Comóradh Céad Bliain Chur Go Tóin Poill RMS Leinster Commemoration of the Centenary of the Sinking of the RMS Leinster 10.10.2018
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centenary commemoration | rms leinster Comóradh Céad Bliain chur go Tóin Poill RMS Leinster Commemoration of the Centenary of the Sinking of the RMS Leinster 10.10.2018 —— 1 Comóradh Céad Bliain | rmS leinSter Centenary Commemoration | rmS leinSter Réamhrá Foreword Fáilte chuig SeaRManaS an lae inniu elcoMe to today’S ceremony chun comóradh a dhéanamh ar chéad bliain to commemorate the centenary chur go tóin poill rms Leinster, ar bhuail toirpéid of the sinking of the rms Leinster, ón bhfomhuireán Gearmánach ub-123 í ar an 10 whichW was torpedoed by the German submarine Deireadh Fómhair 1918. ub-123 on 10 October 1918. Tharla an tragóid mí agus lá sular síníodh an The tragedy took place one month and one sos cogaidh, ar an 11 Samhain 1918, a chuir deireadh day before the signing of the Armistice, on 11 leis an troid sa Chéad Chogadh Domhanda. Is í cur November 1918, which ceased combat in World go tóin poill rms Leinster an tubaiste mhuirí ba mhó a War I. The loss of the rms Leinster remains the tharla riamh i Muir Éireann. greatest single maritime disaster in the Irish Sea. Cailleadh 564 dhuine, go bhfios dúinn. 564 people are known to have perished. Ghoill an tragóid seo go mór ar theaghlaigh agus Families and communities on both sides of the Íomhá thuas: Ceann litreach Royal Mail Steamer Leinster ar phobail ar dhá thaobh Mhuir Éireann agus Irish Sea and as far afield as America, Canada, RMS Leinster. Le caoinchead chomh fada le Meiriceá, Ceanada, an Astráil Australia and New Zealand, were devastated Karen Walshe Thaler. Thóg an chuideachta Laird Brothers (Birkenhead) agus an Nua-Shéalainn. Cuimhnímid freisin ar by this tragedy. We also remember the 36 crew Above image: RMS Leinster letterhead. an long rms Leinster don chuideachta City of Courtesy of Karen Walshe Thaler. Dublin Steam Packet Company sa bhliain 1896. na 36 bhall de chriú ub-123, a maraíodh seachtain members of ub-123, who themselves were killed ina dhiaidh sin. one week later, when their submarine struck a Clúdach tosaigh: Cárta poist Úsáideadh an t-árthach sin agus a chomhlonga, RMS Leinster. rms Munster, rms Ulster agus rms Connaught, Cuimhnímid freisin ar an gcúram agus ar mine in the North Sea. Foinse: Ceannt and O’Brennan faoin gconradh a bhí ag an gcuideachta le hOifig an gcineáltas a léirigh na seirbhísí tarrthála agus We also remember the care and kindness Papers, 1851 – 1953. Le caoinchead an pearsanra altranais agus leighis sa fhreagairt shown by the rescue services, nursing Leabharlann Náisiúnta na hÉireann an Phoist, chun post agus paisnéirí a thabhairt dhaonnúil ollmhór a slógadh i ndiaidh na tubaiste. and medical personnel, in the immense Front cover: RMS Leinster postcard. transa Mhuir Éireann, idir Cé Carlisle, Kingstown Source: Ceannt and O’Brennan (Dún Laoghaire) agus Cé Admiralty, Holyhead. Tá flúirse taispeántas, seimineár, léachtaí, humanitarian response that was mobilised Papers, 1851 – 1953. Courtesy amharclannaíochta agus taibhithe á reáchtáil, faoi following the tragedy. of the National Library of Ireland. Royal Mail Steamer Leinster stiúir Chomhairle Contae Dhún Laoghaire Rath Surrounding this important an Dúin faoin gcomóradh tábhachtach seo. Is commemoration, there is a wealth of The rms Leinster was built by Laird Brothers féidir tuilleadh sonraí a fháil ag www.dlrcoco.ie. exhibitions, seminars, talks, theatre and (Birkenhead) in 1896 for the City of Dublin performances led by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Steam Packet Company. The vessel and its County Council. Further details can be found at sister ships, the rms Munster, the rms Ulster www.dlrcoco.ie. and the rms Connaught, serviced the Company’s contract with the Post Office, carrying mail and passengers across the Irish Sea, between the Carlisle Pier, Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire) and the Admiralty Pier, Holyhead. —— —— 2 3 Comóradh Céad Bliain | rmS leinSter Centenary Commemoration | rmS leinSter An Clár 10 Deireadh Fómhair 1918 The Programme 10 October 1918 Mórshiúl na mBratach Procession of Standards i ndiaidh 4 bliana den chogadh, bhí FteR 4 years of war, the Allies fogha á thabhairt ag na Comhghuaillithe faoi were driving back the German Army Teacht Pháirtí na Brataí Náisiúnta Arrival of the National Colour Party Arm na Gearmáine sa Fhrainc agus sa Bheilg. in France and Belgium. The German Aitheasc tosaigh ó Fhear an Tí Opening remarks by the Master of Ceremonies Thuig Ardcheannas na Gearmáine nach AHigh Command realised it could not win the war bhféadfadh sé an cogadh a bhuachan agus bhí and had advised the Government to seek peace Fáilte ó Chathaoirleach Chomhairle Welcome by the Cathaoirleach of Dún sé molta aige don Rialtas gur cheart téarmaí terms. Contae Dhún Laoghaire Ráth an Dúin Laoghaire Rathdown County Council síochána a lorg. Thousands of Irish men and women were Bhí na mílte fear agus ban Éireannach serving in the British armed services. Many ag