Do you hear a low boom as of thunder
Rolling in from the East far away?
A deep note that the distance keeps under
King Summer is holding his sway,
And the land ‘neath the Sun’s sheen and splendour,
With July’s richest flower is gay
Yet Skulmartin is speaking today.

This verse of a poem on Skulmartin, from Songs of a Port by W.H.F. (1920), is introduced by the following note, “Skulmartin is the most dreaded of the many dangerous reefs on the County Down coast, near Ballywalter. From the Lightship stationed nearby is sounded, in fog or storm, an explosive signal which may sometimes be heard in Belfast, over twenty miles away.” The Skulmartin Rock, anciently Skyr Martyn (Norse sker - a reef), which covers at half tide, is marked today by a 40ft red iron perch. It lies about 3 miles north of Burr Point, almost a mile off shore, opposite to Ballywalter Park. It gained an unenviable record for shipping disasters over the past century and proved a cause of great concern for all those involved in the safety of sea travel. The following are some of the vessels which came to grief on the Skulmartin Rock over the years.

23. 2.1803 - Union Workington
20. 1.1804 - Diana Port Glasgow
21. 10.1813 - Caesar Greenock
16. 1.1816 - Queen Charlotte
? 1.1828 - Sheffield Glasgow
10. 3.1830 - Commerce Bangor
25. 3.1843 - Stillman Glasgow
14. 9.1861 -Cora Greenock
? 1.1867 - Lisbon Glasgow
11. 9.1867 - Tana (Yacht)
27. 6.1878 - Aberyswith Aberyswith
11. 1.1879 - Loch Sunart Glasgow
13. 11.1879 - Ladyland
4. 11.1880 - Fitzjames Glasgow
16. 12.1883 - Argo Carnarvon


Dozens of other voyages ended or were interrupted on the nearby Long Rock, at Ballyferris Point, and at Wallace’s Rocks. The Caesar above mentioned was driven ashore during a violent gale on voyage from Greenock to Jamaica and three of the crew were drowned. Five local men who put out to the rescue were also drowned by their boat upsetting. They are commemorated in the poem Wreck of the Caesar by local lady Asmy Purse. The bell of the Caesar is preserved in Ballywalter Presbyterian Church.

On 25 March 1760 a buoy which marked the Skulmartin Reef had been carried away in a gale. Some local gentry and fishermen replaced it and also agreed to maintain it.

An interesting letter from Belfast Chamber of Commerce dated 28 June 1821 was sent to John Cossart Esq. at the Ballast Office in Dublin, and it read as follows:-

"In consequence of the several losses that have been sustained by Merchant Shipowners and Underwriters, by vessels running on the Skulmartin and the Long Rock, the Chamber of Commerce of this town have to beg that you will be so kind as to lay the (enclosed) chart and the remarks thereon before the Corporation who if they have the power of fixing perches on the rocks there laid down, will by so doing render a most essential service to vessels passing through the Channel. The number of vessels that have struck on these Rocks is greater than Mr Mathews’ statement and the Caesar in 1813 was totally lost and not more than about £80,000 saved out of about £120,000 the value of her cargo, and since this chart was made out the Britannia belonging to Messrs Barber & Purdy of your City, was on one of these rocks but got off. Should the Corporation have it in their power to fix perches on these Rocks, I shall be happy to get them any further information."

- J. G., Sec. Chamber of Commerce of Belfast.

Buoy

In 1836 Trinity House and the British Government sent the Naval Sloop Rainbow to survey the reef and decide on the most suitable place for a buoy.

About 1840 Trinity House agreed to place a floating buoy, in the shape of a cone, to be coloured black. It was useless at night and about 1854 it was replaced by a cage buoy containing a bell which rang continuously by the action of the waves. During heavy winds however the bell could not always be heard from the windward side.

