Irish Ships and Shipping 

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LOSS OF THE STEAMERS  S.S. FORMBY and S.S. CONNINGBEG 
Dec.1917

 © Patrick J O’Gorman. 2008

These two ships were known locally known as the “ Pedlars”  because of their excellent timekeeping and were owned by the Clyde Shipping Company of Glasgow. They operated on that company’s liner trade between Waterford and Liverpool   loading livestock ,foodstuff and general cargo in Waterford and returning with general cargo from Liverpool . They were also certified to carry a number of passengers.        

 The S.S. CONNINGBEG was launched by the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company in 1903 as the S.S. CLODAGH for the Waterford Steamship Company and was registered in that port. She became the  S.S. CONNINGBEG in 1912 when purchased by the Clyde Shipping Company and was then registered in Glasgow  

The S.S. FORMBY was launched in Dundee in 1914. On the weekend of the 15/16 December 1917 gale force winds with blizzards said to have been the worst in living memory were blowing in the Irish Sea and when the S.S. FORMBY failed to dock in Waterford as planned on Sunday morning the 16th it was assumed she was delayed because of the bad weather. With still no sighting of her by Monday 17th it was hoped that she had hove to, or sheltered somewhere during the worst of the storm. The S.S. FORMBY was equipped with wireless and allowing for war time restrictions on broadcastings word of her whereabouts should have arrived at the company’s office in Waterford . By Monday evening the worst was feared.

On Monday the17th December the S.S. CONNINGBEG sailed from Liverpool bound for Waterford and she also failed to arrive. A letter dated 27th December1917 from the office of the Clyde Shipping Company informing relatives that the company now considered that they must give up hope concerning both ships. It was still not known what caused the loss and few people believed that the ships had gone down owing to bad weather as both ships kept to a tight schedule in all weather conditions. 

		Memorial at Waterford Quays.

Very little wreckage was ever found, and only one body,  that of the S.S. FORMBY stewardess was washed ashore. A bottle containing message which read “We will never reach the Hook”( the lighthouse at the entrance to Waterford harbour) with a signature which could have been Jack or Jock was washed up on the Wexford shore. The signature could not be positively identified as that of any crew member. If it had been identified as that of a crew member then it could have placed a question mark over an early decision to award the War Loss Pension. The official who presented the note for possible identification was of the opinion that if the note originated on one of the ships it might be an indication that the ship was in difficulties and later foundered in the great gale. If this was so, the loss could have been deemed as an “Act of God” and  War Loss Pensions would not have been awarded. An enquiry was held on the 23rd January 1918 and both ships were posted missing Presumed  Torpedoed. The relatives had to wait many years before the authorities accepted that the ships had been torpedoed by a U- Boat. 

The lives lost on the S.S. FORMBY totalled 39 ( 37 crew and 2 passengers) 32 crew members and the 2 passengers came from the counties of Waterford ,Kilkenny and Wexford.

CHARLES MINARDS -MASTER , ARCHIBALD GILLIES -1^ST MATE , JAMES RANKIN -2^ND MATE , MAURICE BUTLER -CARPENTER

JOHN MOIR 1^ST ENGINEER , WILLIAM LUMLEY -2^ND ENGINEER , JOHN LEMMON -3^RD ENGINEER 

WILLIAM FORTUNE -SEAMAN , EDWARD BURKE -SEAMAN, THOMAS KEATING -SEAMAN , JOHN HURLEY -SEAMAN

THOMAS COFFEY -SEAMAN, JAMES CLAWSON- SEAMAN , JOHN BURNS -SEAMAN , PATRICK DOYLE -SEAMAN

THOMAS CONDON -FIREMAN , WALTER HENNEBRY -FIREMAN , JOHN WALSH -FIREMAN, PATRICK COOKE- FIREMAN

GEORGE CARPENDALE- FIREMAN , WILLIAM CONNOLLY -FIREMAN, RICHARD MURPHY -FIREMAN, 

JOHN KIELY -FIREMAN, MAURICE HENNEBRY -DONKEYMAN , EDWARD HENNESSY -WINCHMAN

GEORGE SINCLAIR -STEWARD , JAMES MORRISSEY -COOK , ANNIE O’CALLAGHAN -STEWARDESS

CHRISTOPHER CONNOR -GUNNER , DANIEL COUTTS -GUNNER, JOHN HAYES -CATTLEMAN

MARTIN EUSTACE -CATTLEMAN , JAMES MANNING -CATTLEMAN ,JOHN MCGRATH -CATTLEMAN

DAN O’CONNELL -CATTLEMAN , JOHN O’BRIEN -CATTLEMAN, JERMIAH O’SULLIVAN -CATTLEMAN

MICHAEL O’BRIEN -PASSENGER, JAMES WHITE PASSENGER. 

Thomas Coffey and his wife Mary

Thomas Coffey died when the SS. Formby was sunk by the German Uboat, U62 off the coast of Wicklow, 
Ireland on December 16, 1917. Photo and Info from Shaun McGuire

The lives lost on the S.S. CONNINGBEG totalled  44 (40 crew members and4 passengers) 34 crew members came from Waterford City and County. 

JOSEPH LUMLEY -MASTER, DONALD LIVINGSTONE -1^{st  MATE, NEIL MCMULLAN -2ND MATE, PATRICK HENNESSY -CARPENTER}

MICHAEL BARRY -SEAMAN, STEPHEN WHITTY -SEAMAN,WILLIAM CAHILL -SEAMAN, PATRICK WALSH -SEAMAN,