Posted on

Book Launch of ‘Dauntless Courage’: Celebrating the History of Dunmore East RNLI

As any blog regular will know, the lifeboats and their actions are a feature of so many of the stories on Tides and Tales. So it is with great anticipation that we look forward to the forthcoming Dauntless Courage, a history of the Dunmore East Lifeboat Station in the coming weeks. And even more so, as it is one of our own, a regular guest blogger on the page, David Carroll who is the author. Some further details below.

Radio presenter Damien Tiernan will lead an online panel discussion (Wednesday 25 November at 8 pm) with ‘Dauntless Courage’ author David Carroll and Dunmore East RNLI volunteer crew members.

WLR FM radio presenter, former South East correspondent for RTE and author of ‘Souls of the Sea’ Damien Tiernan will lead the panel discussion with the author of ‘Dauntless Courage’ David Carroll who will also be joined by Dunmore East RNLI volunteer crew members Brendan Dunne and Neville Murphy. The launch is coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Glenmalure Tragedy which is featured in the book.

‘Dauntless Courage’: Celebrating the History of the Dunmore East RNLI, their crews and the Maritime Heritage of the Local Community. All proceeds from the book will be going to the local Dunmore East Lifeboat Fundraising Branch to support the saving of lives on our seas.

After several years researching and writing of the book, the public unveiling will take place online with an in-depth panel discussion of the research involved in writing the book, the characters behind the lifejackets, the many acts of courage that took place far from shore, and a look at the local community that was so often the backbone of every crew that took to sea to save those whose lives were in peril.

L-R Damien Tiernan, David Carroll, Brendan Dunne and Neville Murphy

The online event will take place on Wednesday 25 November at 8 pm for approximately forty minutes, with a live Q&A session for attendees afterwards. Registration for the event can be made by clicking here

David Carroll, author of Dauntless Courage said: ‘What has really struck me about writing this book has been the amazing goodwill and generosity of so many people who have helped to make this book possible, especially all the interesting and historic photographs and paintings that we have been given access to for inclusion in the book’.

David in company with Brendan Dunne on a research trip (pre covid) to Poole

Damian Tiernan, WLR FM radio presenter said: ‘I am honoured and delighted to be hosting this discussion, I have a long association with members of the RNLI in Dunmore and I worked closely with them over the years. The publication is a wonderful record of all that has happened complete with superb pen portraits and descriptions of events and superbly written and produced’.

Here’s what Dr Pat McCarthy has to say about the book

I must admit I am really looking forward to the book. I’m hoping that if time allows David may do a guest blog featuring one of the rescues that the lifeboat and her crew were involved with in the coming weeks. You can preorder the book now. All proceeds go to the local Dunmore East Lifeboat Fundraising Branch to support the saving of lives on our seas. If you have any questions or need further information on the book you can email dunmorelifeboatbook@gmail.com

Posted on

Bob jumps to the rescue

On Saturday night, 12th Nov 1955 a collision in the River Mersey involving three ships saw one ship sink, 9 crewmen struggle for an hour without lifejackets in freezing water and a dramatic rescue which included three young seamen from the village of Cheekpoint Co Waterford.

The Cheekpoint men were my father, Bob Doherty, my uncle John and Jimmy (O’Dea) Doherty. They were departing Liverpool as seamen aboard the MV Ocean Coast in dense fog.  The ship was carrying general cargo and bound for Falmouth.  The three were just out of their teens, but already seasoned sailors.

My father Bob on right with unidentified shipmates

The first official communication on the night was at 22:10 when the Ocean Coast sent out the following message “Queens Channel, Q15 Buoy, River Mersey. There has been a collision between two unknown ships. I am anchored and sending a lifeboat over. Strong ebb tide running. One of the ships in the collision has sunk”

My father’s ship, MV Ocean Coast, was a twin-screw motor cargo vessel 250 ft in length and a 38ft beam and 1,790 tons dead weight. She was built for short sea route trips by Leith shipyard for the Coast Lines shipping company and was launched on 31st July 1935.  During the war years, she had served as a supply vessel to Gibraltar and North Africa.  She also played her part in the D Day landings servicing Omaha beach carrying petrol. My father was in short pants at that stage, snaring rabbits to supplement the meager supplies at home in the village, and dreaming of going to sea like his father.

The collision, it would subsequently emerge, was between a fully laden Swedish motor oil tanker SS Juno and the SS Bannprince which was operated by S William Coe of Liverpool.  The Bannprince was crewed by Northern Ireland men. Like the Ocean Coast, the Bannprince had served with a volunteer crew during the war, helping to evacuate some of the 337,130 Allied troops from Dunkirk between May and June 1940. Following this, she was taken over for “Unspecified special government services” and was one of the first ships to land at Sword beach during the D Day landings with much needed medical supplies.

The Bannprince was outward bound that fateful night, fully laden with coal for Colerain. The first the crew knew of difficulties was when the ship’s horn sounded three shrill blasts moments before there was an almighty crash and the ship heeled over.  She would sink in ten minutes and most of the crew of 9 had no time to get a life jacket.  Her lifeboats were submerged. In the freezing Mersey, the crew did what they could to stay together and help those that couldn’t swim.

It was almost an hour between collision and the calls from the lifeboat of the Ocean Coast were heard in the water.  At this point, most of the sailors were close to exhaustion and had drifted apart.  My fathers lifeboat rescued six and a lifeboat from a sister ship Southern Coast picked up the remaining 3 men including the captain and the only crew man to lose his life, second engineer James Ferris of Limavady, Derry.

They put the six survivors aboard the New Brighton lifeboat and returned to the Ocean Coast to continue their voyage.  On the 3rd April 1957 my father along with 5 other crew men (including Jimmy) received a certificate from the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society in recognition of their efforts.  The Captain received a silver cigarette box and the chief officer a parchment.  

My father went to sea as a teenager like so many other men of his generation.  Himself, Jimmy and Uncle John are now gone to their rest, and with them their best stories.  He never actually spoke at home of this rescue and it took a bit of time to actually research it. But then again, it was just after the horrors of the second world war, and events like this were trivial in comparison. Jimmy O’Dea did have a yarn about it, however.   According to his telling when they approached the men in the water my father, who was an excellent swimmer, had to jump overboard to help some of the weakened men out of the water. Jimmy O Dea and the other rescuers were returning to their ship when they noticed my father wasn’t aboard. They turned back, rowing now with a vengeance only to find my father swinging off a buoy shouting “where the hell were ye then shipmates???”  Fact or fiction we’ll never know, but my father would have loved it, the bigger the laugh the better, even at his own expense.

The new book cover which includes the blending of two images, the building of Dunmore East pier and the city dredger, Portlairge from an original image by Jonathan Allen.

This excerpt from the story is only one along with 22 others which feature in my new book about the life and times of so many ships, seafarers, and their families connected to Waterford harbour which is available now from bookshops, online, or directly. More details by email to tidesntales@gmail.com or at this link

New Book Out Now