Lifeboat

In 1866, as a result of the great number of wrecks on the Skulmartin and nearby rocks, it was decided to establish a Lifeboat at Ballywalter. A niece of Admiral Meynell, formerly MP for Lisburn, donated the Lifeboat in his memory; others including resident landlord Andrew Mulholland of Springvale also subscribed generously. Named Admiral Henry Meynell it measured 32 by 7½ feet, and had 10 oars. Local fishermen provided a strong and efficient crew.

On 11 January 1879, Saturday night, the Loch Sunart of Glasgow, a passenger clipper ship of 1,231 tons, from Glasgow to Melbourne with 45 passengers ran ashore on the Skulmartin Reef. The passengers were easily rescued, the women and children being taken ashore by the Lifeboat, the others by a Coastguard galley. Captain Weir’s certificate was suspended for nine months and the Mate David Higie’s for three months. At the enquiry it transpired that the Mate took the Rock for a schooner.

On 1 April 1877 a new boat-shaped buoy of an entirely new pattern, fitted with a powerful bell, was moored. It was carried away on 4 April 1881 and was recovered by the Ballywalter Lifeboat.

In November 1883 Belfast Harbour Board received a letter from the Commissioners of Irish Lights who had recently been requested by the Glasgow Shipowners Association to improve lighting in the County Down Coast and to place a light on the Skulmartin Rock. The Harbour Board was asked whether it would be preferable to erect a lighthouse on the rock or moor a lightvessel off the dangerous reef. On 16 May 1884 a deputation from Belfast went to Dublin to discuss the question in detail. They pointed out to the Commissioners that it would not be necessary to place any light on or near the Skulmartin Rock if a lighthouse were erected on the eastern extremity of the South Ridge. The Commissioners pointed out the heavy expense and the length of time it would take to build a lighthouse, but promised their engineer would examine the possibility. In the meantime they would be prepared to place a lightship on Skulmartin Rock which together with the existing South Rock Lightship should meet their requirements.

Lightship

On 1 January 1886 the bell boat-buoy which marked the Skulmartin Rock was removed and the first lightship was placed on station by the Irish Lights Tender Princess Alexandra. She was the Petrel built in 1853 by Money-Wigram of London. She had a fixed white light and during fog two reports separated by an interval of 2 seconds were fired from the guns every ten minutes. Moored about 1 mile East South East off the reef in 20 fathoms low water springs, the fixed white light was exhibited from her main mast at a height of 38 feet and was visible about 10 miles. The vessel carried 2 half globes from her mainmast head, circular parts up, and she was painted black with a white stripe with Skulmartin Reef in white letters on her sides.

After this the number of casualties dwindled in the immediate area but further south they continued unabated into the next century, particularly around the mouth of Strangford Lough - Ballyquinton Point being the main offender. Complaints continued to be made about the imperfect state of the lights, buoyage and signals on the County Down coast. Mr Samuel Lawther, a Belfast shipowner, prepared reports by captains visiting Belfast. His contention was that many of the old lights were only suitable for sailing ships or ships travelling at 6 knots.

The first decade of the new century was to see many disasters on the County Down coast. In the 10 years ending 30 June 1909, there were no less than 176 of which 37 were total losses. The lighting on this part of the coast was discussed regularly in the House of Commons. On 20 February 1908 the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in a reply to a query by T. L. Corbett the Member for North Down, stated:

"The Commissioners of Irish Lights have made a proposal to improve the lighting in the vicinity of the entrance to Strangford Lough, not by erecting a lighthouse at Ballyquinton Point, but by the establishment of a Lightvessel about 4 miles south south east of the entrance to the Lough. The matter is still under consideration by the Board of Trade".

This lightship station never materialised.

On 2 February 1909 a new lightship was placed on the Skulmartin. The fixed white light was replaced by a red revolving light of increased power, flashing every minute. The explosive fog signal remained unchanged, but the new vessel had a fixed lantern and a daymark at the mast-head of the jigger mast.

In January 1910, during the wedding celebrations of Miss Eva Mulholland of Ballywalter Park, the village was decorated for the occasion. The Coastguard Station was decorated by Chief Officer Richard Fowler, the harbour by Harbour Master J. B. Glover, and the Skulmartin Lightship was ‘dressed in rainbow fashion’ by the Master Nicholas Murphy and crew, permission having previously been given by the Commissioners of Irish Lights.

