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The Guillemot. (6 images + Text)
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The Guillemot was a lightship which following the end of her working life was moored on Wexford’s Quayfront and turned in to a maritime museum. Following issues with vandalism and lack of investment in it’s upkeep it was moved to Kilmore Quay in the late 80s.
The Guillemot is being dismantled as we speak. I have heard a lot of comments about what a disgrace this is but it seems that the people who care about this do not have the money or the wherewithal to do anything to save it. I tried to find some information on line but there is little available. I found the following on the Commissioners for Irish Lights website.
“Built 1921/23 by Cran & Somerville, Leith; length 102 feet, breadth 24 feet, depth 12½ feet; construction all steel; five watertight bulkheads; steel mast and fixed lantern; mizzen mast carrying day mark; masts for wireless; cost £17,700; sold in 1968 to Wexford Maritime Museum Committee. Towed by ILT Atlanta to Rosslare. Taken in tow over Wexford Harbour Bar. Moored alongside quay at Wexford. Subsequently moved to Kilmore Quay and set in concrete.”
This is the only photograph I can find in my collection, to date anyway, showing the Guillemot moored on Wexford Quays. It is scanned from a colour negative.
This is the ship moored in concrete at Kilmore Quay. I am led to believe that she was bedded in concrete following a storm in January 1990 which did severe damage to the harbour and caused the ship to break from her moorings.
Vandalism is cited as one of the reasons why maintaining the ship at Wexford Quays proved untenable. It seems the local authorities were not in a position to undertake it’s upkeep.
According to press reports Wexford County Council had to take action on the grounds of health and safety.
So now the ship is being cut up for scrap. According to a local I spoke to earlier this week the steel is quite valuable. “Pre nuclear” were the words he used. I looked it up and it does exist.
So that’s it. No going back now.
It’s a shame it had to be dismantled John
I saw it when I was down for the saltee trip
It looks in bad shape alright from your photos
restoration should have been done years ago
pityCathal
Hi Cathal,
Thanks for the comments.
Yes it is a shame.
It is often easier for people to complain of what a disgrace it is that the ship
has not been maintained than it is to do anything about it.
I am not qualified to say whether this ship was of such historical value that it
should have been looked after.I do feel as you do that it is a pity.
Thanks again.
John.
It is a shame that so many of these ships are so lost!
I wonder if you could help a friend of mine out. She tried to register and ask herself, but somehow her German email did not get accepted.
My friend is Iris of Feuerschiffseite
She would love to use one of your pictures on her page for the Lightship (the last but one). Would that be possible?It is such a shame that we loose so many of these ships. But we should keep as much evidence of them as possible and that includes photographs! So thanks for showing those photographs!
:D Margret
Marget,
Welcome to the site. If you’d like to PM me your friends email address, I’ll look into it.
John, I missed this post first time around. Great that you got some very good photos of the dismantling.
Such a shame that it had to happen though…Thanks
firstly nice images john – documents proceedings well.
its a pity you dont have a few from your film days!what a pity for the old guillemot, yes the metal may be valuable,
couple of hundred per tonne but a strange/odd/rare/unique thing
like this is/was surely way more valuable in terms of maritime history
and heritage which could have been there for another 50 or so years…but i suppose in these current economic times the cost of upkeep
and health and safety and all that goes with it, it had to go, and in a lot
of peoples eyes it could be seen as just a lump of metal and an eyesore.as the saying goes, “when its gone its gone” forever.
Ahh a crying shame that this was not better maintained and surely a serious loss in
tourist attractions, which are sadly almost non existant, I am sure there are many
people with a great interest in boats and lightboats who would have loved to have got
the chance to visit one. Surely it wouldnt have taken much to maintain and make
secure from vandals? Another short-sighted council that cannot see the value of history.
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