Tram and schooner collide at Ringsend -
© Edward J Bourke, prepared for the Dublin Historical Record 2009.
Few
stories have been mentioned so often with so much confusion than the
tale of the collision between a sailing ship and a tram at Ringsend
bridge. There have been several errors repeated and one discovery
has been that there were two similar incidents at the same place.
Earlier researchers have not had the advantage of the computer
searchable versions of the digitised newspapers and this has helped
resolve mysteries and tales such as this. The story gained
interest when the visitor’s centre was constructed near the site of the
accident. The story defied researchers who had hoped that a photo of
the incident might be available for display.
The
written source of the date February 12 1928 is “The short history of
the Grand Canal Docks 1796-1996” published by the by Inland Waterways
Association of Ireland on the bicentenary of the opening of the docks.
Ms Delaney in a personal communication says. I looked through my
notes of the Minute books through the 1920s and could find no reference
to it but I could have missed it at the time. The Ringsend
booklet was produced by the Dublin Branch of the IWAI in 1996. I
was part of an editorial team which put the information together. Some
of the details were provided by George Brierly who had been the
dockmaster for many years and it is possible that the information about
the Cymic came from him. The
date quoted in the book of 12th February 1928 is very specific but I
will take your word for it that it is not correct. It is stated that
the No.3 tram outward bound to Sandymount collided with the Arklow
schooner Cymic on Victoria
Bridge. It continues "It seems that the bridge operator decided to
allow the tram to pass and signalled this intention to the schooner.
She was blown forward suddenly by a gust of wind and her bowsprit
penetrated the lower saloon of the tram fortunately without striking
any of the passengers". I fear that the newspapers may be your
only way to get the date
Lorna Siggins in an Irishwoman’s diary
published in the Irish Times on 8-5-1996 cites “the short history of
the grand canal docks 1796-1996” by Ruth Delaney published by the
Inland Waterways Association of Ireland. Her item repeats the
date which seems so precise, Feb 12 1928.
This item is easily found by computer searching which tends to support
the information but the same Irish Times on line does not
verify the date when contemporary papers were checked.
Jim Cooke in an item on the career of the Cymric
“A seafaring tragedy” published on the internet adds to the confusion
by suggesting 1927. “In 1927 when on one of those trips to Dublin she
had an unusual accident when entering the Inner Basin of the Grand
Canal at Ringsend. She collided with a tramcar which was crossing the
drawbridge on Irishtown Road. She got too near the bridge and her
bowsprit speared the tramcar, but no one was hurt.”
A more recent
book Shipping in Dublin Port 1939-45 by Walter Kennedy cites a
newspaper report saying that on Tues. December 21st 1943 the
schooner Happy Harry colliding with a tram at Victoria Bridge
Ringsend. This was an opening bridge which carried the road and
the tram lines from the City centre towards Ringsend and Sandymount,
and when opened for the passage of ships. It gave access from the Grand
Canal outer basin to the inner basin. The opening it seems was
too late this time for poor Happy Harry. Fortunately, there were
no casualties reported, not did Happy Harry need to change his (or
her?) name
Facts
Despite all that has been written to
date there is more to the story. The Irish Independent had a short item
on 29-11-1921 “Ringsend Road, Dublin, Cymric of Beaumorris ran into Victoria drawbridge and spiked a tram number 233. A window was broken but there were no injuries”.
The Irish Times confirms the Independent on Tuesday November 29 1921 when it reports “Tram and ship Collide”
“A
tramcar and a schooner came into collision in Dublin yesterday. The
tram was crossing Victoria drawbridge on the Ringsend line while a
three masted schooner was being berthed in the Grand Canal Company’s
basin, which is spanned by the bridge. The spars of the schooner
overtopped the bridge and smashed the window of a passing tram. Nobody
was hurt”.
Irish Times Tuesday December 21st 1943 - This story
will probably afford great relief to countless Sandymount civil
servants because it substantiates in toto the excuses made by them for
arriving late at their respective offices yesterday. But if having read
it some higher executive officer is still somewhat doubtful, just refer
him to the solitary Irish Times reporter, who, with countless others
workers and shop assistants sat for half an hour while the crew of a
three masted Arklow sailing vessel battled to clear its bowsprit from
the railings of nearby Victoria bridge. Yes it was the Happy Harry en
route from Waterford to Dublin that caused the trouble. For years she
had docilely glided through the open gates of the swing bridge on the
main Ringsend thoroughfare to her berth in the Grand Canal basin. But
yesterday, for some perverse reason she missed the opening. Rammed her
bowsprit into he railings of one of the open gate wings and in matter
of seconds had completely disorganised the rush hour traffic streaming
citywards. The hour was 8.50 am with every bus packed to capacity.
What
a stream of ear blistering language fell on the hapless happy Harry.
Even the most placid bus conductor on the route used language that no
gentleman should, and all the time the traffic stream grew longer. At
one time it stretched for over half a mile on either side of the open
gates, and, as the efforts of the crew became more frenzied, the vessel
appeared to become entangled more firmly. But eventually by extremely
nautical looking manipulation of hawsers, Happy Harry backed away from
the railings the harassed electrician feverishly pressing the buttons
to move the bridge.
Conclusion
Folklore is indeed
confusing and can lead a researcher a merry dance. Even written
sources can easily mislead and misquote. This is what separates
journalism and research. The internet too can both inform and
confuse. It is a powerful tool but electronic publication has augmented
the quantity of unreliable material by making publication easier.
The verified material is fairly simple. There were indeed two incidents
at Victoria Bridge, Ringsend. They are separated by 22
years. Neither incident was considered serious at the time and to
the best of my knowledge there are no photographs. One involved
the Happy Harry on December 21st 1943 and delayed buses. The other
involved the Cymric on
November 28 1921 when she speared a tram with her bowsprit. It
seems almost a pity to solve the riddle over which so much ink has been
spilled fruitlessly