ballyshannon3
Dr. Simon Shiel (Sen.) was a very wealthy man who had a lease on the Erne Fisheries from the Connolly Estate. His son Simon (Jun.) inherited this very productive fishery when his father died in 1837. The fishing season ran from mid April to the end of August and traditionally Shiel�s supplied the markets of Dublin, Newry and Belfast with the surplus being salted and sold to Mediterranean countries. Slater�s Directory of 1846 notes that this had all changed in recent times with the building of an ice-house along the Mall. Now fish were packed in ice and by this means most of the salmon were now sent fresh to London. Extensive eel-weirs on the Erne were also fished and most of their catch was preserved and sold in the fair of Belturbet, County Cavan on Ash Wednesday each year. This made available a Lenten supply of fish for a wide area extending as far as Dublin. On July 8th 1844 the greatest ever catch of salmon in the river was made in the memory of some who had worked the fishery for over fifty years. The catch was so great that they ran out of ice and had to send ships to Derry for more.
Eels were conveyed to market alive and fresh in tanks and the Erne and Bann eel fisheries were served by Robert Huntley. In 1854 the enterprise failed and his two ships the Speedwell and the Hopewell were advertised for auction by James Mc Glone at the Mall Quay, Ballyshannon and at Killybegs respectively. The following year the Well-Schooner Speedwell was again being offered for sale as being well suited to the lobster, eel or live fish trade. It is only fours old and had been built by Messers Collan & Co., Belfast.
The improvement of Ballyshannon Port was generally tied up with the improvement of the passage to Belleek. Ballyshannon needed to have better access to its hinterland if the improvements were to be rewarded with increased trade. As early as the mid 18th century Sir James Caldwell of Castle Caldwell was seeking a canal from Ballyshannon to Belleek to aid the flow of goods from that port. In addition he proposed a scheme to dig a canal inside Rossmore Peninsula at Castle Caldwell where lower Lough Erne becomes a river once more to make it easier for boats to ascend into Lower Lough Erne against a strong current or a contrary wind. In 1778 a scheme was proposed for a canal from Murray's Quay at Ballyshannon, on the north bank of the river, to Belleek above the waterfall there. This canal was to pass through Ballinacarrick, Camlin and Cherrymount and cross the Erne at Belleek by a two arched aqueduct. In 1783 the Irish Parliament made a grant towards the cost and some of the Belleek/Ballyshannon section was cut and a lock built at Belleek under the superintendence of Mr. Chapman C.E. Work was abandoned for lack of funds in 1789. In 1795 the Navigation Bill passed through the two houses of Parliament in Dublin only to founder in the Parliament in London. Mr. Chapman's scheme was revised and enlarged later by Mr. Evans C. E. the engineer of the Royal Canal. The estimated cost was �32,000 plus a further �8,000 to improve the navigation of the Erne between the two Lakes.
In 1845 prospectuses for two rival railways from Ballyshannon to Belleek were published. In January of 1846 Mr. H.W. Brown who was the promoter of a bill in Parliament to improve Ballyshannon Harbour and build a railway to Belleek was invited and wined and dined at a big dinner in Ballyshannon. The company behind this bill in Parliament was known as the Ballyshannon and Lough Erne Railway and Steamship Company. The claims of this company were hotly disputed in the local newspapers by the rival Dublin and Enniskillen Railway Company through their spokesman the Earl of Ely and the local Ballyshannon businessman, Dr. John Shiel. Many meetings were held in Ballyshannon at this time debating the topics of railways and steamers and the prompting behind all this activity was the imminent arrival of the first ever steamer in Ballyshannon Harbour. On February 27th 1846 the Ballyshannon Herald reported the Unity as the first steamer in Ballyshannon. On her first visit, she brought barley for the Ballyshannon distillery and on her next visit brought pigs from Ballina to Messers O'Brien's, the local exporters of salt pork. It was commented that this saved a week�s journey for the pigs and the consequent injury to them. On the 19th of June, 1846 the paper reported the death of Charles French, second mate of the American Brig, Camilla. He had jumped out of the ship for a swim into the area known as the Pool and drowned. He was buried in Ballyshannon.
