This Friday marks the Centenary of the SV Lapwing on a voyage from Waterford to Cardiff, which was sunk by gunfire by the German submarine U-95 on November 10th 1917
It is recorded that the 5 sailors on board got into a lifeboat, but were never seen again.
They included two brothers and father from Arklow, who are relations of Stephen Kearon who now lives in Ballinaclash.
Joseph Kearon (65), Master, S.V. Lapwing, Mercantile Marine, Son of the late Edward and Catherine Kearon, of Meadows Lane, Arklow; husband of Frances Kearon, of Kylemore, Arklow, Co. Wicklow
Edward Kearon (19), Mate, S.V. Lapwing, Mercantile Marine, Son of Frances Kearon, of Kylemore, Arklow, Co. Wicklow, and the late Joseph Kearon
George Kearon (17), Ordinary Seaman, S.V. Lapwing, Mercantile Marine, Son of Frances Kearon, of Kylemore, Arklow, Co. Wicklow, and the late Joseph Kearon
Patrick Merrigan (23), Able Seaman, S.S. Lapwing, Mercantile Marine, Son of Partick and Mary Merrigan (nee Maddick), of 5, Old Post Office Lane, New Ross, Co. Wexford
George Tyrrell (18), Boy, S.S. Lapwing, Mercantile Marine, Son of Mary Tyrrell (nee Browne), of 11, Halls Lane, Arklow, Co. Wicklow, and the late Charles Tyrrell
The U-95 carried out 5 patrols starting 24 May 1917 until 16 Jan 1918 when sunk off Hardelot, France with the loss of all 43 hands. It sunk 14 ships and damaged 3 during these patrols. It’s Captain was Athalwin Prinz (34). The wreck was identified in the 1990s and it is lying in 40m of water mainly intact. Its hatches are closed, and periscopes retracted so it appears to have sunk when submerged. There is huge damage around where the torpedo room was, so the divers concluded one of its torpedo’s must have malfunctioned and sunk the sub
Joseph, Edward and George Kearon are remembered in the Woodenbridge Memorial Park (http://visitwicklow.ie/attraction/woodenbridge-world-war-1-memorial-park)
