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Curious Eye
From WW1 to the Wild Atlantic Way: The concrete tugboat that became a landmark in Ballina
The story of SS Crete Boom, the striking concrete tugboat that was commissioned over 100 years ago by the British government for the First World War and ended up in Co Mayo.
THERE ARE SEVERAL natural attractions to see along the beautiful Wild Atlantic Way from pretty peninsulas to the breathtaking views of majestic mountains. Amongst the many astonishing sites, one of the lesser-known and fascinating landmarks is a derelict concrete ship in Ballina Quay.
Unlike other shipwrecks that have transitioned into popular tourist destinations such as The MV Plassy (which many will recognise from the opening credits of Father Ted) on Inis Oirr or the remains of The Sunbeam on Rossbeigh Beach, Co Kerry, the SS Crete Boom was constructed using concrete for its main body.
The 38-metre long tugboat was commissioned over 100 hundred years ago and there are many stories surrounding its intended function which include shipping coal between the U.K. and the U.S., transporting ammunition and acting as a decoy to German air forces during the First World War. The use of concrete in constructing these tugboats, an unusual choice for such a structure, is a signifier of the steel shortages that occurred in Britain during the war.
Production commenced in 1917 on several tugboats similar to SS Crete Boom, however, conflict had ceased before the completion of the vessels. Several complications stemming from logistical issues caused severe delays in completing these vessels, ultimately leading them down different paths during their lifespan.
A few years after the First World War ended, the SS Crete Boom and a number of other tugboats and barges that were produced alongside it were acquired by Stelp & Leighton in 1922. A substantial fleet of concrete tugboats were stationed at Sunderland’s River Tyne under the name Crete Shipping Co, founded by Stelp & Leighton following their purchase. Operations, however, were short-lived when the company folded in 1924, leaving many of the vessels sitting idle for many years.
More than a decade would pass before the SS Crete Boom would come into use again and permanently settle between Belleek Woods and Ballina Quay. The transfer of SS Crete Boom from England to Ireland’s west coast was, of course, not without its challenges.
The Ballina Harbour Commission purchased a number of the decommissioned concrete tugboats in 1937 for the purpose of sinking them and developing a navigational path at the mouth of the River Moy.
During the transportation of the SS Crete Boom, it sustained damages and descended to the floor of the river, remaining underwater for 4 decades until it was re-floated in the Spring of 1974. In resurfacing the large concrete tugboat, not only was the area given an interesting landmark, the welfare of the fishing industry in the locality was improved as the removal of the SS Crete Boom from the bed ultimately improved the underwater conditions.
50 years on, the SS Crete Boom has maintained its position as one of Ballina’s most unusual attractions.
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