Life on the waterfront in the 1900’s wasn’t easy. Crews were often away from their wives and children and the labour was tough.But the open sea on a summer’s day was always peaceful. The crew looked forward to pulling into the Docklands on Dublin’s East Wall. There was often a stop off for a quiet pint to reflect on the sail and unwind, before the walk home. It didn’t matter that their clothes and hands were stained black with coal dust. It was a badge of honour, a sign of a hard day’s work complete.

December 1917 marked a change and fear on Irish coastal waters. Irish vessels were targeted by German U-Boats launching torpedo attacks, resulting in hundreds of lives lost and a community broken. One of these ships, the SS Adela, then a cargo boat for Tedcastles, was attacked and 24 lives were lost, 14 of them from the Docklands community. A century has passed, the pain reverberates to this day and while the families of the Adela and other ships have never forgotten their lost loved ones, this website seeks to honour and acknowledge the tragedy in the recalling of rich personal stories from those whose were left behind.

The Reihill family, represented by poet Christina Reihill (granddaughter of J.P. Reihill), recites her poem From the Lighthouse, imagining the melancholy the families live with to this day.