Muirchú
Encyclopedia
Public Armed Ship Muirchú was a ship in the Irish Naval Service
. She was the former Royal Navy
ship HMY Helga and was involved in shelling Liberty Hall
in Dublin from the River Liffey
with her pair of 12 pounder naval guns
during the Easter Rising
of 1916.
Helga was purchased by the Irish Free State
in 1923 and renamed Muirchú .
She sank off the Wexford coast after disposal in 1947. The wheel was recovered from the wreck by local divers and can now be seen in Kehoes Pub in Kilmore Quay
The prefix LÉ is sometimes mistakenly used as LÉ Muirchú. The prefix was introduced in December 1946 when the Irish Naval Service was established with the purchase of three corvettes from the Royal Navy
replacing Muirchú.
in March 1915 when she became officially described as "His Majesty's Yacht Helga", an armed steam yacht. At this time the "II" was dropped from her name and she served as an anti-submarine patrol vessel as well as undertaking escort duty in the Irish Sea. In April 1918 she was credited with the sinking of a submarine off the Isle of Man
and for the remainder of her career she carried a star on her funnel as an award for this achievement.
In October of the same year the RMS Leinster
was torpedoed off the Kish and 517 were lost. The Helga was fuelling in Dun Laoghaire
at the time and managed to rescue ninety of the passengers. Perhaps it was for her shelling of Liberty Hall in April 1916 that the "Helga" is best known. She was later used to transport the British auxiliary troops known as Black and Tans
around the coast when many of the roads in Ireland were rendered impassable by Irish forces in the War of Independence. Eventually the Helga was handed over to the Irish Free State in August 1923 and was renamed Muirchú. She thus became one of the first ships in the newly established Irish Navy. However, in the following year the vessel was returned to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to carry on her task of fishery protection. It was not until the actual day on which the Second World War was declared that the Marine and Coastwatching Service was again established and on 12 December 1939 the Muirchú was taken over by this Service from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Muirchú was sold to Hammond Lane Foundry by Marine Service, and while on passage to Dublin on the 8th May, 1947 she sank off the Saltee Islands
- though not before her crew safely evacuated.
Irish Naval Service
The Naval Service is the navy of Ireland and is one of the three standing branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its main base is in Haulbowline, County Cork....
. She was the former Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
ship HMY Helga and was involved in shelling Liberty Hall
Liberty Hall
Liberty Hall , in Dublin, Ireland is the headquarters of the Services, Industrial, Professional, and Technical Union...
in Dublin from the River Liffey
River Liffey
The Liffey is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water, and a range of recreational opportunities.-Name:The river was previously named An Ruirthech,...
with her pair of 12 pounder naval guns
QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun
The QF 12 pounder 12 cwt gun was a common calibre naval gun introduced in 1894 and used until the middle of the 20th century. It was produced by Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick and used on Royal Navy warships, and exported to allied countries...
during the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
of 1916.
Helga was purchased by the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
in 1923 and renamed Muirchú .
She sank off the Wexford coast after disposal in 1947. The wheel was recovered from the wreck by local divers and can now be seen in Kehoes Pub in Kilmore Quay
The prefix LÉ is sometimes mistakenly used as LÉ Muirchú. The prefix was introduced in December 1946 when the Irish Naval Service was established with the purchase of three corvettes from the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
replacing Muirchú.
Career
She was built in Liffey Dockyard in 1908 as a fishery protection cruiser and was named Helga II. She was then under control of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland) until she was taken over by the AdmiraltyAdmiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
in March 1915 when she became officially described as "His Majesty's Yacht Helga", an armed steam yacht. At this time the "II" was dropped from her name and she served as an anti-submarine patrol vessel as well as undertaking escort duty in the Irish Sea. In April 1918 she was credited with the sinking of a submarine off the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
and for the remainder of her career she carried a star on her funnel as an award for this achievement.
In October of the same year the RMS Leinster
RMS Leinster
RMS Leinster was a vessel operated by the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, served as the Kingstown -Holyhead mailboat until she was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine UB-123 on 10 October 1918, while bound for Holyhead. She went down just outside Dublin Bay at a point four miles east of...
was torpedoed off the Kish and 517 were lost. The Helga was fuelling in Dun Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
at the time and managed to rescue ninety of the passengers. Perhaps it was for her shelling of Liberty Hall in April 1916 that the "Helga" is best known. She was later used to transport the British auxiliary troops known as Black and Tans
Black and Tans
The Black and Tans was one of two newly recruited bodies, composed largely of British World War I veterans, employed by the Royal Irish Constabulary as Temporary Constables from 1920 to 1921 to suppress revolution in Ireland...
around the coast when many of the roads in Ireland were rendered impassable by Irish forces in the War of Independence. Eventually the Helga was handed over to the Irish Free State in August 1923 and was renamed Muirchú. She thus became one of the first ships in the newly established Irish Navy. However, in the following year the vessel was returned to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to carry on her task of fishery protection. It was not until the actual day on which the Second World War was declared that the Marine and Coastwatching Service was again established and on 12 December 1939 the Muirchú was taken over by this Service from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Muirchú was sold to Hammond Lane Foundry by Marine Service, and while on passage to Dublin on the 8th May, 1947 she sank off the Saltee Islands
Saltee Islands
The Saltee Islands are a pair of small islands lying 5 kilometres off the southern coast of County Wexford in Ireland. The two islands are Great Saltee and Little Saltee . They have been uninhabited since the early 20th century...
- though not before her crew safely evacuated.