School: Inis Sionnach (Haulbowline) (roll number 3195)
- Location:
- Haulbowline Island, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Gearóid Ó Hiarfhlatha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0386, Page 216
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- (continued from previous page)The best workmen came from Blackrock near the city. They were the sons of fishermen. One family in particular named Cremin or Cremins - five or six big raw-boned men. Each could without exaggeration do as much work as three ordinary men. They were drillers.
One of them had a narrow escape one day. In blasting it sometimes happened that one of the charges was "dud". Cremin started drilling near where a presumably dud charge had been laid. His drill slipped into the hole. Off went the charge and off went Cremin's drill and his cap. He was n't even scratched.
A man named O'Keeffe from Ringaskidddy was not so lucky. He was a Powder Monkey i.e. the man who put in the charges. He put in the usual six charges and lit the fuses. All hands retired to a place of safety. Five of the charges exploded but the sixth did not. He was sent back to light a new fuse after a long lapse. Just as he arrived at the spot where the charge was it exploded and blew himself and a few tons of rock up over the side of the Dock. He was terribly mangled but recovered after twelve months in the Naval Hospital. He was again employed in the Dockyard and was(continues on next page)
- Informant
- E. Burke
