Maritime record MWX2116 - Countess of Erne

The COUNTESS OF ERNE was originally built as a passenger-carrying cargo paddle steamer on the Dublin to Holyhead route. She was fitted to carry 123 1st class passengers and 600 steerage passengers, as well as 700 tons of cargo or cattle. In 1883 was seriously damaged following collision with the SS CAPTAIN PARRY in the River Liffey. She was offered for sale by auction at Liverpool in 1889, bought by the Bristol Steam Navigation Co., who used her for two years, then she was again sold. This time she was sold for scrap but converted into a coal hulk at several ports, before finally ending her days at Portland. She broke adrift from her moorings in Portland Harbour and drifted right across until she holed herself on the inner wall of the NE arm. (1)

Survey/Salvage History:

07-AUG-1967 Reported that wreck is dangerous, a steel hawser fraying etc. Well silted up. Hull intact and lying parallel to harbour wall. Some upper superstructure still visible near bollards.

12-FEB-1975 Wreck is believed to be the COUNTESS OF ERNE 50 35 11N, 02 25 09W; reasons given are (1) newspaper article; (2) Trinity House pilot and Admiralty tug skipper confirmed the sinking and position; (3) confirmed by Q H M of Portland.

17-FEB-1975 Reported to lie parallel with the breakwater bows pointing SE, upright and fairly well intact standing about 20 feet off the bottom, no superstructure remains.

19-AUG-1975 Appears to be a small coaster lying on an even keel. The hull is straight stemmed with rounded bows and is mostly intact. Four holds with what appears to be the remains of a mast between numbers 2 and 3 holds. It is surmised that the superstructure lay aft but time precluded a close examination. The vessel lies parallel to the breakwater with bows toward a head.

04-APR-1981.Length at waterline was 251 feet. Coal found inside hull. Least depth - at bow 6.2m, at stern 6.6m. (1)

A hose connector recovered from this wreck, off Portland. (Droit A/3690).(5)
A stair plate recovered from this wreck. (A/4182).(5)

A paddle-steamer, which ended its life as a coal hulk in Portland harbour. In 1935, she broke adrift from her moorings and struck the harbour arm and sank against the wall. Silted up, but still coherent wreck.

Tonnage gross

The wreck has been adopted by Scubaplus under the Nautical Archaeology Society Adopt a Wreck Scheme.

19-NOV-2003: Dived in listed position. The wreck stands 5m high bydepth gauge. It is upright, relatively intact and lies parallel to the base of the breakwater. The bows are to the south-east.

14-OCT-2004: EUT position 5035.193N, 0225.179W.

25-MAR-2008: Examined in 5035.192N, 0225.172W [WGD] using DGPS. The least depth by multibeam was 7.82m in a general depth of 12.7m. No scour. Length 72.0m. Width 9.1m. Height 4.91m. The wreck is orientated 131/311 degrees, with the bows to the south-east. No superstructure. Possibly breaking up at the stern. (8)(10)

Wreck event and documentary evidence:

The COUNTESS OF ERNE was originally built as a passenger-carrying cargo paddle steamer on the Dublin to Holyhead route. She was fitted to carry 123 1st class passengers and 600 steerage passengers, as well as 700 tons of cargo or cattle. In 1883 was seriously damaged following collision with the SS CAPTAIN PARRY in the River Liffey. She was offered for sale by auction at Liverpool in 1889, bought by the Bristol Steam Navigation Co., who used her for two years, then she was again sold. This time she was sold for scrap but converted into a coal hulk at several ports, before finally ending her days at Portland. She broke adrift from her moorings in Portland Harbour and drifted right across until she holed herself on the inner wall of the NE arm.

While being used as a coal hulk she broke her moorings drifting across the harbour holing herself and sinking against the northern arm of the breakwater. She lies mainly intact, missing her superstructure but with exposed holds but quite silty. (3)(6)(7)

Built: 1868
Builder: Webb and Bewley, Dublin
Propulsion: 2 engines
Former owner: London and North Western Railway Co 1869 - 1888/9
Owner: Bristol Steam Navigation Co

Former masters:
James Beaumont 1868
Robert John Fridge 1869
Edwin Cole 1870
George J C Smith 1873
Richard Owen 1873

Date of loss qualifier: Actual date of loss

Additional sources:
Dorset Shipwrecks. P56;
Weymouth Library Cuttings Book, Vol.16 p4-7

<1> United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, 1992, Hydrographic Office wreck index (Index). SWX4837.

<2> Larn, Richard, 1992, United Kingdom shipwreck index, Extracted 23 November 1992 (Index). SWX5030.

<3> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1990, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (2nd Edition), 86 (Monograph). SWX5640.

<4> Larn, R, and Larn, B, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 1 : Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset Section 6, Dorset (AJ) Vol 1 (Monograph). SWX4541.

<5> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/3690 (Unpublished document). SWX617.

<5> 2001, Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Receiver of Wreck Amnesty (Index). SWX4542.

<6> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1984, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (1st Edition) (Monograph). SWX1714.

<7> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1999, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (3rd Edition), 112 (Monograph). SWX1.

<8> United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, Wreck report, 18664 (Monograph). SDO20514.

<9> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, Shipwreck 58 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<10> SeaZone Hydrospatial, Digital marine geographic information derived from SeaZone Hydrospatial, 30-Nov-17 (Digital archive). SDO20540.

<11> Cumming, E, The Dorset shipwreck and maritime incident directory, 24 (Monograph). SDO16406.

<12> National Record of the Historic Environment, 904652 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 18 2024 5:05PM