The Dublin Bay Hobblers Disaster

     On 6th December 1934, the Dublin bay region was shocked when news arose of the drowning of 3 hobblers whilst they were out on a job. The brothers Richard and Henry Shorthall and their companion John Hughes lost their lives. Hughes's brother Gareth was meant to go out but stayed behind in Dublin bay to collect money they were owed for a job they did the previous week.
   
     Their skiff the "Jealous of Me" was last seen coming back in to port by Poolbeg at dusk by the men working at the lighthouse. Nobody knows what went wrong and it will be a mystery forever. It is suspected that their skiff ran into a strong south easterly wind which blew them off course and the men weren't strong enough to bring her back in.


     Their skiff washed ashore at Ringsend on the morning of the 6th of December. The bodies of the Shorthall brothers were later found however John Hughes body was never.


     This disaster more or less put an end to hobbling as an occupation as by 1940 it had died out altogether. But the love of coastal rowing still lived within the community in Dublin bay and many rowing clubs were set up by the men who had once been Hobblers.

Hobblers memorial
http://dlharbour.ie/wp-content/gallery/hobblers/hobblers1.jpg

History

The sport of coastal rowing in Ireland had its origins in the hobblers of the east coast in their skiffs and the fishermen living on the west in their curraghs.


     Hobblers were men who operated out of wooden clinker built skiffs on the east coast of Ireland. Their job was to row/ sail out to large cargo and people ships coming into harbour in Dublin Bay and locations such as Kings Town ( Dun Laoighre as it was known today) and Bray.  The hobblers would then approach the boat and guide the ships into port. This was a necessary job as the Hobblers knew all the routs and dangers of the east coast area.


     During the late 19th centaury early 20th there were now about a dozen established hobbling organizations on the east coast. 2 in Rings End, Howth, Skerries, Arklow, Dun Laoighre, Dalkey, Greystones and Bray.


     A clinker built skiff from each organization would row/ sail out to the ships, this is where a problem arose and racing rowing boats began. They would all race out to the ship to get the honour of bringing her in and all the other boats would have to return the long journey back into harbour without pay. Meanwhile the ship would be guided back into bay and the Hobblers would be paid for their hard work.




    

The hobblers
http://render.fineartamerica.com/images/rendered/medium/greeting-card/images-medium-5/dublin-bay-hobbler-unknown.jpg

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