Greyhound was a coastal trading vessel launched in Whitby in 1747 or possibly before that was wrecked in a storm off the coast of County Sligo on 12 December 1770.[2] Lloyd's List reported on 1 January 1771 that Greyhound, Douthard, master, had been lost at Sligo while on the way from Galway to Whitby.[3]
| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | Greyhound |
| Namesake | Greyhound |
| Owner | Mrs. Alley |
| Builder | Whitby |
| Launched | 1747[1] |
| Fate | Wrecked 12 December 1770 |
The wreck has been known locally as The butter boat.[2]
Vessel
editGreyhound was owned by a Mrs Alley in 1747 and was a transport in 1748.[1][4][5][6]
Wreck
editGreyhound had been caught in a storm off the coast of County Mayo.[2] The crew could not get shelter in Broadhaven Bay and were forced to anchor near Erris Head.[2] The crew abandoned ship, then realised they had forgotten the cabin boy.[2] Some of the crew, along with volunteers and crew of a passing ship Mary, from Galway, returned to rescue him and managed to get aboard Greyhound.[2] The storm was so bad that the vessel was driven ashore at Streedagh Ppoint, where 20 of the 21 on board drowned.[2] The sole survivor had stayed on board and when the vessel settled on the beach he alerted people, but the others had already been lost.[2]
Speculation on identity
editOver time, the identity of the wreck had been lost, leading to speculation that it might have been part of The Spanish Armada, or a tourist boat.[2]
Identification
editOak timbers from the wreck were dated to some time after 1712 in the first half of the 18th century by dendrochronologist Dr. Aoife Daly.[2][7] The National Monuments Service said that the timber was probably sourced from the English midlands or Yorkshire.[7] This was cross-referenced to a database of over a hundred shipwrecks off the Sligo coast in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Irish Folklore Commission, and newspaper accounts, leading to the vessel being identified.[2]
See also
edit- Streedagh Armada wrecksite - a nearby wrecksite
Citations
edit- ^ a b Weatherill (1908), p. 54.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Magnier, Eileen (16 December 2020). "True identity of Streedagh beach 'Butter Boat' uncovered". RTÉ News. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 185. 1 January 1771. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049056. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
- ^ "Sligo shipwreck revealed to be Whitby Greyhound boat". BBC News. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- ^ O'Riordan, Ellen (17 December 2020). "Mystery of Sligo shipwreck solved 250 years after it sank". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- ^ "Shipwreck mystery solved – 250 years to the week it sank". gov.ie. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- ^ a b Siggins, Lorna (17 December 2020). "Sligo Shipwreck Mystery Solved – 250 Years After it Sank". afloat.ie. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
References
edit- Weatherill, Richard (1908). The ancient port of Whitby and its shipping. Whitby: Horne and Son.
External links
edit- A Shipwreck at Streedagh Bay, Co. Sligo duchas.ie