Letters to the Editor
Memories of Skulmartin . . .
As you see from my address I live beside the sea, just opposite the Galloway coast and Portpatrick in Scotland.
I am a pensioner now, but I remember as a boy being shown through the Mew Island Lighthouse, and also being taken to the Skulmartin Lightship, off Ballywalter. The Lightshipmen there made rope soled slippers and rope mats, and put model sailing ships in Dimple Haig whiskey bottles, to make a few pounds during their spare time.
I remember one old salt telling me if I brought out a full bottle he would do me two ships in bottles for nothing!
Unfortunately, the supply of handmade rope souvenirs dried up a little when the local carpet magnate Cyril Lord - reputedly very wealthy - supplied them with a television set (which does not encourage work anywhere!!).
Ballywalter has a good sheltered harbour and in earlier days it accommodated sailing ships importing coal from such places as Maryport and Whitehaven, across in Cumberland. In the 1920s and 1930s steam cargo ships brought coal for distribution on the lower Ards peninsula. The Skull (or Skule) Martin Lightship was on station about 3 miles out. Skull, or Skule, is a Norwegian word associated with the much used word Skerries, meaning rocks or small crops of uninhabited islands.
I used to listen in misty or foggy weather to the explosive fog signal on Skulmartin booming out followed by a slight echo. Even as a child, at night when warm in bed I could hear it, especially if the wind was in the south east quarter.
Of course those were other days. The lightship, with its red painted hull and its fog gun, is away now, and the Mew Island has been automated recently.
I used to hear the Mew Keepers giving their grocery order over the radio-telephone to their supplier in Donaghadee, and a boatmen took it out to them with any mail and a bundle of newspapers and magazines.
The radio telephone meant a lot to them and kept them in touch. They could also talk to Rathlin, the Maidens, South Rock and Rockabill. They did a wonderful job, and were real characters.
I'll have to stop now as there is some tea going!
Hugh Fergie
. . . and Mew Island
I would like to reply to Reggie Hamilton's wonderful article published in Beam 1995-6. It was so interesting.
I think I can say that the Mew Island Lighthouse was the nicest station on the coast. The dwelling houses were in a lovely setting opposite the famous Donaghadee Golf Course, not too far from the town, with an excellent bus service from Bangor. They were built about 1884.
I was born and reared in the Lighthouse Service. A lot of my relations were in the Service, going back as far as the 1840s. My father, the late G. W. James, was sent to the Mew Island around 1926, so that was my first introduction to the dwellings. He was there during a very busy time, when the light was being converted to paraffin vapour.
The work was extensive and went on for quite a while during which two temporary lanterns were erected, one on either side of the dome. The gas was done away with at that time which meant the staff was reduced. Consequently one of the dwelling houses remained empty from then on. I think the Keepers used it mainly as an office.
Some said it was haunted. I should not be surprised! It remained empty until the houses were all sold and, of course, it is occupied now. We were three years there that time, after which my father was sent to Scattery Islandthen a one-Keeper Lighthouse.
Time went on and I eventually married a Lightkeeper, the late Bobbie Nelson. It would seem as if I could not keep away from the Lights.
We were sent to Oyster Island, Sligo, which was nice in the summer but hazardous in the winter time. We had a young baby then and it was sometimes awkward in bad weather to get our delivery of fresh milk every day. There was no road on the island and to take the baby out in his pram was impossible. But the boat contractors were very good to us and would take us over to Rosses Point any time - pram and all.
Oyster Island was a lovely spot and we enjoyed being there but unfortunately it wasn't suitable for the baby. The late Captain Kelly came to see us and my husband asked him if we could be transferred to the Mew Island. Captain Kelly was very good to my husband and promised he would do what he could for us.
Eventually in 1942 we were transferred to Mew Island, and remained there for six very happy years. I loved every minute of it. The Search-Light Watchers were there then and the comings and goings were very exciting.
Eventually Bobbie was transferred to the Fastnet. The Principal Keeper on the Mew then was Mr Mattie Kennedy. On one of Bobbie's leaves from the Fastnet he met Mattie who said he would like to exchange stations with Bobbie as he wanted to get to the Fastnet for personal reasons. They both applied to the Commissioners for the exchange. When the request was granted we could not believe our luck. So back we went again to our beloved Mew Island for another four years.
