1991 Tragedy In Dublin Bay

[AlanF]

One of my closest friends A/Sea Desie Hayes who died on the MV Kilkenny in Dublin Bay 1991.

Mystery still surrounds the cause of a collision between two cargo ships at the entrance to Dublin Port on Thursday night. Conditions were excellent when the first news of the accident was reported at 10:20pm. The B&I-owned vessel MV Kilkenny capsized quickly and the rescue services went into action immediately. The Kilkenny had a crew of 14 and was returning with a cargo of containers from the Continent. Ten crew members were quickly rescued and another was recovered within an hour. During the night the bodies of two were found and the search for the remaining member of the crew continues.

The other ship, which was outward bound, was the German-owned MV Hasselwerder. Its bow was badly crushed but none of its crew was injured. Some members of the Kilkenny crew complained that the Hasselwerder failed to lower its lifeboats, causing them to remain in the water for twenty minutes when they might have been rescued in about three minutes. It was lifeboats from the B&I car ferry Leinster which picked up seven of the stricken crew. Those who died were named as Patrick Kehoe (49) of Wexford and David Harding (54) from Howth. The missing man is Desmond Hayes (29) of Dublin's North Strand.

The Kilkenny is lying on its side, half-submerged on a sandbank in Dublin Bay. It has lost a number of containers. One was known to contain toxic chemicals for the Asahi plant in Mayo but it remained on the deck and was quickly recovered. Other containers were found floating in the sea and towed into Dublin. One is lying on rocks near Howth and a search is on for others, thought to be afloat in the Irish Sea.

Here's to remembering Desie.

[moggy]

One of my closest friends A/Sea Desie Hayes who died on the MV Kilkenny in Dublin Bay 1991.

Mystery still surrounds the cause of a collision between two cargo ships at the entrance to Dublin Port on Thursday night. Conditions were excellent when the first news of the accident was reported at 10:20pm. The B&I-owned vessel MV Kilkenny capsized quickly and the rescue services went into action immediately. The Kilkenny had a crew of 14 and was returning with a cargo of containers from the Continent. Ten crew members were quickly rescued and another was recovered within an hour. During the night the bodies of two were found and the search for the remaining member of the crew continues.

The other ship, which was outward bound, was the German-owned MV Hasselwerder. Its bow was badly crushed but none of its crew was injured. Some members of the Kilkenny crew complained that the Hasselwerder failed to lower its lifeboats, causing them to remain in the water for twenty minutes when they might have been rescued in about three minutes. It was lifeboats from the B&I car ferry Leinster which picked up seven of the stricken crew. Those who died were named as Patrick Kehoe (49) of Wexford and David Harding (54) from Howth. The missing man is Desmond Hayes (29) of Dublin's North Strand.

The Kilkenny is lying on its side, half-submerged on a sandbank in Dublin Bay. It has lost a number of containers. One was known to contain toxic chemicals for the Asahi plant in Mayo but it remained on the deck and was quickly recovered. Other containers were found floating in the sea and towed into Dublin. One is lying on rocks near Howth and a search is on for others, thought to be afloat in the Irish Sea.

Here's to remembering Desie.

yes remember desie well --- there in a annual mass held every november in city quays dublin for deceased seafarers - i did see some member of his family attend

he is remembered by all

[bigmac]

hiya al
just found this site had a few laughs already remembering some of the lads. i bought a brand new canoe in spike one time and when i was posted to the aoife i asked dessie to sell it for me which he did and duly spent the money when i came back in he said he was working on repaying me and could i wait so i said no probs................3 yrs later in the welcome on a weds he gave me 25 pounds which at the time i was glad to accept as there was no way at that stage i was getting any more he was some character and you couldnt be mad at him as nothing would upset him.he once told me his greatest wish was to ride across the square in the base on a donkey with a sombrero and a poncho i couldnt believe it when i'd heard he died i met a lad who was on that ship and he said that dessie saved him as he was sleeping at the time and dessie woke him..

[golden rivet]

hiya al
just found this site had a few laughs already remembering some of the lads. i bought a brand new canoe in spike one time and when i was posted to the aoife i asked dessie to sell it for me which he did and duly spent the money when i came back in he said he was working on repaying me and could i wait so i said no probs................3 yrs later in the welcome on a weds he gave me 25 pounds which at the time i was glad to accept as there was no way at that stage i was getting any more he was some character and you couldnt be mad at him as nothing would upset him.he once told me his greatest wish was to ride across the square in the base on a donkey with a sombrero and a poncho i couldnt believe it when i'd heard he died i met a lad who was on that ship and he said that dessie saved him as he was sleeping at the time and dessie woke him..

one of the lads on the ship that night used to own a pub in cobh(christies).. big mac does ballyporeen ring a bell with you

[pmtts]

Was the official investigation report into the collision ever made public?

[Galway hooker11]

Hi Alan,
I remember Dessie well, Aoife?? and ashore, a great seaman who always had pink floyd blasting away, I remember meeting him in Dublin when he was on a merchant ship and seemed to be gettin on real well. RIP

jOHN

[mattydread]

one of the lads on the ship that night used to own a pub in cobh(christies).. big mac does ballyporeen ring a bell with you

jaysus, you've some memory!!!!

[Test Pilot]

Hi Alan,
I remember Dessie well, Aoife?? and ashore, a great seaman who always had pink floyd blasting away, I remember meeting him in Dublin when he was on a merchant ship and seemed to be gettin on real well. RIP

jOHN

Was that the same Dessie, who got a loan of the coppers motor bike, on Dunlaoghaire Pier?