The next steamer known to call at Ballyshannon was in May of the following year 1847.This was the steamship Albert which towed in two becalmed sailing ships waiting outside the sandbar for a suitable wind. This ship was 147 feet long by 42 feet wide and was propelled by a 200 hp engine and carried 600 tons. It impressed all those shown over her and raised a clamour for a steam tug for Ballyshannon. Its cargo was breadstuffs to relieve famine in the area. It is hard to imagine now how busy Ballyshannon port was at this time but a newspaper list of 1845 gives some idea of the port traffic before the arrival of the railway. This is a list of recent arrivals and departures published in the Ballyshannon Herald in September 1845:- The Gute Bothe with George Matzy as Master with timber. Obviously a Prussian ship from Memel. The Victory under David George with slates. The Venerable from Barmouth under James Jones with slates. The Ardent of Whitby under Zachariah Fletcher with coal and grindstone. The Henry Volant of Ballyshannon.Scotch bar-iron and coal. The Jessey under John Morrison with oak staves and coarse and salt butter. The Sarah of Ramsey with William Mc Kinnon carrying Duchess slates. The Rankin Ritchy under avid Mc Kinnon with general cargo, plates, glass, tar pitch, oakum & cordage. The Birman under James Cann with deal battens. The Tafvale with bar-iron and tin plate and the Fearnot with mahogany, firebrick, windows glass and salt butter.
During the famine food was being exported from Ballyshannon as from many other ports. On January 1st, 1847 the Ballyshannon Herald contains a classic tale of drama in this famine stricken countryside. On Christmas Eve a schooner lay at anchor just inside the Bar of Ballyshannon Harbour. The ship was waiting here for a favourable tide or wind and was bound for Liverpool with a cargo of bacon and lard. She had been chartered by Mr. Edward Chism of Ballyshannon. A boat of Mr. Wade's, carrying men who said they were salt-makers from the Ballyshannon salt works, pulled alongside. (Salt-workers would have been making their way out to the sea to fill barrels of salt water for evaporating on their saltpans). Some asked to come on board to light their pipes and then, suddenly, produced pistols. These pirates then stole a large quantity of bacon and lard from the ship after overpowering the crew. The men made off with as much as possible and no doubt an unexpectedly happy Christmas was had by many. The police and soldiers were alerted and found some of the booty buried in the sand dunes on the following day. Later three people were arrested and the newspaper says that scarce a night passes without a robbery in the town or vicinity.
In a continuation of the saga of the Christmas Eve piracy in the Erne Estuary reported in the Ballyshannon Herald of January 22nd, 1847, James Currie, was tried for receiving a ham knowing it to be stolen. The ship's name is now given as the "Confidence" and it's master as Joseph Davidson. Nine bales of bacon had been stolen and several hogsheads of ham. Sub-Constable Davis had arrested Currie on Christmas day in Ballyshannon carrying a ham. Currie said that he had found it in a hole in the sand dunes. He was found guilty with a recommendation for mercy and was sentenced to 9 months hard labour.
On April 23rd, 1847 the paper reports the arrival of a ship with breadstuffs for Ballyshannon and Enniskillen. The ship is still waiting for a fair wind to get into Ballyshannon arbour. It is hoped that she will arrive today as people discharged from the Workhouse are in great distress. Plenty of food is arriving from America but prices are still at famine level. In port news of the 30th of the month the Brigantine Emerald under Captain Bool has arrived from Philadelphia and the Schooner, Cheerful under Captain Gibson has sailed for Liverpool.
On May 7th, 1847 the arrival of the steam ship Albert is reported under Commander Geary. It has arrived with much needed breadstuffs. It had towed in two sailing ships which had been waiting outside the bar for a favourable wind. This steam ship was 147 feet long and 42 feet in width. It has a 200 horsepower engine and carried 600 tons. It was a beautiful boat and many of the people of Ballyshannon were shown over it. The paper reports the melancholy loss of Captain Drake of the 92nd Regiment in the town and Henry Lipsett, a local young man. Both are greatly lamented.
