Bere Island Shipwrecks: Tales from the Deep

Hear tales of maritime tragedies and shipwrecks around the coast of Bere Island from island author and historian Ted O’Sullivan.

Ted will delve deep into the island’s seafaring heritage, focusing on the harrowing story of the Joseph Howe the three-masted brigantine carrying Mexican mahogany that was violently driven onto the sheer cliffs of Faill na dTadhg during a ferocious gale 150 years ago in February 1875.

You will hear the gripping accounts of the four exhausted crew members miraculously hauled up the rock face with ropes by brave islanders, the subsequent local folklore and poetry that immortalized the event, and the dark, post-rescue courtroom twists that gripped the community.

From the 19th-century timber ships smashed against treacherous rocks around the island’s coastline to the amazing story of a British warship which suffered catastrophic damage as she was smashed on the perilous Carraig na Madraí off the island’s eastern end, yet was later miraculously repaired and sailed again.

This talk offers a captivating look at the thin line between survival and disaster along the rugged coast of Bere Island.

The Lecture Theatre (former Camp Church) is a 5 minute walk from Rerrin Village. Find  ferry times here.

For information on the heritage of Bere Island see www.bereisland.heritagecork.org

With thanks to the Department of Defence for the use of the venue.