Wreck: MV Innisfallen
Wreck data
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| Prefix: | MV |
|---|---|
| Name: | Innisfallen |
| Nationality: | United Kingdom |
| Sinking Date: | / |
| Wreck Type: | Cargo |
| Incident: | Sunk |
| Sinking Causes: | Mine |
| Description: | Comment from carl Leckey on November 05, 2010 "Innisfallen was a passenger ship owned by the City of Cork Steam Packet Company and in December 1940 she was operating between Dublin and Liverpool commanded by Captain George Firth of Clontarf, Dublin. At 6 p.m. on 20th December 1940 she left Liverpool landing stage for Dublin with 157 passengers and a crew of 63. She had just left the berth when air-raid sirens began sounding a warning and the harbour authorities closed the port to navigation. Captain Firth anchored the ship in the river as bombs and mines fell about her. At daylight it was reported there was an unauthorised passenger on board and when the ‘All Clear’ sounded Captain Firth took the ship back to the stage to land him. In the early afternoon the port re-opened and at 3 p.m. Innisfallen again sailed for Dublin. Clonlara, sunk after picking up survivors from another ship during attack by seven U-boats Big explosion Twenty minutes later when moving slowly down river past New Brighton Tower a massive explosion occurred just forward of the bridge on the port side; a magnetic mine had activated. Three crewmen were killed outright and quartermaster Daniel Geary sustained injuries from which he died a few hours later. Two other seamen and Captain Firth were wounded. However he remained in charge and ordered the evacuation of the ship. He was the last off, sliding down a rope into a tug that had come to the rescue. Innisfallen sank fifteen minutes later. The Tower buoy off New Brighton marks her wreck. " |