The year 1849 was another year of sea tragedy locally. On March 9th it is reported that seven men drowned when a fishing boat from Mullaghmore sank and on May 25th, the Ballyshannon Herald reported seven more drowned at Rossnowlagh. On Monday 21st four sons of James Tumoney of Drumlongfield and a family servant named O�Donnell went to collect seaweed and dulse on the Long Rock which is exposed at low tide. They had taken with them two girls named Madden and Mc Garrigle. The boat was too heavily laden and those on board too inexperienced and the boat sank drowning all. A Prussian ship, name unknown was wrecked at Ballyshannon on the 5th of October,1849. It is more than likely a ship from Memel bringing timber to Ballyshannon.
At the height of the Famine the Earl Grey scheme to send orphan girls to Australia was availed of by most Donegal Workhouses including Ballyshannon. Sixteen female orphans were selected in 1847 for emigration to Australia. Lieutenant Henry, the Emigration Commissioners agent, visited the workhouse and selected 16 orphan girls aged between 14--18 whom he felt would be suited to employment in Australia. It was agreed that each girl should be equipped with six shifts, two flannel petticoats, six pairs of socks, two pairs of shoes and two gowns. It was envisaged that it would cost �5 per head to equip the girls, and they were to have free passage from Plymouth to Sydney. The orphans from Ballyshannon set out on their long journey from Ballyshannon to Plymouth under the stewardship of Sergeant Healy, the Assistant Master of the Workhouse. On Monday, 30th October, 1848, the 16 girls set sail from Plymouth on board The Inchinan, in the company of 148 orphan girls from other Irish workhouses and they landed in Sydney on the 13th January 1849. The government orphan scheme, which was a short lived experiment, ended in 1850. The Ballyshannon orphans who sailed on The Inchinan were: Jane Carleton, Margaret Sweeney, Mary Maguire, Mary McCrea, Ellen Feely, Jane Carberry, Sally McDermott, Rose Reid, Ann McBride, Margaret McBride, Letty McCrea, Anne Rooney, Mary Anne McDermott, Mary Allingham, Sally Lennon and Biddy Smith.
In 1847 at the height of the Famine the following people decided that America was their only chance. Passengers on the Brig Brazilian � Burthen,163 Tons. 26th July 1847. Ballyshannon, Ireland to Port of Boston. All passengers from Ireland intending to become inhabitants of the United States. Copy of Report and List of the Passengers taken on board the Brig Brazilian of Prospect whereof Robert Hichborn is Master, burthen 163 tons and (not filled in)/95ths of a ton, bound from the Port of Bullyshamon* obviously (Ballyshannon) for Boston. Columns represent: name, age, sex, occupation, country to which they belong, country which they intend to inhabit. All the passengers were recorded as being from Ireland and all intended to become inhabitants of the United States, so those columns will be eliminated here.
2 Thomas Stephens 28 male labourer
3 Hugh McGoorty 63 male farmer
4 Hugh McGoorty, Jr. 17 male farmer
5 Denis McGoorty 13 male farmer
6 Michael McGoorty 9 male farmer
7 Pat McGloin 48 male labourer
8 Pat McGloin, Jr. 17 male labourer
9 Ann McGloin 11 female servant
10 Pat Roonien 35 male labourer
11 Mary Roonien 38 female servant
12 James Roonien 9 male servant
13 Pat Roonien 6 male servant
14 Grace O'Donnell 18 female servant
15 Mary McGowan 30 female servant
16* Sarah Mo?day 20 female servant
17 John McDermot 50 male farmer
18 Farrel McDermot 22 male labourer
19 Mary McDermot 20 female servant
20 Cecilia McDermot 16 female servant
21 Robert McGrath 17 male labourer
22 Bridget Rooney 26 female servant
23 Martin McHugh 18 male farmer
24 John McHugh 11 male farmer
25 James McHugh 9 male farmer
26 Mary McHugh 18 female servant
27 Frank McKenny 50 male mechanic
28 Mary McKenny 40 female servant
29 Peter McKenny 16 male labourer
30 Bridget McKenny 13 female servant
31 Charles McKenny 11 male labourer
32 Margaret McKenny 9 female servant
33 Hugh McKenny 5 male labourer
34 Mary McKenny 1 female
35 Mary Quinn 2 female
36 Bridget Quinn 22 female servant
37 Michael Quinn 30 male labourer
