THE BUTTER BOAT
BY Aodhan WOOD
ABOUT THE BUTTER BOAT
- KNOWN LOCALLY AS THE BUTTER BOAT, VARIOUS TALES HAVE BEEN TOLD OF ITS ORIGINS IT IS UNKNOWN WHY IT IS CALLED THE BUTTER BOAT. SOME HAVE SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS CARRYING BUTTER AT THE TIME BUT OTHERS HAVE SAID THAT IT IS CALLED THE BUTTER BOAT BECAUSE THE WRECKS LOOK THE SHAPE THAT BUTTER WAS BACK THEN.IT WAS ACTUALLY CALLED THE GREYHOUND AND WAS A TRADING BOAT.
ABOUT THE GREYHOUND
- THE GREYHOUND WAS A COASTAL TRADING VESSEL LAUNCHED IN WHITBY IN 1747 OR POSSIBLY BEFORE THAT WAS WRECKED IN A STORM OFF THE COAST OF COUNTY SLIGO ON 12 DECEMBER 1770. ON THE 1ST OF JANUARY 1771 LLOYDS LIST REPORTED THAT THE GREYHOUND DESCENDED TO THE COUNTY SLIGOBOTTOM OF THE SEA, THE GREYHOUND DISPLACED 1,350 LONG TONS (1,370 T) AT STANDARD LOAD AND 1,883 LONG TONS (1,913 T) AT DEEP LOAD. THE SHIP HAD AN OVERALL LENGTH OF 323 FEET (98.5 M), A BEAM OF 33 FEET (10.1 M) AND A DRAUGHT OF 12 FEET 5 INCHES (3.8 M).
- THE STORY OF THE BUTTER BOAT.
- ABOUT TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO A SHIP WAS WRECKED AT STREEDAGH POINT WHICH IS ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILES FROM GRANGE CO. SLIGO . THIS BOAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN A TOURIST BOAT FROM ENGLAND.
IT WAS A STORMY NIGHT AND THE BOAT WAS DRIVEN AGAINST THE POINT BY THE STORM.
WHEN THE BOAT STRUCK THE ROCKS OF THE POINT THE PASSENGERS AND CREW, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE MAN WHO REMAINED ON THE SHIP, CLAMBERED UP ON THE ROCKS AND TRIED TO REACH LAND. BUT THEY FELL INTO A HOLE BETWEEN TWO ROCKS AND WERE DROWNED.
DURING THE NIGHT THE WAVES BROUGHT THE BOAT UPON THE SHORE WHERE IT SANK IN THE SAND . THEN WHEN THE TIDE WENT OUT THE MAN WHO REMAINED ON THE SHIP GOT OFF SAFELY.
HE KNEW THAT IF THIS WAS NOT DONE THAT THE WAVES WOULD BRING HIM OUT TO SEA AGAIN.
HE SAW LIGHT IN A HOUSE WHICH WAS NEAR BY IN STREEDAGH AND WHEN HE CAME TO THE HOUSE HE FOUND THAT A WAKE WAS GOING ON IN THAT HOUSE.
WHEN HE TOLD THE PEOPLE WHAT HAPPENED THEY LEFT THE WAKE HOUSE AND WENT DOWN TO THE SHORE WHERE THE SHIP WAS AND THEY CARRIED AWAY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OF THE VALUABLES THAT WERE ON THE WRECKED VESSEL. THEY KNEW THAT IF THIS WAS NOT DONE THAT THE WAVES WOULD BRING THE VALUABLES OUT TO SEA AGAIN.
THE REMAINS OF THE SHIP ARE STILL TO BE SEEN STUCK IN THE SAND AT STREEDAGH. - PICTURES OF THE BUTTER BOAT
- ABOUT TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO A SHIP WAS WRECKED AT STREEDAGH POINT WHICH IS ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILES FROM GRANGE CO. SLIGO . THIS BOAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN A TOURIST BOAT FROM ENGLAND.
