The Connemara and The Retriever

liverpool annie · Oct 24, 2009

Some of the stories of the people who died in this disaster are tragic !

The 51 passesngers were a mixed group. Some were soldiers returning from leave, some recovered from wounds suffered in Flanders. There were people from Sligo, from Longford, from Ballybay in Monaghan, from Cavan, from Crossmaglen and Cullyhanna in South Armagh, from Dundalk in County Louth, from Ballycastle on the north coast of Co Antrim, and further afield. Many were on the first steps of emigration to America, in search of a better life. Others were visiting relations in great Britain. There were drovers who were to accompany the large number of cattle and sheep that were making the crossing and many were young girls making for the munitions factories
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The SS Connemara was a twin screw steamer, 272 feet long, 35 broad and 14 deep with a gross tonnage of 1106. She was sunk on the night of 3 November 1916 at the entrance to Carlingford Lough, Louth, Ireland after being hit amidships by the coalship Retriever. 97 lives perished that night and the only survivor was James Boyle - a fireman on the Retriever and non-swimmer (sic).
The captain on the Connemara was Captain G.H. Hoeg. The captain on the Retriever was Patrick O'Neill. Both men were experienced seamen and the accident was attributed to the atrocious weather conditions on the night.

Accident Date & Time: 3 November 1916
Conditions: Gale force winds from SWS against a strong ebb tide of some 8 knots. Mountainous seas & dark conditions.
Retriever Origin: Left Garston @ 4 a.m. on Friday
Retriever Destination: Newry
Connemara Origin: Left Greenore (her berth) @ 8 p.m.
Connemara Destination: Holyhead

The outbound Connemara met the inbound Retriever approximately a half mile beyond the Carlingford bar. The bar in Carlingford is marked by Haulbowline lighthouse. Beyond the bar is the "cut" or channel, which in Carlingford's case, is very narrow being only about 300 yards wide. This lack of space allows for very little manoverability for passing vessels. Both vessels were showing dimmed lights, as for fear of U-boats. Their masters were on their respective bridges. There was no evidence to indicate they were not alert.
The watch at the Haulbowline lighthouse, seeing the ships too close for comfort, fired off rockets in warning.
However the atrocious conditions had caused the Retriever's cargo to list. She was fighting both wind, tide and cargo inertia. She hit the Connemara on the port side penetrating her hull to the funnel. Immediately Master O' Neill reversed engines and the Retriever swung wide. The Connemara however was terribly ripped below the waterline on the port side from bow to amidships. She sank within minutes, her boilers exploding on contact with the cold water.
The Retriever with her bow drove in took about 20 minutes to sink about 200 yards from the Connemara. Her boilers also exploded on contact with the water.
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http://www.devlin-family.com/connemara.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/down/A724385.shtml

http://www.btinternet.com/~pyxisgazette/disaster.htm

http://www.killowenhistory.com/wordpress/?p=12

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The Connemara and The Retriever

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