38 Daniel Sheran 30 male labourer
39 Ann McIntire 55 female servant
40 Danl McIntire 22 male labourer
41 Margt McIntire 14 female servant
42 Pat Scott 43 male farmer
43 Ellen Scott 43 female servant
44 Mary Scott 20 female servant
45* John Scott 18 female servant
46 James Scott 13 male farmer
47 Bridget Scott 11 female
48 Eliza Scott 9 female
49 Pat Scott 7 male farmer
50 Lawrence Scott 3 male farmer
51 Alice Scott 6wks female
52 Bridget Duke 40 female
53 Rose Duke 10months female
54 Thomas Duke 24 male farmer
55 Fanny Duncan 20 female
56* Sally Rooni?n 35 female
57 Thomas Conigan 25 male farmer
58 Catharine Conigan 23 female
59 Jane Conigan 1 female
60 Thomas Jones 23 male farmer
61 James Scott 24 male farmer
62 Maria Ferguson 22 female
63 James Kenny 30 male farmer
64 Pat Kenny 33 male farmer
65 Winifred Canny 30 female
66* B??thy McGloin 26 male farmer
67 Hugh McSharry 22 male farmer
68 Bartly McSharry 25 male farmer
69 John Ferguson 30 male farmer
70 Michael Quinn 6months male
71 John Green 19 male gentleman
The ship Caroline sailed from Ballyshannon to Saint John, New Brunswick in 37 days in 1847 as detailed in the New Brunswick Courier, Saturday, July 10, 1847. Under Captain Kirkpatrick it arrived on the 6th of July therefore departing on May 1st. The ship was charted by John Wishart. Nothing else is known of it. Another ship that arrived on the same day was from Donegal. This was the Brigantine Blanche, captained by Captain Green, possibly of the famous Ballyshannon shipping family. It is not known how long the crossing took but it was hired by S. Wiggins & Son. Another ship to cross at this fraught time was the Thorn Close. Some of its passengers were so grateful that they recorded in the paper that they had sent a Card of Thanks to the captain and in the process inadvertently giving us their names.
We, the undernamed Passengers on board the Brig Thorny Close, from Donegal to St. John, N.B., are deputed by the rest of our fellow-passengers to return to Captain James Horan our heartfelt thanks for his kind and prompt attention to us during the time we were sea-sick; and when death spread his devouring shaft amongst us, and carried away six children, and one woman, by name Mrs. Magwood, there was he to be seen, consoling and comforting the invalids under their sad misfortune. We have also to return to each and every man who served him our grateful thanks for their civility and attention to us when sea-sick. We should be ungrateful did we allow such unmerited kindness to pass unnoticed without giving it publicity in the public prints. Farrel Brogan, William Brogan, Walter Long, Francis Colgan, Richard McGee, Robert Mc Junkin, Billy McCownly, Condy Breslin. St. John, N. B. June 17th, 1847.
The following is a return of the names of the persons from Donegal who died in Hospital on Partridge Island, from the 7th May to the 2nd of July, 1847, with their ages, and the names of the vessels from which they were landed. All of these except one had also sailed on the Thorney Close. After all they had endured �Americay� was only an early grave.
Name Age Ship County
Barbara Preston, 65, Brig Thorney Close, Donegal
Mary Tummany, 26, Brig Thorney Close, Donegal
Andrew Tait, 35, Brig Thorney Close, Donegal
James Lynch, 40, Brig Thorney Close, Donegal
Bernard Higgins, 25, Brig Thorney Close, Donegal
Michael Mahir, 26, Brig Thorney Close, Donegal
Ellen Cattern, 28, Brig Thorney Close, Donegal
Andrew Devitt, 50, Brig Thorney Close, Donegal
Patrick Kerigan, 20, Barque Mary Harrington, Donegal
Details of the dock-side procedures for emigrants can be found in the diary of William Allingham, Ballyshannon poet, who was appointed customs officer to Donegal Town in 1846. He describes his official duties as: "Outdoors, there came the occasional visiting of vessels, measurements of logs and deals, and 'bread-stuffs' (chiefly maize) and - by far the most troublesome, but the most interesting - the examination of the fittings and provisions of emigrant ships, and the calling over, when ready for sea, of the lists of Passengers, who came forward one by one, men, women, and children, to pass the doctor and myself."
