Islands of Ireland: A personal connection to West Cork islands with a tragic past

For thousands of years nothing of much consequence happened at The Catalogues until a boating disaster 106 years ago this week, on October 10, 1918, thrust them into national headlines. They will hopefully not be mentioned again for anything of that sort for thousands of years more.

The Thomas Joseph was a fishing boat owned by John Daly of Cape Clear Island which was engaged in the lucrative trade in Baltimore at the time. On one occasion it had landed 67,000 mackerel in a single day, writes Eugene Daly. The author writes that on the fateful day the boat was on a trial run to Schull having had a new Parson’s engine fitted.

The boat, with eight passengers, three crew, and three marine engineers, left Baltimore at 5pm and reached Schull at 6.20pm. Three passengers then left the vessel to return to Baltimore by car. A foreboding decision. The boat departed Schull at 9pm in ‘a stiff breeze’ but soon ran into much heavier seas and by the time it had passed through the Calf islands a dangerous element was stalking the boat.

Passengers’ fears were soon realised when the Thomas Joseph foundered on rocks on The Catalogues as night fell. Daly, had saved several lives on the stricken Nestorian a year earlier. With the rough seas and a strong wind, the cries for help of those aboard the Thomas Joseph were barely heard on the neighbouring island of Heir. As in many crises at sea, such as with the selfless crew of the Baltimore lifeboat to this day, those who could, rushed to help as the boat sank. John Harte of Heir Island was fishing in his yawl with Jeremiah McCarthy and Timothy Murphy — they reached the scene as fast as they could and saved several passengers. They were later commended for their bravery and received medals. A second boat also assisted with the desperate attempt to save lives.

The details of the tragedy emerged in the inquest, the proceedings of which were conducted by the granduncle of this columnist, Sergeant Ambrose O’Shea, under the direction of the coroner Neville.

A survivor, Albert Collins, gave a deposition that when the boat struck rocks: “The skipper of the boat was in the wheelhouse and said ‘keep cool’. The three little girls were clinging to me. After some time Nan Shipsey let me go and jumped out of the boat. My sister and Lily Shipsey clung to me until the boat sunk. My sister and Lil Shipsey clung to me until the boat sunk. I took off my overcoat and struggled to the rocks with the two girls. The wash took me off the rocks. When I came up the girls were gone."

According to a report in the ‘Cork Examiner’, Nan’s scream for help was answered by John Harte of Heir Island who “at the risk of his own life saved her and four others". It was stated that the skipper received a bang on the head and went down with the boat along with five others. Collins and two others hung on to the mast and were saved by the two rescue boats.

The skipper was regarded as a competent seaman and it is thought the steering of the vessel was faulty. One survivor, said as much, at the inquest.

The deceased were: Lilly Shipsey and Rita Collins of Baltimore, John O’Driscoll, Ballymacrown, John Daly, and two of the engineers, Edgar Stoate and J Inglis.

How to get there: Kayak from Turk Head pier west of Skibbereen.

Other: Heir Island, Its History and People, Eugene Daly, Heron’s Way Press

Southern Star 12/10/1918

Cork Examiner 04/12/1918

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