On December 18th, 1833, a wooden paddle steamer “The Lord Blaney”  foundered on the rocks near Prestatyn in Wales, whilst en – route from Warrenpoint to Liverpool. All on board perished. She was a familiar sight along the coast of Carlingford Lough carrying all manner of cargo and people across the sea to Liverpool. Many from the Lough area perished on her and many bodies were not recovered; their souls still wander the deep. 

Over the years many swore to have seen her still sailing up Carlingford Lough back home to her home port only to vanish beneath the waves before arriving at harbour in Warrenpoint. Others have sworn to have seen her from the shores of Greenore emerging out of the mists across the bar by Cranfield only to disappear again as mysteriously as she appeared.

It was no surprise then that on the 3rd of November 1916 folk claims to have seen her off Greenore around the same time as the worst maritime accident in these waters up till then occurred. A ship The S.S. Connamara left the port of Greenore at 8.30pm.with mostly a Welsh crew on board and with 51 passengers. Another ship the S.S. Retriever had left Garston Docks in the U.K with a cargo of coal and was heading for Newry.

About a half a mile beyond the bar both ships collided on a horrendous night of stormy seas and howling winds. Some said it was the wildest night in 70 years. It took a terrible toll with the loss of 91 lives.- and only 1 man survived.

Stories abound in the Region of ghost ships and premonitions and dreams by would be passengers who might have been on board if they had not been forewarned.

The sinking is still remembered in Greenore and along the coast of Carlingford Lough and still brings communities together from both sides of the Lough and from across the sea.

It has been claimed in the intervening years that the “Lord Blaney” has been seen many times on Carlingford Lough always emerging from the mists on a homeward journey but always disappearing below the waves before she reaches her home port of Warrenpoint.