From the paper we get little glimpses of life in and about the Port in the early 1850s. In March, 1850 the quay and shoreline bustle with people buying and harvesting seaweed. Thousands in the locality used it for fertilizer and many came to blows on the shore over who was to collect seaweed on particular sections of the beach. On January 17th, 1851 it is reported that there are great numbers emigrating to America and that 47 had left the town and environs in the at week. The death is reported of Mr. John Greene on May 9th, 1851. He was one of the major Ballyshannon ship owners and had three vessels which plied over the Bar on numerous occasions without accident. He had bought a steamer which was wrecked on the Welsh coast on its way to Ballyshannon. It is probably the death of John Green and the loss of his steam ship which stymied local steam shipping in Ballyshannon. On September 5th the same year Kernohan�s ship Dromahair is to sail from Ballyshannon to New York under Captain Pyn. One hundred and thirty are expected to travel on her. By the modern day miracle of the Internet and genealogical sites it has been possible to trace further information of the Green family in New Brunswick. Owen Green died on Thursday, age 39, a native of Ballyshannon, Ireland and left a widow and six children. The funeral will be on Sunday at 2 o'clock from his late residence Princess St. (St. John) 2nd October 1847. New Brunswick Courier, Saint John. Almost 40 years later, Capt. John Green, died at his residence, High St., Portland (St. John) 29th inst., aged 90, second son of the late John Green, Esq., The Rock, Ballyshannon, Ireland. Funeral Sunday half past 2 o'clock. 30 October 1886 Daily Telegraph, Saint John. ( provided by [email protected] (Daniel F. Johnson)
The Mary Walker above may have had a major influence on Andrew Green, the editor and publisher of the Ballyshannon Herald who did rather tend to a one-sided religious view of life and news stories in his paper especially in his latter years. This is the unflattering view taken of him by Canon Maguire in his book Ballyshannon Past and Present although the Canon�s book displays an almost equal and opposite bias to that which he sees as a fault in Mr. Green. �In those days, the press organ of the town and district was the Ballyshannon Herald, whose editor was the well-remembered Andy Green, an old Pharisee of the stale Orange type. The malodorous rag received admission to no respectable household of any religious persuasion, and the sanctimonious editor glided through life like a German spy on the enemy�s soil.�
Steam Navigation began to make a serious impact on sail power in the 1840s. The first steamship into Ballyshannon Harbour was in 1846 but the competition had begun on Lough Erne four years earlier on December 23rd 1842 when the wooden paddle steamer "Countess of Erne" sailed from Wattle Bridge to Lisnaskea. This vessel was owned by William Dargan, the builder of the Ulster Canal and the first Irish railway. This railway from Dun Laoire to Dublin made him the wealthiest man in Ireland at the time. This canal ran from Wattle Bridge to Charlement on the Blackwater, a distance of 46 miles. Dargan later hired the Ulster Canal for 14 years at �400 p. a. when the canal was seized by the Board of Works since its owner still owed the board �130,000 advanced towards its construction. The "Countess of Erne" showed on alarming ability to run herself aground on the shoals of Upper Lough Erne but soon it was regularly towing a lighter or trains of lighters from Enniskillen along the Erne and via the Ulster Canal to Newry where the goods were put on Dargan's fast cross channel steamers bound for Liverpool. Departure from Enniskillen was on Wednesday and the goods e. g . butter were on sale in Liverpool on Monday morning.