Bobbie was again stationed at Mew Island in the 1960s. Then came the shattering blow that the houses were to be sold. Bobbie and Bill Power, (also stationed on the Mew) went down to Dublin to see if the houses would be sold separately, as each Keeper stationed there at the time wanted to purchase their house. We were very keen to buy ours but, to our great disappointment, the houses were sold en bloc. They were bought by Mr Roy Bradford who has since re-sold them. One of them came on the market some time ago but the asking price was prohibitive.
I spent sixteen years of my life at the Mew dwellings and still feel so nostalgic when I pass by them on my way to Bangor.
The Mew has sad memories for me too as on Bobbie's last term of duty there he took ill and had to be brought ashore. He never fully recovered and died some months later, and so ended my long connection with a lovely station.
To end this story, an interesting bit of folklore. My mother and her grandmother lived with an uncle, Mr M. Kennedy, who was stationed at the old Copelands Lighthouse which was expunged when the Mew was first lit. They were the last family to come off the old Lighthouse Island.
With automation a way of life which existed so long has gone forever.
Mrs E. J. Nelson
Editor's Note: Elsie Nelson wrote this letter in late 1996, too late for publication in Beam Vol. 25. Mrs Nelson passed away on 25 September 1997. She loved Irish Lights and will be sadly missed by all who knew her.
A Sparky's View
Thank you for providing me with a copy of your brochure For the Safety of All and the current copy of Beam. As a former seafarer, I found both of these publications of great interest. I spent many dark nights on ships in bad weather approaching coasts or sailing along them.
I was a radio officer and my principal task was to make sure the radar was working well. In addition I used take radio bearings from lighthouses and radiobeacons on the direction finder. So all of us on board were thankful for the Lighthouse Services and direction aids on all coasts.
The long-range beacon system was coming into usage as I left the sea many years ago and it is saddening that the Irish element in the North European Loran-C system has been delayed by opposition in County Clare. It is hard to know how to win the hearts and minds of people once they have become set in opposition and it certainly presents a difficult challenge.
Once again many thanks for the information.
Norman Freeman
Editor's Note: Norman is the author of Seaspray and Whisky - reminiscences of a tramp ship voyage, an account of the wayward course of Capt. Thompson and his merry crew.
As you see from my address I live beside the sea, just opposite the Galloway coast and Portpatrick in Scotland.
I am a pensioner now, but I remember as a boy being shown through the Mew Island Lighthouse, and also being taken to the Skulmartin Lightship, off Ballywalter. The Lightshipmen there made rope soled slippers and rope mats, and put model sailing ships in Dimple Haig whiskey bottles, to make a few pounds during their spare time.
I remember one old salt telling me if I brought out a full bottle he would do me two ships in bottles for nothing!
Unfortunately, the supply of handmade rope souvenirs dried up a little when the local carpet magnate Cyril Lord - reputedly very wealthy - supplied them with a television set (which does not encourage work anywhere!!).
Ballywalter has a good sheltered harbour and in earlier days it accommodated sailing ships importing coal from such places as Maryport and Whitehaven, across in Cumberland. In the 1920s and 1930s steam cargo ships brought coal for distribution on the lower Ards peninsula. The Skull (or Skule) Martin Lightship was on station about 3 miles out. Skull, or Skule, is a Norwegian word associated with the much used word Skerries, meaning rocks or small crops of uninhabited islands.
I used to listen in misty or foggy weather to the explosive fog signal on Skulmartin booming out followed by a slight echo. Even as a child, at night when warm in bed I could hear it, especially if the wind was in the south east quarter.
Of course those were other days. The lightship, with its red painted hull and its fog gun, is away now, and the Mew Island has been automated recently.
I used to hear the Mew Keepers giving their grocery order over the radio-telephone to their supplier in Donaghadee, and a boatmen took it out to them with any mail and a bundle of newspapers and magazines.
The radio telephone meant a lot to them and kept them in touch. They could also talk to Rathlin, the Maidens, South Rock and Rockabill. They did a wonderful job, and were real characters.
I'll have to stop now as there is some tea going!
Hugh Fergie
. . . and Mew Island
I would like to reply to Reggie Hamilton's wonderful article published in Beam 1995-6. It was so interesting.
I think I can say that the Mew Island Lighthouse was the nicest station on the coast. The dwelling houses were in a lovely setting opposite the famous Donaghadee Golf Course, not too far from the town, with an excellent bus service from Bangor. They were built about 1884.
