Carlingford Lough the setting for new book

THE interesting history of shipping incidents in Carlingford Lough has been researched and collated into a book for the first time, by local man Patrick Finegan and the proceeds are going to the RNLI.

The publication - ‘Shipping Incidents of Carlingford Lough 1707-1962’ - is now available from Carrolls Bookshop priced €20 and would make a perfect gift to anyone who is interested in the marine and local history of the lough.

Mr Finegan said the book is the result of meticulous research conducted ‘ on and off ’ over a ten year period and his interest in shipping on the lough was prompted by seeing other books that focussed on Ireland as a whole or on specific areas of the country, none of which detailed the incidents in Carlingford Lough.

He said: ‘I felt it was a shame the history of shipping incidents in this lough had not been written about in great detail, so I wanted to do something about it.

‘I am from Carlingford and when I retired from work, I found I had little to do. I don’t come from a seafaring background, but I was in a bookshop one day and I picked up a book about shipwrecks of Ireland and while there were references to Cork, Kerry and a little on Louth, I saw there was a reference to a ship going down in Carlingford Lough, which set me thinking whether there might be more’.

Mr Finegan took his research quest to the National Library in Dublin and was able to look at old newspaper articles that formed the basis of more sleuthing. In addition, he was able to draw on the considerable resources at the County Library in Dundalk for additional research and was assisted throughout the process by his wife, Anne.

He said: ‘I did the research over time, bit by bit and I was able to piece the incidents together chronologically to create an overall narrative. It’s an interesting history after all, and the book covers quite a lot’.

The first incident covered in the book is the sinking of the ‘Loyalty’ which was sailing from Liverpool and a report of the sinking first appeared on October 31 1707. And while it was stated the cargo ship had sunk, there was no mention of what lives were lost.

Mr Finegan said: ‘It can only be hoped the crew reached shore safely’. The book includes around 40 pictures of the various vessels whose stories form the backbone of the book, some of which were very difficult to acquire. Some of the ships’ captains are buried in Carlingford, he reveals.

The last incident covered in the book is the sinking of the ‘Seagull’, a yacht which sank near Greenore on June 23 1962, with, thankfully, no loss of life.

Shipping Incidents of Carlinford Lough is available at Carrolls Bookshop priced €20.