The MV Shapinsay was a converted fishing trawler that came to grief on the Hook Peninsula in November 1967. Miraculously, no one aboard died, thanks in part to the bravery of her master, but also the sharp eyes of the lightkeepers of Hook Head Lighthouse.

In early October I had a query to the blog asking for any details on the MV Shapinsay from Kenny Meason. Kenny was coming to visit Ireland and he wanted to track down the vessel named for his island home. This blog post is the fruit of the search.

However before we commence, a short announcement. This marks a milestone for the blog. For this story number 500. Hard to believe that starting in May 2014 that the accounts would still be coming and that the readership would still be there too. And if you are worried that we may be running out of content, there are 265 stories in draft with 19 on the desktop in development for 2026. So thank you for the continued support, and on with the stories.

Scottish coaster, Shapinsay, was driven ashore near Hook Head Lighthouse on the South Wexford coast in the early hours of Tuesday 7^th November 1967. The vessel was a converted trawler, registered in Kirkwall in the Orkney islands. (Shapinsay is the 8th largest island, of which there are 70, and the 29th largest Scottish island). The five man crew (some accounts say six) were on a voyage from Greenock, Scotland to St Vincent in the West Indies. It was intended to use the vessel in the coasting trade around the Caribbean Islands.

Having developed engine trouble off the Coningbeg Rocks on the Monday Nov 6, the vessel had drifted close to shore and dropped anchor near Slade Bay. In the clear view of Hook Lighthouse, the crew worked on her diesel engine. Unfortunately, as night drew in the wind started to freshen. The vessel began to drag her anchors in the middle of Monday night.

Distress rockets were fired as they were driven close to the shore and these were seen by the keepers at Hook Lighthouse, Michael Smith and his two assistants, James Tweedy and Peter Duggan. They notified Laurence Molloy chief of the Fethard-on- Sea coast lifesaving service. The lighthouse men also called out the Dunmore East Lifeboat – Annie Blanche Smith.

Front cover of the Munster Express.

Shapinsay drifted perilously close to the jagged rocks of the peninsula, her master, M. D. S. Henderson, donned a lifejacket and leapt into the surf with a rope.  The Fethard men with the lightkeepers were on hand and assisted him out of the water, and then made fast the rope ashore. How the Lifesaving crew got there so quickly is untold, but presumably, with clear directions from the lighthouse men, they had come by car, and through the fields.

The other four crew members, all Scottish, then struggled through the heavy surf in an inflatable rubber life raft, moving hand over hand along the rope to safety. Once ashore, they were guided over the jagged and slippery rocks to the safety of the fields above. I have no further details on the actions of the lifeboat – perhaps it helped with lights ashore initially, but with an all’s well signal from shore, returned to base. The rescued and rescuers retired to the lighthouse, where they dried off, and the survivors were given a hot meal. They were later taken to the hotel Naomh Seosamh in Fethard-on-Sea.  Dr. Casey of Duncannon was alerted, and he treated a crew member who sustained facial injuries.

The + marks the spot as best as I can work it out, below is a link to my online shipwreck google map which I had hoped would be viewable but it would not load on the site (but I will keep trying).

<iframe src=”https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1dRAwz-yKiZVWh0jgyYG3eU51JA1pbcI&ehbc=2E312F” width=”640″ height=”480″></iframe>

The Irish Times report concludes with the sense that the Shapinsay was a wreck and would not be refloated. Certainly, an image from the Munster Express taken the following day confirm this. It would also record that due to valuables aboard, the local Gardai were keeping watch on the vessel. I could find no mention of these being salvaged. One interesting snippet was that the vessel was bringing a number of cured Scottish hams on the journey as presents. These were stowed in a rowboat, which was washed off the deck from the wreck. It should have been very well pickled if found, but again, there were no reports thereafter.

An enhanced image using Chat GPT, which helps give some clarity to the vessel, but removed a number of the onlookers from nine people to six.

Finally, the gentleman who started this quest has since come to Waterford and the Hook and had a fruitful trip reconnecting with this vessel and her fateful end. I asked him for any further information, and he had this to say on the vessel and her connection with his homeland

“… she was owned by Cpt William Denison. In the 50s/early  60s  she ran cargoes of eggs (millions per week) to Glasgow as the islands could produce huge free range quantities, this before someone invented the battery cage and ruined the industry. we had a much vaunted education system.- the story was that Orkney’s  main exports were eggs and professors.

Bill Denison and his brother Robin were both shipmasters running their own ferry and freight companies. They came from a long line of Shapinsay residents.  Bill was a navigating officer on a destroyer WW2…Bills son Chris (Kit) was the harbourmaster at Killybegs and may still be there although at 75 he may be retired!”

You can see a photo of the vessel in her prime in the Scottish Isles.

A photo I took some years back from the area, perhaps a local may know if this is the remains of the Shapinsay or another incident on the Hook. Edit – Paddy Roche later identified this as remains from the Glenmalure wreck of 1970.

So to conclude, the vessel Shapinsay – originally Northesk (1913) (ON 135786) was built by John Duthie, Torry Shipbuilding Co, Aberdeen. She was registered at 100 grt, Length 86.2 ft, Breadth 18.6 ft and Draft of 9.1 ft. Built as a fishing vessel she was first owned by Joseph Johnstone & Sons Ltd., Montrose.

The vessel was registered in Buckie in 1924 – BCK66. She was later owned by William Bruce of Buckie in 1930 and by Mrs Jennie Bruce of Buckie in 1940. The vessel was also requisitioned during both wars by the Admiralty. She served as Northesk II in WWI as there was already a destroyer of that name. In WWII she was used to provision the estimated 500 servicemen stationed on the island.

She was bought by William (Bill) Dennison, Kirkwall in 1950 and converted as a motor coaster, moving from fishing to egg carrying! The product, of which millions were produced weekly, was loaded at the egg packing station at Ayre Mills and transported down the Caladonian Canal to the waiting market of Glasgow. Locally it was said she may have been the last coaster to use sail in the islands. She was later sold to either a Melvin McIntosh or MDS Henderson to be used in the coasting trade of the West Indies.

Had she crossed the Atlantic, perhaps the vessel would have still been in service. However, it is now just another incident chalked down to the dangerous waters along our coastline. But at least those aboard were saved, thanks in no small part to the ever-vigilant lightkeepers of Hook. (Hook became a relieving lighthouse in 1977 and was fully automated in 1996, but there was something to be said, and mourned, for those ever-vigilant eyes on the coast)

The article is made up from reports in the New Ross Standard, Irish Times and Munster Express. I’m indebted to Cian Manning, Liam Ryan, David Carroll and Kenny Meason and Claire Cruddas for extra information. Also, to acknowledge the work of the late John Power of Kilmore Quay.

Tides & Tales