Woops! Sorry. No that was Hughie. My mistake!

[Galway hooker11]

Don't remember that one!! was that on a sweeper?

[Test Pilot]

Don't remember that one!! was that on a sweeper?

No, Aoife. A copper arrived on to the pier one Sunday and stopped alongside the ship and was chatting to the QM. It turned out that they both had a keen interest in motor bikes. Anyway Hughie ended up sitting on the white Honda and before the copper knew it, Hughie was gone down the south pier on the bike. There was some shit stirred then. I know - I was there!

[hptmurphy]

That wouldn't be a first for the cops.

I was on QM on south city quays one night and a copper came on board out of the rain..we fed him...and he was most civil in regard to letting the duty watch try out his bike up and down the quays at 5 O ' Clock in the morning..nice bloke .. then he was greatful for the impromptu feed at that hour. Can't remember who the duty PO was...given the feed arranged it had to be the great Minnie..was a great man for the night rations which were often multiplied to banquet proportions.

Was the same night the lads liberated the sandwich board from outside the resteraunt a few doors down from the Harp and marched down the quays with it under their arms..was still there the next morning at the gangway when the skipper came on board..he saw the funny side but it got 'washed overboard' when we went back to sea on the monday.

Its amazing what happened within my short time of service and all aboard the one ship..now if you take into account 7 ships and multiply it by the thousands of years service others have put in...what a book!

[golden rivet]

jaysus, you've some memory!!!!

thats only half of it the rest was burnt out with duty free beer

[bdr]

Hi AlanF
I'm glad to hear Dessies is remembered well by former shipmates and friends. I'm his cousin, we grew up on the same street and our families were more like brothers and sisters than cousins since we lived less than 20feet from each other.
reports of what happened that night are sketchy at best... Dessie was somewhere near the control room (bridge or whatever its called) when the collision occurred and ran down to alert those that were sleeping or working below. as the crew were leaving the ship, one of them thinks that he saw Dessie taking a blow to the head and that he may have been unconcious when entering the water. Dessie was never recovered from the sea and it is thought that he may have been entangled or dragged under the ship as it rolled. part of the wreckage is still at the bottom of dublin bay and for various reasons was left there, we believe that Dessie lies there too, but will never really know.
as far as the inquest is concerned I remember that the german capt and crew refused to attend and I think the capt of the Kilkenny was deemed to be responsible.
the Kilkenny's anchor was erected outside the B&I head office to honour the three deceased and a small plaque is dedicated to Dessie on the memorial cross at Howth Harbour. we recently celebrated Dessies 45th birthday in his local boozer, the Annesley house on the North Strand and you couldnt help but wonder if he was going to walk in the door and shout "surprise!" ... that would be him all over as you no doubt remember.

best regards
bdr

[golden rivet]

Hi AlanF
I'm glad to hear Dessies is remembered well by former shipmates and friends. I'm his cousin, we grew up on the same street and our families were more like brothers and sisters than cousins since we lived less than 20feet from each other.
reports of what happened that night are sketchy at best... Dessie was somewhere near the control room (bridge or whatever its called) when the collision occurred and ran down to alert those that were sleeping or working below. as the crew were leaving the ship, one of them thinks that he saw Dessie taking a blow to the head and that he may have been unconcious when entering the water. Dessie was never recovered from the sea and it is thought that he may have been entangled or dragged under the ship as it rolled. part of the wreckage is still at the bottom of dublin bay and for various reasons was left there, we believe that Dessie lies there too, but will never really know.
as far as the inquest is concerned I remember that the german capt and crew refused to attend and I think the capt of the Kilkenny was deemed to be responsible.
the Kilkenny's anchor was erected outside the B&I head office to honour the three deceased and a small plaque is dedicated to Dessie on the memorial cross at Howth Harbour. we recently celebrated Dessies 45th birthday in his local boozer, the Annesley house on the North Strand and you couldnt help but wonder if he was going to walk in the door and shout "surprise!" ... that would be him all over as you no doubt remember.

best regards
bdr

We got a great bunch that time when dessie was in the navy all from east wall and our times in dry dock up there was also a happy time.. dessie died doing the job he loved,,r.i.p...

[Laners]

That wouldn't be a first for the cops.

I was on QM on south city quays one night and a copper came on board out of the rain..we fed him...and he was most civil in regard to letting the duty watch try out his bike up and down the quays at 5 O ' Clock in the morning..nice bloke .. then he was greatful for the impromptu feed at that hour. Can't remember who the duty PO was...given the feed arranged it had to be the great Minnie..was a great man for the night rations which were often multiplied to banquet proportions.

Was the same night the lads liberated the sandwich board from outside the resteraunt a few doors down from the Harp and marched down the quays with it under their arms..was still there the next morning at the gangway when the skipper came on board..he saw the funny side but it got 'washed overboard' when we went back to sea on the monday.

Its amazing what happened within my short time of service and all aboard the one ship..now if you take into account 7 ships and multiply it by the thousands of years service others have put in...what a book!

Glad to see some traditions continued after I left , I had a signe for Pub Grub hanging in the galley on Eithne compliments of the Daniel O Connell bar in Dublin , and that cop on the bike could have been my brother , he made a habit of visiting me on board when in Dublin at weird hours .