Folklore: Adventures of the Cape Clear Ferry

Subject: Folklore: Adventures of the Cape Clear Ferry
From: GUEST,Paul Burke
Date: 11 Jul 07 - 04:08 AM

Those lucky ones who have been to West Cork will have fond memories of the crossing from Baltimore to Cape Clear, whether Roaringwater Bay was millpond calm or lived up to its name. But it's not well known that an earlier ferryboat played its part in the struggle for Irish independence. This is from the capeclearferry.com website, and I don't find Taed Regan's motto at all comforting if you were a prospective passenger:

The Mary Kate built in Baltimore Fisheries School in 1902. She was an open 28ft 6.44 ton fishing boat powered by an auxilery motor "Berguis L&E Co.Glasgow.

Taed Regan's motto was "Sink she may but go she must".

The Maire Cáit was used in a daring raid on the Fastnet.

Excerpt from "The Raid on the Fastnet Lighthouse" by Frank Lanin.   
Mizen Journal. No 7.   1999.

"........As part of their strategy in West Cork , the I.R.A. carried out attacks on lorries and armoured cars and found that the most effective weapon in such attacks were land mines.But explosives were needed and gelignite was not available. That is why the I.R.A.turned their attention to the Fastnet Lighthouse. They knew there were large stores of explosives on the rock. The Fastnet Raid was mooted by Rickie Collins. He was Captain of the Goleen Company and a Lightkeeper on the Fastnet from 1912 to 1918........The June sun was setting as the "Máire Cháit" was steered out of North Harbour. On board were twelve men, Sean Lehane,Sean O Driscoll,John O'Regan,Charlie Cotter, Jim Hayes, Tom Hickey, Michaek Murphy, William Daly and four Cape men - Dan O Driscoll, Dan Leonard, Dan Daly and Sean O'Regan. .....At midnight, in total darkness the "Máire Cháit" approached the Fastnet Rock. .....Positioned on the bow was John O Regan, a rope tied around his wiast.....as a wave was rising he jumped. As the wave covered him he grasped the iron ring with both hands. In seconds he had made the boat fast and the raiding party were landed on the rock....Seventeen boxes of guncotton and three boxes of detoners and primers were loaded onto the "Máire Cháit" by means of the Lighthouse derrick...The daring mission was accomplished....."

Subject: RE: Folklore: Adventures of the Cape Clear Ferry
From: EBarnacle
Date: 11 Jul 07 - 08:05 PM

And the rest of the story is?