Fethard Life-Boat Crew (I), The

DESCRIPTION: The Mexico, from America to Liverpool, is "dashed to pieces along the beach of Burrow's lonely shore." The Fethard Lifeboat crew "launched their boat at Fethard Quay ... to save the shipwrecked sailors." The lifeboat itself is wrecked.
AUTHOR: James Mahony of Bride St, Wexford
EARLIEST DATE: 1948 (Ranson-SongsOfTheWexfordCoast)
KEYWORDS: drowning sea ship storm wreck sailor rescue
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
Feb 20-21, 1914 - The Mexico wreck
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Ranson-SongsOfTheWexfordCoast, p. 44, "The Fethard Life-Boat Crew" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #20557
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Mexico" (subject) and references there
cf. "The Hantoon" (tune)
NOTES [97 words]: Ranson-SongsOfTheWexfordCoast: Tune is "The Hantoon" on p. 46.
February 20, 1914: "Nine members of the Fethard lifeboat were drowned when going to the assistance of the Norwegian steamer Mexico.... Eight of the Mexico's crew were saved by the five lifeboat survivors. All but one of the stranded survivors were saved with great difficulty the next day." (source: Bourke in Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast v1, pp. 52-53) - BS
We note that at least four poems were written about this disaster (see the cross-references); one suspects a campaign to raise money for someone's family. - RBW
Last updated in version 5.0
File: Ran044

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