SINKING OF SHIP REMEMBERED
The sinking of the SS Dundalk with the loss of 20 lives on October 14, 1914, just weeks before the end of the First World War, was remembered last weekend.
An impressive exhibition recalling the impact which the sinking of the merchant ship had on Dundalk, was officially opened on Friday in the County Museum by UK Defence Attaché, Colonel Darren Doherty.
Relatives of the crew, both those who survived and those who perished after the ship was torpedoed by a German submarine as she returned from Liverpool’s Collingwood Dock to Dundalk Harbour, gathered in the museum for the opening of the exhibition.
Museum curator Brian Walsh noted: ‘ The sinking of the SS Dundalk is one of the most significant events in Louth history. This was a terrible time in Irish marine history - only days before the sinking of the SS Dundalk, more than 500 people lost their lives when the RMS Leinster was torpedoed off the Dublin coast. These attacks happened only weeks before the end of WWI. We hope that this exhibition, along with other events taking place around the county to mark the centenary of the tragedy, are a fitting tribute to those who lost their lives.’
He paid tribute to the committee who had worked hard to ensure that the memory of those aboard the SS Dundalk lives on and saluted their civic mindedness.
UK Defence Attaché, Col. Darren Doherty said he was honoured to be in Dundalk to open the fascinating exhibition.
‘ This exhibition is a timely reminder of the close social, economic and cultural ties not only between Dundalk, and cities and ports such as Liverpool and Glasgow, but also of the interconnectedness of the household and national economies, something that resonates to this day. I would encourage anyone with an interest in local history and this era to visit the exhibition.
The exhibition, which is currently on view at the County Museum, explores topics such as Louth’s booming port trade in the early 1900s, German WWI strategies, life in Dundalk during the war, and the effect of the loss of life on the victims’ families and friends.
It features a variety of elements, including recent video footage of the vessel on the sea floor and photographs of the ship during construction as well as its routine operation. Exhibition highlights include models of the ship, the ship’s compass which was rescued from the stricken vessel and a memorial plaque, often referred to as the ‘Dead Man’s Penny’, given to the family of Vincent Morgan, one of the victims of the tragedy.
Other events to mark the centenary of the SS Dundalk took place at the weekend including an ecumenical memorial service in St Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday afternoon. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the army, navy, lifeboats, coastguard, civil defence and fire service, and relatives of those on board the ill-fated ship.