I was born and reared in the Lighthouse Service. A lot of my relations were in the Service, going back as far as the 1840s. My father, the late G. W. James, was sent to the Mew Island around 1926, so that was my first introduction to the dwellings. He was there during a very busy time, when the light was being converted to paraffin vapour.
The work was extensive and went on for quite a while during which two temporary lanterns were erected, one on either side of the dome. The gas was done away with at that time which meant the staff was reduced. Consequently one of the dwelling houses remained empty from then on. I think the Keepers used it mainly as an office.
Some said it was haunted. I should not be surprised! It remained empty until the houses were all sold and, of course, it is occupied now. We were three years there that time, after which my father was sent to Scattery Islandthen a one-Keeper Lighthouse.
Time went on and I eventually married a Lightkeeper, the late Bobbie Nelson. It would seem as if I could not keep away from the Lights.
We were sent to Oyster Island, Sligo, which was nice in the summer but hazardous in the winter time. We had a young baby then and it was sometimes awkward in bad weather to get our delivery of fresh milk every day. There was no road on the island and to take the baby out in his pram was impossible. But the boat contractors were very good to us and would take us over to Rosses Point any time - pram and all.
Oyster Island was a lovely spot and we enjoyed being there but unfortunately it wasn't suitable for the baby. The late Captain Kelly came to see us and my husband asked him if we could be transferred to the Mew Island. Captain Kelly was very good to my husband and promised he would do what he could for us.
Eventually in 1942 we were transferred to Mew Island, and remained there for six very happy years. I loved every minute of it. The Search-Light Watchers were there then and the comings and goings were very exciting.
Eventually Bobbie was transferred to the Fastnet. The Principal Keeper on the Mew then was Mr Mattie Kennedy. On one of Bobbie's leaves from the Fastnet he met Mattie who said he would like to exchange stations with Bobbie as he wanted to get to the Fastnet for personal reasons. They both applied to the Commissioners for the exchange. When the request was granted we could not believe our luck. So back we went again to our beloved Mew Island for another four years.
Bobbie was again stationed at Mew Island in the 1960s. Then came the shattering blow that the houses were to be sold. Bobbie and Bill Power, (also stationed on the Mew) went down to Dublin to see if the houses would be sold separately, as each Keeper stationed there at the time wanted to purchase their house. We were very keen to buy ours but, to our great disappointment, the houses were sold en bloc. They were bought by Mr Roy Bradford who has since re-sold them. One of them came on the market some time ago but the asking price was prohibitive.
I spent sixteen years of my life at the Mew dwellings and still feel so nostalgic when I pass by them on my way to Bangor.
The Mew has sad memories for me too as on Bobbie's last term of duty there he took ill and had to be brought ashore. He never fully recovered and died some months later, and so ended my long connection with a lovely station.
To end this story, an interesting bit of folklore. My mother and her grandmother lived with an uncle, Mr M. Kennedy, who was stationed at the old Copelands Lighthouse which was expunged when the Mew was first lit. They were the last family to come off the old Lighthouse Island.
With automation a way of life which existed so long has gone forever.
Mrs E. J. Nelson
Editor's Note: Elsie Nelson wrote this letter in late 1996, too late for publication in Beam Vol. 25. Mrs Nelson passed away on 25 September 1997. She loved Irish Lights and will be sadly missed by all who knew her.
A Sparky's View
Thank you for providing me with a copy of your brochure For the Safety of All and the current copy of Beam. As a former seafarer, I found both of these publications of great interest. I spent many dark nights on ships in bad weather approaching coasts or sailing along them.
I was a radio officer and my principal task was to make sure the radar was working well. In addition I used take radio bearings from lighthouses and radiobeacons on the direction finder. So all of us on board were thankful for the Lighthouse Services and direction aids on all coasts.
The long-range beacon system was coming into usage as I left the sea many years ago and it is saddening that the Irish element in the North European Loran-C system has been delayed by opposition in County Clare. It is hard to know how to win the hearts and minds of people once they have become set in opposition and it certainly presents a difficult challenge.
Once again many thanks for the information.
Norman Freeman
Editor's Note: Norman is the author of Seaspray and Whisky - reminiscences of a tramp ship voyage, an account of the wayward course of Capt. Thompson and his merry crew.