From The Archives Edited By Ted Creedon Dingle Bay Rescue From – Longford Journal, 13 January 1877 Last Wednesday a ship bound for Cork from Prince Edward Island, Canada, was rescued in Dingle Bay by local pilots John and Joseph O’Flaherty. The name of the vessel is James Duncan and she was carrying a cargo of oats. She was crippled in a storm off the Skelligs a few days earlier when her rigging was torn away and her foremast had to be cut down by the crew. The ship was spotted by a person on lookout who raised the alarm. The pilots immediately set off in their smack and came up to the vessel. She was brought safely into Dingle harbour much to the relief of the captain, his wife and their children.
The Age of the Goat From – Tralee Chronicle, 6 May 1862 Dingle solicitor Arthur Benner had a goat that wandered off his property. Mr. Benner believed his two year-old goat was being kept by Daniel Collins and summonsed him. Collins protested his innocence and stated he had bought the goat from an uncle and that the goat was at least seven years old. The court ordered that a man be dispatched to examine the animal to determine its age. This he did and on returning to the court he declared the goat to be around seven years old. The hearing dismissed the summons.
Storms and Wreck From – Cork Constitution, 01 January 1856 West Kerry was lashed by powerful gales and heavy seas at the weekend forcing six vessels to run for shelter in Ventry harbour. Coincidentally, all six were bound for Cork from various parts of the world. The John and Henry, an American ship, was en route from New York with a cargo of flour and wheat. A British ship named Priam had sailed from the Isle of France [Mauritius] with a cargo of sugar. Another British vessel, Susan, was en route from Athens with a cargo of Indian corn. A third British brig, Maryanne, was carrying a cargo of mahogany from Demerara [now Guyana, in South America]. A French schooner, Siria, had arrived from Athens, also with a cargo of Indian corn. The sixth vessel was a Portuguese schooner, Hiate Fiel, with a cargo of fruit. The local Coast Guards under Chief Boatman Garrett Cotter undertook the dangerous task, in heavy seas, to board one of the ships. [Probably to search for smuggled goods or signs of disease such as cholera]. The weather became so violent they had to remain on the vessel all night. During the night, and at the height of the storm, the Hiate Fiel dragged her anchors and by morning was driven on the rocks in the harbour’s eastern shore where she was smashed to pieces. Fortunately, the crew managed to board one of the other ships and there was no loss of life. Her cargo of fruit, mainly oranges and lemons, was battered beyond recovery and scattered around the shore and rocks. A few days earlier local pilot Joseph Flahery and some fishermen went to the assistance of two other vessels that were anchored in a dangerous location in Dingle Bay and brought them safely into Dingle harbour.
Black ’47 From – Kerry Evening Post, 29 December 1847 Last Monday several destitute people from the west of Dingle arrived in the town seeking to have the Relieving Officer put their names on the relief list. Shortly after their arrival seven of them collapsed in the street from hunger and it was feared they would die. Doctor Hickson attended to them and gradually restored them to awareness. However, they were in such poor condition that a priest was summoned to give them the last rites. It was decided not to place them in the fever hospital and accommodation was found for them elsewhere. It is believed that the Relieving Officers, Mr. Moriarty and Mr. Kennedy are unable to cope with the demand for relief that is so badly needed at present. It should be noted that the fishermen of Dingle are also in a state of destitution and severe want and are exhausted from trying to work their fishing boats during this very stormy period. The only boats involved in limited fishing are canoes which don’t demand the same level of physical strength as the larger vessels.
Horsemen at the Gallop From – Kerry Evening Post, 29 April 1893 Two young men were fined at Dingle court this week for galloping their horses through the streets of the town. Constable Sullivan stated that the men, John Curran of Dingle and Daniel Devane of Murreigh had recently ridden their horses at a dangerous gallop through the streets of the town including up Main Street and down Green Street. The court was told by District Inspector Lowndes that such dangerous activity by young horsemen was becoming more and more common. It was also reported that a man was almost killed in Aunascaul in recent days in a similar incident. Captain Keogh stated that such behaviour put the lives of children and elderly people at risk. Curran and Devane were each fined five shillings.
Vinum Vitea Est *
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