Timeline Treasures #Aghada

“On the last day of May 1916, the cold waters of the North Sea brought the angel of death to every part of Ireland”.

On the night of 31 July 1917, the SS “Belgian Prince” was torpedoed by the German submarine, U-55, 175 miles North West of Tory Island. The incident occurred when the ship was traveling from Liverpool to Newport News, Virginia, in the United States, with a cargo of blue clay – which is rich in minerals. That night, thirty-nine men drowned.

“The sea was running so high that the boat over turned almost immediately. Most of the crew managed to cling to the ' keel and succeeded in turning the boat , but it filled with water and capsized again , The same thing happened on four other occasions , and each time some of the sailors disappeared .