Lightshipmen

The crew of a Lightship consisted of a Master and six men on board and a Master and three men ashore off duty. In 1911 the full line out for the Skulmartin vessel Brilliant was as follows:-

Nicholas Murphy - Master Wexford


George Conway - Mate Portaferry


Henry Merron - Carpenter Portaferry


William Curlett - Lamplighter Ballywalter


George Roddy - Lamplighter & Naval Reserve Dublin


Patrick Convery - Fogsignalman Portaferry


Thomas Delaney - Fogsignalman Wexford


Hugh Murphy - Fogsignalman Ballywalter


Mathew McMurran - Seaman & Naval Reserve Antrim


Robert Roche - Seaman Wexford


John Patrick Perth - Seaman Dublin


The Master, Nicholas Murphy, was born in Wexford in 1865 and served his apprenticeship as a boy on the local barque Saltee owned by Lambert & Walsh. After going deep sea for some years, he was appointed as a Seaman on Irish Lightships in 1890. In 1907 he went on promotion as Master of the Skulmartin. There he remained until transferred to the South Arklow Lightship in July 1912. He retired from service in 1925, and died in 1949 aged 85 years.

The Mate George Conway was born in Portaferry in 1856, and at the age of 14 went to sea on the schooner Harbinger which belonged to local merchant James McDonnell and traded to Liverpool. He remained on this vessel for 15 years, and in 1885 he entered service with Irish Lights. When Nicholas Murphy was transferred to the South Arklow Lightvessel in 1912, George was appointed Master of the Skulmartin until he retired in 1917 after 32 years service. George Conway died in Portaferry in 1951, aged 95 years.

On 12th September 1914 at 6.15 pm the steamer Devonshire of Liverpool, of 500 tons, owned by J. J. Mack & Sons, collided with the Skulmartin Lightship Torch which was cut down four feet below the water line. The Devonshire, which had some stem plates damaged, stood by but eventually was able to proceed. The Lightship was towed to Belfast and drydocked on Saturday 19th.

Between 1923 and 1939 several proposals were made to replace the Skulmartin Lightship but all met with objections. On 17 January 1933 at a meeting of the Belfast Harbour Board a letter was read from the Commissioners of Irish Lights proposing to withdraw the Lightship. The Board decided to inform the Commissioners of their strong disfavour to the proposal.

What was life like for those on board a Lightship? That great man of English letters, Dr Samuel Johnston, once said “A life on a ship is like a life in a prison, with the chance of being drowned”. One wonders what the learned Doctor would have said about life on a Lightship which, unlike other vessels, has no power of propulsion and cannot run for cover during violent storms but is designed to disobey wind and wave and remain on station. One writer paints a gloomy picture:

"he crushing monotony of the same scenes, the eternal spectacle of foam-crested waters rolling wherever the eye is turned, the ceaseless noise of the winds, the everlasting murmur of the ocean, swelling at times into so terrible a roar that it renders inaudible the human voice, could not fail to exercise a depressing influence on the mind."

Fortunately lightships did not attract men who were easily depressed, certainly not Irish lightships; quite the reverse in fact, and for many there was scarcely a dull moment. Each man had time for his preferred hobby when daily duties were completed. Some put ships in bottles; others made rope mats or models. About 1961 the first television on an Irish lightship arrived on the Skulmartin, a gift from Cyril Lord who owned a carpet factory in Donaghadee and was an occasional visitor in his yacht. Then in a few short years the Skulmartin Lightship was gone forever - gone but not forgotten. Those who manned it for 81 years should also be remembered.

Withdrawal of Lightship

In October 1963 it was eventually agreed to replace the Lightship with a high focal plane buoy, the new light to be 19 feet above sea level with 1,345 candelas, visible at 9 nautical miles. The buoy was also to be fitted with a whistle fog signal emitting a deep note at short intervals.

