School: Gusserane
- Location:
- Gusserane, Co. Wexford
- Teacher: Bríghid, Bean Nic Fheorais
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0871, Page 299
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- A Ship-wreck
In the year 1889, off the coast of Ballyvaldon, Co Wexford, a four-masted wind-jammer vessel, bound for America, sprang a leak. Its cargo was grain, and it had a crew of from thirty-five to forty, a dog and a parrot.
Immediately they noticed the disaster they made for the shore but she ran aground and before boats could be got out she was sinking fast while the people on shore looked on in shocked amazement. Finally a boat was put out from the main-land, but before they reached the ill-fated ship, nothing remained above water, but the tops of the mast, and riggings.
In the "crow's nest" (where men keep watch) the parrot's cage, containing the parrot and dog - was always kept, and these two creatures were the only things saved.
When the people asked the parrot what had happened, strangely enough, he said "They killed 'em and ate 'em" and the people from the locality of Ballyvaldon (Co. Wexford) were ever afterwards known as the "Kill 'ems and ate 'ems".
A few days later a diver went down and released thirty-three bodies from the ship's hatches. Many of these bodies were washed ashore, and in each case, all pockets were cut.
For many years, on a clear Summer's days, the doomed ship's masts were to be seen, but in the course of time, it disappeared from the sight of man forever.
- Collector
- Peggie Doyle
- Gender
- Female
