Maritime record MWX2038 - South of Ireland

The SOUTH OF IRELAND was working the Weymouth-Cherbourg route for Great Western Railways when she was wrecked at Worbarrow whilst navigating in fog. 80% of her cargo (was carrying 58 tons) was salvaged and no lives were lost. 25-OCT-1977 The wreck lies approximately 100 yards east of Wagon Rock under Gad Cliff and is completely broken up. Consists of a few plates and girders very heavily concreted up. The bulk of the wreck is probably buried under the rocks or scattered by the sea as very little remains. Average depth over the site is 25 feet. (1) `...stranded in foggy weather when the captain misjudged his landfall and went aground on the rocks of Worbarrow. The tug AGUILA towing two barges went out to her and took off the passenger, crew and all the portable gear. On 3rd January 1884 before further salvage could take place or pumping begin she floated free and sank to become a total wreck. At the enquiry Captain Pearn was held responsible and his certificate suspended for three months. As a result he was dismissed from service with the Great Western Railway, which owned the shipping company. (2)(3) Iron steamer SOUTH OF IRELAND is ashore a total wreck in Kimmeridge Bay...has broken up, cargo all lost...has become a total wreck and the cargo is washing out. (6) Built: 1867 Builder: W Simons and Co. Where Built: Renfrew Propulsion: paddle driven, 2 cylinder compound engine Horsepower: 200 Owner: Weymouth and C.I. Steam Packet Co. Master: Pearn Crew: 25 Passengers: 1 Machinery: W Simons and Co., Renfrew Date of Loss Qualifier: A A steam gland and rivet recovered from this wreck, Worbarrow Bay (Weymouth Museum). (Droit A/4382) Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck index:

Position taken from (3)
gross tonnage

<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> 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.

<4> Board of Trade, 1884, Parliamentary papers 1884-5, Board of Trade Casualty Returns, p114 (Monograph). SWX6244.

<5> Farr, Grahame, 1971, Wreck and rescue on the Dorset coast, p85 (Monograph). SWX1056.

<6> 1745 onwards, Lloyds list, p11. 27-DEC-1883 (Serial). SWX8434.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 904664 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 20 2024 4:47PM