In September 1846 Dargan brought a second steamer to the Erne. Little is known of her other than she was screw propelled and only drew four feet of water. This was probably the twin-screw tug "Shamrock" and she made the first steam voyage to Belleek towing a lighter loaded with coal arriving on the 20th of June 1851. The vessel docked at Kernaghan's Quay, Belleek near the present Erne Gateway Center. About 3000 people had assembled at Belleek to witness her arrival on Friday evening but as she had left Newry late and it was the ship�s first voyage the captain decided not to try and negotiate the islands above Roscor and waited there until the following day. Even so there were hundreds to greet the ship when it docked at Belleek at six in the morning. Mr. Kernohan had a wide interest in shipping since his ship Dromahair was sailing from Sligo to America with emigrants in April 1846. It was the first emigrant ship leaving that port that year. The vessel left Belleek for Newry the following afternoon with a cargo of butter, eggs etc and made a swift passage to Roscor where there was a delay while some gentlemen who had gone along for the novelty of a journey by steam on the lake were disembarked. Then a sail was hoisted and this allied with steam soon took her out of sight. A new butter market had been established in Belleek and new sheds a a larger quay were planned. However the service only lasted a few months.
It all seems to have been largely motivated by a rumour that Ballyshannon businessmen were interested in starting a regular shipping service to England and this would have taken customers from Dargan's Newry/Liverpool steamers. Indeed the Ulster Canal Company advertised for goods from Ballyshannon to Newry via the Erne and Ulster and Newry canals with with free carriage of goods between Ballyshannon and Belleek. In December 1858 Dargan transferred his shipping interest to the Dundalk Steam Packet Company and a month later the new operators closed down the Lough Erne Steamer Service.
In October, 1851 Ballyshannon was indeed close to buying or chartering a steamer on behalf of the whole town. It was intended that it should sail between Ballyshannon, Glasgow and Liverpool on a weekly basis. A public meeting on the 18th of the month pledged the purchase of �4,500 of shares at �5 each plus individual donations of about �100 in addition. The example of Sligo was held up to the meeting where local merchants combined together to buy a steamship a few years previously and now had four steamships using the port on a regular basis. The original intention had to been to hire a ship but the local committee had run into a lot of difficulties. They were offered many ships but all failed on some quality either being too large or too small or having conditions attached to a trial run into Ballyshannon harbour. All except one ship, the Mountaineer, wanted all expenses such as fuel, crew etc to be taken up by the local committee. This they declined as delays due to bad weather or any other reason would have left the company with a large open-ended bill. When the committee finally offered the owners of the Mountaineer the sum of �100 to undertake a visit to Ballyshannon it was only then revealed that she did not have the draft to enter the harbour at all.
Much was made at the meeting of Ballyshannon becoming the port of Enniskillen but despite this inducement only one Enniskillener, Mr Creden, had contributed to the purchase fund. Other gentlemen from Enniskillen at the meeting wised the venture well but indicated that they were unwilling to take shares in the company as at the moment they were satisfied with the services of the Ulster Canal. To these Mr. Creden replied that he did not wish to lessen the merits of the Ulster Canal Company but that the Ballyshannon steamer would charge about 10 or 11 shillings per ton of freight from Liverpool while goods coming by canal cost 25 shillings per ton.
The only partially dissenting voice was that of a local, Mr. Allingham referred to the problem of the Bar. He thought that there were other factors at work in the decline of the port. In 1831 12 foreign and 61 coastal vessels used the port of Ballyshannon and although the Bar entrance had been deepened since there were only about a half dozen vessels in 1850 altogether. But he pointed out that many other now thriving ports in the British Isles had suffered from great natural disabilities and overcame them. He looked forward to steam overcoming Ballyshannon�s other natural problems such as baffling winds and a crooked passage. Other matters of confusion aired in the papers concerned whether or no to hire or buy a screw or a paddle driven vessel. The Rev. G. N. Tredennick maintained that paddle boats were more stable and that screw driven ships rolled about more. If cattle were to be carried many would be killed or damaged in stormy conditions on a screw driven boat and he cited a law case involving the Albatros where half the cattle had been killed and the rest damaged. What was initially seen by everybody as a great idea became more and more complicated and in time momentum was lost and nothing was done. In the meantime the local papers carried stories of labourers in New Brunswick earning the immense sum of 3 shillings and four pence sterling per day. Pay in Ballyshannon was 10 pence per day.