déanamh seirbhíse i seirbhísí armtha others – including those of Irish descent – were Sos Ceoil Musical Interlude na Breataine. Bhí go leor daoine eile - lena serving in the forces of Australia, New Zealand, Seinm Ceoil Thraidisiúnta – Traditional Music Performance – n-áirítear daoine de bhunadh na hÉireann – Canada, the United States of America, India and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann ag déanamh seirbhíse i bhfórsaí na hAstrála, South Africa. na Nua-Shéalainne, Cheanada, Stáit Aontaithe From the start of the war, the Royal Navy Mórshiúl le Siombail a Procession of Symbols Mheiriceá, na hIndia agus na hAfraice Theas. blockaded Germany, cutting its sea access to bhaineann le rms Leinster associated with the rms Leinster Ó thús an chogaidh, chuir an Cabhlach the outside world. The Germans retaliated Léamh Readings Ríoga an Ghearmáin faoi imshuí, ag baint di with submarine attacks on British merchant an rochtain mara a bhí aici ar an gcuid eile ships. The first attacks in the Irish Sea occurred Sos Ceoil Musical Interlude den domhan. Bhain na Gearmáinigh díoltas in January 1915. Throughout the war, the City ‘Anthem of the Mailboat Leinster’ ‘Anthem of the Mailboat Leinster’ amach trí ionsaithe fomhuireáin a dhéanamh ar of Dublin Steam Packet Company (CDSPCo) á chanadh ag William Byrne performed by William Byrne longa trádála Briotanacha. Rinneadh na chéad continued to operate a mail and passenger Léamha Readings ionsaithe ar Mhuir Éireann in Eanáir 1915. Lean service between Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire) City of Dublin Steam Packet Company (CDSPCo) and Holyhead. During 1918, the Company’s Macnaimh ó scríbhneoir cónaithe Chomhairle Reflection by dlr County Council de sheirbhís poist agus paisnéirí a oibriú idir vessels had a number of narrow escapes Contae Dhún Laoghaire Ráth an Dúin, Sarah Writer in Residence, Sarah Maria Griffin Kingston (Dún Laoghaire) agus Holyhead i when attacked by submarines. As Royal Navy Maria Griffin. rith an chogaidh. Le linn 1918, is minic a tharla destroyers were mainly employed in guarding Paidir ó Shéiplíneach Óglaigh na hÉireann Prayer by Defence Forces Chaplain gur ar éigin a tháinig árthaigh na cuideachta the British fleet and escorting convoys across the slán tríd ionsaithe ó fhomhuireáin. Ó tharla go Atlantic, CDSPCo vessels were only occasionally raibh Scriostóirí an Chabhlaigh Ríoga á n-úsáid provided with escorts. Soldiers and military chun loingeas na Breataine a chosaint agus nurses leaving and returning to Ireland travelled Searmanas Fleascleagain Wreath Laying Ceremony mar gharda ar thionlacain a bhí ag trasnú an through Dublin Port. From late 1917, they began Atlantaigh, is annamh a tugadh garda d’árthaigh to occasionally travel through Kingstown. The Nóiméad Ciúnais Minute of Silence an CDSPCo. Thaistealaíodh saighdiúirí agus rms Leinster’s journal for 1918 shows it carried Marbhna ó Phíobaire Óglaigh na hÉireann Lament by Defence Forces Piper altraí míleata a bhí ag fágáil Éireann agus ag troops on 33 occasions – a minority of its filleadh uirthi arís trí Chalafort Bhaile Átha sailings to and from Holyhead. Amhrán na bhFiann, á sheinm ag Armbhanna The National Anthem by the Army No 1 Band Cliath. I dtreo dheireadh 1917, thosaigh siad ag Uimh. 1 taisteal trí Kingstown ó am go chéile. Tugtar le Focail scoir Closing Remarks Conclúid Conclusion —— —— 4 5 Comóradh Céad Bliain | rmS leinSter Centenary Commemoration | rmS leinSter Taismigh agus Marthanóirí Casualties and Survivors fios ó dhialann rms Leinster don bhliain 1918 gur Shortly before 9 a.m. on 10 October 1918, the Iomlán Cailleadh Mhair Total Lost Survived iompar sí trúpaí 33 huaire - líon beag dá seoltaí rms Leinster left Kingstown under the command sall chuig Holyhead agus anall uaidh arís. of Captain William Birch (aged 61). The weather Criú 75 37 38 D’fhágrms Leinster Kingstown go gairid was fine, but the sea was rough following recent Crew roimh 9 a.m. ar an 10 Deireadh Fómhair 1918 storms. The ship’s crew came from Kingstown Sórtálaithe Poist 22 21 1 faoi cheannas an Chaptaein William Birch (61 and Holyhead. Postal sorters manned an on- Postal Sorters bhliain d’aois). Lá breá a bhí ann ach bhí an board mail room. Civilian passengers came from Sibhialtaigh fharraige garbh i ndiadh stoirmeacha le gairid. various parts of Ireland and Britain. The majority 200 148 52 Civilians Ba as Kingstown agus Holyhead do chriú na of passengers on board that day were military loinge. Bhí foireann Sortálaithe Poist i bhfeighil personnel - soldiers, sailors, airmen and nurses, Pearsanra Airm 506 358 148 seomra poist ar bord na loinge. Ba as ceantair who came from Ireland, Britain, the United Military éagsúla ar fud na hÉireann agus na Breataine States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Iomlán 803 564 239 do na paisnéirí siabhialtacha. Pearsanra airm Shortly before 10 a.m., submarine UB-123 fired a Total ab iad formhór na bpaisnéirí ar bord an lá sin torpedo towards the rms Leinster’s port (left) side. - saighdiúirí, mairnéalaigh, eitleoirí agus altraí It missed the ship, passing across its bow.