Memorial garden in memory of 1843 fishing disaster victims

Memorial garden in memory of 1843 fishing disaster victims

30 April 2025

LOCAL politicians last night rubber-stamped a proposal to provide a new memorial garden in memory of the 73 men who lost their lives in the 1843 Newcastle fishing disaster.

The garden – which will cost £6,700 – will be erected at South Promenade overlooking the sea.

The decision by politicians to back the provision of the memorial garden proposed by Mournes councillor, Willie Clarke, came at a meeting of Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s Sustainability and Environment Committee.

In addition to remembering those who perished in the fishing disaster which left many widows, the memorial garden will also remember others who lost their lives at sea along the local coastline.

The men who perished on that fateful 1843 night when they got caught up in an unexpected and severe storm were from Newcastle, Annalong and wider Mourne area.

They were fishing for herring in 16 vessels which got caught up in the storm which engulfed them as they made their way to fishing grounds off the coast.

A number of the vessels capsized, drowning those on board, while several boats rowed out from Newcastle and Annalong to mount a rescue mission.

Those who perished in the tragedy left behind 27 widows and almost 100 dependent children. 

Shortly after the event, a public subion was established to provide a relief fund to assist these families, with the Widows Row cottages built in Newcastle to house some of the widows and their children bereaved in the terrible tragedy.

Last year, a plaque was unveiled at Newcastle harbour to commemorate the 180th anniversary of what is regarded as one of Ireland’s worst maritime disasters.

Earlier this year, an evening commemoration at the Generator House at Newcastle harbour was organised by the Newcastle Harbour Heritage Association, with Mournes councillor, Willie Clarke, thanking the organisation for its work.

Last year, he proposed Newry, Mourne and Down Council should provide a memorial garden in memory of those who lost their lives in the 1843 tragedy but was concerned that little progress had been made.

Cllr Clarke met with local authority officials to progress the issue and said a permanent structure in recognition of the tremendous loss to the local community was required.

He said 16 fishing skiffs with crews of around six men rowed to their fishing grounds in the Irish Sea on Friday, January 13, 1843, explaining weather conditions were good and that morning they went further out than normal, some seven miles into the channel.

“Suddenly, a snow storm arose when the wind direction changed and the sea became very rough. Many of the boats were swamped as they had already taken on board a good catch of fish which added to the extreme danger they faced. Desperately, the men men tried to row back to safety through hurricane conditions.”

Cllr Clarke said only two boats survived the storm getting back to port, the Victoria and the Brothers. 

“Of the 73 men who perished, 46 were from King Street in Newcastle, while one of the skiffs managed to get shelter in Killough harbour,” he said.

“This tragic event left the small tight-knit fishing community with two thirds of its men-folk wiped out. The disaster left 27 widows, with 14 being heads of families and around 118 children left fatherless.”

Cllr Clarke said the Watch House at the harbour was used as a temporary morgue, and that even to this day, there is a great attachment to the building from local people in the harbour area.

He said the cottages built for the wives and their children who were impacted most by the disaster were known as the Widows Row.

At last night’s council committee meeting, members were told the 1843 disaster still resonates with many residents.

Councillors heard the memorial garden design is “deliberately minimalist” to provide a low maintenance solution and build on recent landscape improvements in the area.

It was also confirmed that providing the new garden will result in an annual maintenance cost that will be covered in the local authority’s grounds and building maintenance teams.