The Sunbeam (Rossbeigh Beach)

The Sunbeam schooner which currently lies on Rossbeigh beach was washed ashore in rough waters in 1903. No soul was lost. She was built in 1860 by Walters in Exmouth and in 1870 was bought by Richard Kearon of Arklow.

Another ship The Dictator was washed ashore some 100 years before hand almost in the same location. A beautifully written report was entered in the the Aberdeen Journal on Monday 16th Feb 1801:

  

The Dictator of Liverpool a fine new West Indianan mounting 24 brass guns in returning from her first voyage to Demerara was unfortunately wrecked at Rosebegh in the bay of Castlemain in the county of Kerry the 5th inst, and out of 60 sailors who happened to be on board only three persons were saved.

The shores of that wild region being covered with bales of cotton and puncheons of rum and all the other precious contents of a very rich cargo were for three days exposed to the pillage of the natives as no magistrate resides in that neighbourhood.

On the 4th day however Mr Marshall late High Sheriff of the county who lives at 40 miles distance arrived still in time by means of great exertions to save part of the cargo for the owners, bills and Bank of England notes to the amount of 20,000L. were rescued from destruction and 12000L worth of property was discovered to belong to the heirs of a gentleman passenger from Berbice, who had perished with the crew and whose body being found and identified by three surviving sailors was interred with all due decency at Inch.

Sunbeam taken March 2013 at 9pm in near darkness - Ef 85mm f1.2L at f1.2, 196s at ISO 800

Sunbeam Rossbeigh Beach taken Jan 2013 - Multiple image stitch Ef 85mm f1.2L

South Kerry camera club on a cold evening 02-May-2013 at the Sunbeam wreck Rossbeigh Beach

Taken this evening on the 02-May-2013