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
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