, Frank Ruddock, and Tim Tobin went down to the Point and fired three rockets, and the lifeboat did not answer them until two hours later, that was when she reached Horse Rock.
   During that time she was only seen

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Jeremiah Coakley

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Courtmacsherry, Co. Cork

   Informant

   Tim Tobin

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Meelmane, Co. Cork