On Friday 9 June 1967 the Skulmartin Lightvessel Guillemot was finally removed from the Skulmartin Station, the last in a line of vessels guarding shipping from this killer reef for 81 years. It was a sad day for the crew. For the final roll call the following were present:

Siney Griffin - Master - Cappa, Co. Clare
Bobbie Mullan - Lamplighter - Portaferry
Myley Doyle - Fogsignalman - Wexford & Newry
John Woods - Fogsignalman - Cobh & Dublin
Joey Smith - Seaman - Portaferry
Eddie McGee - Seaman - Portaferry
Dennis Behan - Seaman - Clare & Monaghan


The Senior Master on shore liberty was Dan Hawkins (Donegal & Holywood).

For the people of Ballywalter it was a lonesome occasion since the Lightship had been part of the village scene for over three generations. It was especially so for those families involved with the vessel, among them the Murphys, Dunbars, Glovers, Regans, Corrys and Eccles. The late Sam Fowler requested the bell of the Guillemot as a memento for the people of the village, but as the vessel was still in service the bell could not be removed.

It would be impossible to name all those who served on the Skulmartin over its long history, but perhaps there would be no harm in remembering a few of those not already mentioned, some of whom did duty for a great number of years, others perhaps for a couple of trips. Among them were Denis Behan, J. Blair, Sam Breen, Phil Broaders, J. J. Butler, Jimmy Busher, Joe Carley Master, Sam Carpenter, Matt Carroll, S. Codd, W. J. Coffee, P. Convery, R. Convery, Ned Convery, George Conway, Bob Corry, Aidan Cullen, William Curnett, Ronan Curran, Thomas Delaney, William Delaney, John Doyle, James Doyle, Mylie Doyle, W. Duggan, C. Dumigan, W. Dunbar, John Eccles, Ivan Eccles, Ted Edge, N. Ferguson, John Fitzsimons, J. Foley, J. Forde, R. Fortune, C. Fox, L. Furlong, N. Furlong, W. Gaddern, Jimmy Gibson, Bob Gill, Siney Griffin Master, Bob Hanna, Dan Hawkins Master, J. J. Higginbotham, P. Hogan, J. Hunter, J. Kinsella, M. J. Lacey, Sam Long Master, J. Lucking, Mick Malone, John Mageean Master, Jimmy Mageean, H. Mason, John Melican, B. Mullan, E. Mullan, Henry Merron, T. J.Morgan, Davy Moreland, Hugh Murphy (Sen), Hugh Murphy (Jnr), Harry Murray, Nicholas Murphy Master, A. F. McEvoy, Denis McCallig, Jimmy McClean Master, Hugh McCluskey, Eddie McGee, William McGrath, Hughie McKeating, Eddie McMullen Master, Paddy McMullan, T.McMullan, Mathew McMurran, J. Nolan, John O’Connor, Simon O’Connor, Jack O’Neill Master, Tommy Pender, John Perth, Paddy Power, Paul Power, B. Quaile, C. Roche, Jim Roche, K. D. Roche, Robert Roche, George Roddy, D. Ross, Paddy Ross, J. Saunders, J. Scanlan, P. Scanlan, Jimmy Sinnot Master, Joey Smith, John Smith, Tom Smith, W. Smith, P. Swan, Bertie Swift, H. M. Thomas, Eddie Turkington, Robert Tweedie, John Tyrrell, Laurence Walsh, William Walsh, Tom White, George Williams, V. Whitmore, John Woods. They should be remembered for their unique contribution.

Ní bhéidh a léitheidí ann arís.

I acknowledge the help of Irish Lights, Belfast Education Library Board, South Eastern Education Library Board, Public Record Office (Northern Ireland), Wexford Maritime Museum, Michael Costeloe, Eithne McCallig, Mrs Martin, Annie Beggs and Ted Edge. Also the following Ballywalter residents: the Dunbar family, the Regans, the Corrys, Fred Brown, Mrs Fowler and Mrs McCracken.

This article was previously published in the Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No. 19, 1995.

© 1994, Jim Blaney