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Call to honour city sailors lost at sea in war
By MIKE DWANE
THERE are growing calls for the Limerick sailors who perished at sea in
defying the Nazi blockade during the Emergency to be commemorated in
their home port.
While a monument stands at the Spokane Walk, Bishop's Quay, in
remembrance of all the estuary seamen who were lost, it is not specific
to wartime casualties and no names are inscribed there.
In August 1940, the Kerry Head, which was owned by city ship brokers and
stevedores Mullock and Sons, was the first Irish-registered ship to be
attacked by the Germans.
Though the coal boat survived this assault, it was not so fortunate in
October when it was bombed by aircraft off the Cork coast, with the loss
of all 12 crew.
Five of the men on board came from Limerick city, including brothers
George and James Naughton, from Hogan's Terrace in the Windmill off
Henry Street.
Their niece, Barbara McNaughton, who now lives in Brighton, can't recall
much as she "was only a toddler" when the Kerry Head went down.
"But I remember my Gran telling me of how devastating it was. She had
four sons, two of whom were lost. You have to remember that it was a
poor part of Limerick and my two uncles were important contributors at
home.
"Both of the boys wanted to go on the Kerry Head, but only one of them
got a place. It was only when another sailor was forced to pull out that
my other uncle got the call," she said.
The family tragedy was compounded by the fact that George and James'
sister, Josie, had been due to marry the chief engineer on the Kerry
Head, William Davidson from Carrickfergus. None of the three ever
returned and the Naughton family received just five shillings for their
loss.
"I know that about 30 years ago my cousin fought hard to have their
names put on a memorial but nothing came of it. It would be a lovely
thing to have them honoured in Limerick," said Ms McNaughton.
Supporting the call is Fr Joe Young, whose uncle Hector was on the Irish
Pine in November 1942 when it was sunk by a U-boat. A total of 33
merchant seamen were lost, including Hector Young and seven others from
Limerick.
"One thing that struck me was the fact that my grandmother never had a
place to go. There was no grave to go and pay the respects," said Fr
Young.
"The bodies of the sailors were never recovered,
their names are not inscribed in our city and that's a tragedy. There is
a seaman's memorial at the back of Henry Street Garda station and I
don't think it would take too much effort to have them commemorated
there," he said.
Historian Patrick J McNamara agrees that a simple commemorative plaque
for those who died during the war effort should be placed by the
existing monument.
The Parteen author is currently finishing a book on the Limerick
casualties, both civilian and military, of the Second World War.
The title, appropriately, is Their Name Liveth For Evermore, which comes
from a verse in the Book of Ecclesiastes.
"Ireland, an island nation, was solely dependent on her small mercantile
marine and fishing fleet to sustain her with the necessities of life
during this turbulent period," said Mr McNamara.
"It is worth recording that all these men were volunteers and the
service in which they served was a civilian service. These were the men
who manned the ships and supplied the country with food and fuel in
those dark days. There was, however, a price to pay and 113 brave men in
the mercantile marine and fishing fleet paid it," he said.
Mr McNamara pointed out that while Irishmen who served with the British
merchant navy were commemorated at Tower Hill in London, the Limerick
men who died while employed with Irish shipping companies "should be
commemorated in their home port".
John Dundon, of Mullock and Sons, said the company "would be happy to be
associated" with any attempt to have a plaque or memorial erected.
"The Kerry Head was one of our ships and it was used mainly to bring
coking coal from Cardiff to the old gasworks in Limerick. It was off the
coast of Cork when it was bombed and all hands were lost," said Mr
Dundon.
The original capital 'K' from the Kerry Head is still in Mullocks office
in Limerick, having never left port on its final voyage.
"The 'K' was knocked off when the ship was being turned out and it got
caught up in the ropes. The story goes that it happened on what turned
out to be its last fateful voyage," said Mr Dundon.
Call to honour city sailors lost at sea in war
By MIKE DWANE
THERE are growing calls for the Limerick sailors who perished at sea in
defying the Nazi blockade during the Emergency to be commemorated in
their home port.
While a monument stands at the Spokane Walk, Bishop's Quay, in
remembrance of all the estuary seamen who were lost, it is not specific
to wartime casualties and no names are inscribed there.
In August 1940, the Kerry Head, which was owned by city ship brokers and
stevedores Mullock and Sons, was the first Irish-registered ship to be
attacked by the Germans.
Though the coal boat survived this assault, it was not so fortunate in
October when it was bombed by aircraft off the Cork coast, with the loss
of all 12 crew.
Five of the men on board came from Limerick city, including brothers
George and James Naughton, from Hogan's Terrace in the Windmill off
Henry Street.
Their niece, Barbara McNaughton, who now lives in Brighton, can't recall
much as she "was only a toddler" when the Kerry Head went down.
"But I remember my Gran telling me of how devastating it was. She had
four sons, two of whom were lost. You have to remember that it was a
poor part of Limerick and my two uncles were important contributors at
home.
"Both of the boys wanted to go on the Kerry Head, but only one of them
got a place. It was only when another sailor was forced to pull out that
my other uncle got the call," she said.
The family tragedy was compounded by the fact that George and James'
sister, Josie, had been due to marry the chief engineer on the Kerry
Head, William Davidson from Carrickfergus. None of the three ever
returned and the Naughton family received just five shillings for their
loss.
"I know that about 30 years ago my cousin fought hard to have their
names put on a memorial but nothing came of it. It would be a lovely
thing to have them honoured in Limerick," said Ms McNaughton.
Supporting the call is Fr Joe Young, whose uncle Hector was on the Irish
Pine in November 1942 when it was sunk by a U-boat. A total of 33
merchant seamen were lost, including Hector Young and seven others from
Limerick.
"One thing that struck me was the fact that my grandmother never had a
place to go. There was no grave to go and pay the respects," said Fr
Young.
"The bodies of the sailors were never recovered,
their names are not inscribed in our city and that's a tragedy. There is
a seaman's memorial at the back of Henry Street Garda station and I
don't think it would take too much effort to have them commemorated
there," he said.
Historian Patrick J McNamara agrees that a simple commemorative plaque
for those who died during the war effort should be placed by the
existing monument.
The Parteen author is currently finishing a book on the Limerick
casualties, both civilian and military, of the Second World War.
The title, appropriately, is Their Name Liveth For Evermore, which comes
from a verse in the Book of Ecclesiastes.
"Ireland, an island nation, was solely dependent on her small mercantile
marine and fishing fleet to sustain her with the necessities of life
during this turbulent period," said Mr McNamara.
"It is worth recording that all these men were volunteers and the
service in which they served was a civilian service. These were the men
who manned the ships and supplied the country with food and fuel in
those dark days. There was, however, a price to pay and 113 brave men in
the mercantile marine and fishing fleet paid it," he said.
Mr McNamara pointed out that while Irishmen who served with the British
merchant navy were commemorated at Tower Hill in London, the Limerick
men who died while employed with Irish shipping companies "should be
commemorated in their home port".
John Dundon, of Mullock and Sons, said the company "would be happy to be
associated" with any attempt to have a plaque or memorial erected.
"The Kerry Head was one of our ships and it was used mainly to bring
coking coal from Cardiff to the old gasworks in Limerick. It was off the
coast of Cork when it was bombed and all hands were lost," said Mr
Dundon.
The original capital 'K' from the Kerry Head is still in Mullocks office
in Limerick, having never left port on its final voyage.
"The 'K' was knocked off when the ship was being turned out and it got
caught up in the ropes. The story goes that it happened on what turned
out to be its last fateful voyage," said Mr Dundon.
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