Ouzel, The

DESCRIPTION: Ouzel sails from Dublin for Tripoli. "Somewhere down by Algiers, on the coast of Barbary, The Ringsend sailors fought and failed against black piracy." Years later they escape, take over Ouzel again, and return to Ireland with pirate gold.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1948 (Ranson-SongsOfTheWexfordCoast)
KEYWORDS: sea ship captivity slavery pirate escape
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
1695 - Ouzel sails from Dublin for Smyrna but is not heard from until she returns five years later (see Notes)
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Ranson-SongsOfTheWexfordCoast, pp. 113-114, "The Ouzel" (1 text)
Roud #20543
NOTES [104 words]: "The crew said the ship had been captured by Algerian pirates who used it to terrorise the Mediterranean seas, although it was rumored in some quarters that Captain Massey might have been indulging in a spot of piracy himself!! The offic[i]al story went on to relate how the Irish crew, who had been spared, managed to escape from captivity and regained control of the ship and the pirate's booty" (source: site of The Ouzel Galley Society on IrishShips)
Irish Architecture Online site: "Ringsend is named from the Gaelic Roinn Aun, meaning Sea Point. In the 17th century it took over from Dalkey as Dublin's main port." - BS
Last updated in version 5.0
File: Ran113

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