PHOTOGRAPHED lying at the old Town Pier in Killybegs Co Donegal is the Congested Districts Board's vessel Granuaile.

Designed by H.H. West, Marine Architect of Castle Street, Liverpool, the Granuaile was built by the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company of Troon and launched on Tuesday 12th February 1895, being named Granuaile by a Miss West.

Particulars of the vessel are-

Length: 150 feet
Breadth (moulded): 24 feet
Depth (moulded): 10/ feet


Triple expansion engine: 15 inch, 23 inch and 19 inch cylinders, and a 24 inch stroke, fitted by Messrs Muir & Houston.

Fitted for water ballast in a double bottom and peak tanks; steam windlass, with steam steering gear; two holds with a space of 10,415 cubic feet; spaces in tween deck for barrels, horses, cattle, etc; sleeping berths for members of the Congested Districts Board or their inspecting staff.

Built under special survey and classed 100 A1 at Lloyds.

Granuaile was designed as a small cargo steam boat with limited accommodation, fit for the weather of the west coast of Ireland. Her area of operations was from Derry to Cape Clear Island in Co Cork.

Capt. John Quirk was appointed Master. He had formerly been Master of the previous Congested Districts Board vessel Fingal (another lighthouse tender name, used by the Northern Lighthouse Board).

The vessel was used to support agricultural schemes and fishing, to deliver building materials for construction projects undertaken by the Board, and to bring relief supplies to island communities off the west coast. Materials for making wooden barrels were brought from Aberdeen, and salt for fish curing from Liverpool. Timber for boat building was brought from Galway to the Industrial School at Killybegs. Bulls and stallions were brought from Scotland and delivered to islands and isolated areas on the west coast to improve the strain of cattle and horses.

Granuaile saved the population of Inishkea (off Blacksod) from starvation in 1897 when she brought the islanders supplies from Derry.

During her career the Granuaile was chartered by the Royal Irish Academy to undertake two investigative voyages from Killybegs to Rockall (nowadays it is almost a non-event for the supertrawlers of Killybegs to voyage to Rockall in order to earn their keep). The first trip was aborted in sight of Rockall because of bad weather. On the second attempt a landing also proved impossible.

Granuaile was sold by the Congested Districts Board in 1915 and had several subsequent owners. She ended up carrying cargo and livestock between the Channel Islands and Southampton. She was sold in 1928 to T.C. Pas for breaking up in the Netherlands.

In its time the Congested Districts Board provided for redistribution of estates, promoted agricultural schemes, gave grants to the fishing and weaving industries, made improvements to roads and bridges, built boat-slips and small fishing piers, gave grants for housing and provided railways. It was wound up in 1923 following the creation of the Land Commission.

The old Town Pier in Killybegs had on it the tracks of the County Donegal Railways Joint Committee which closed its narrow gauge rail operations in 1959 and its bus operations in 1971-thus a company funded by the Congested Districts Board was with us up to 1971.

Arthur Balflour, founder of the Congested Districts Board, later to become Prime Minister of Britain, had a brother Gerald W. Balflour, Head of the Board of Trade, who was responsible for setting up of The Royal Commission on Lighthouse Administration set up in 1906.

I would like to thank the following people for their assistance:

Mrs Mary Hamilton (ex Female Assistant Keeper, Rotten Island Lighthouse, Killybegs Harbour) for the photograph.

Mr Pat Conaghan of BIM (Irish Sea Fisheries Board), Aghayeevogue, Killybegs.

Mr A.A. Hamilton (retired Principal Keeper) Ballinode, Sligo.

© John Hamilton, 1999