+ + +
John was the only son of Catherine Ryan of Cross Street, Skerries. The family earlier lived on Quay Street. While records show him to have died at age 18, census records show he may have only been 16 or 17 years old when he died.
In 1917, John Ryan, the young sailor from Skerries, signed on as Able Seaman aboard fellow Skerries native James Mansfield's trading ship Kangaroo.
The Kangaroo
On June 18, 1917, the Kangaroo was in port for repairs & overhauling. The Captain Jimmie Mansfield, Mate John Adams, Able Seaman Luke Carr and Able Seaman John Ryan, all 4 of Skerries, took her out - either to finish the work up the coast at Skerries Harbour or to check some aspect of her sea worthiness. She was in an advanced state of repair with different planks marked for replacement or repair as well as being in other states of disarray.
With The Great War raging throughout Europe, German U-Boats were a constant presence in the waters between Ireland and England, attacking British Naval ships and trading vessels. When Kangaroo was spotted by the the German submarine UC-51 (the Hans Galster), 20 miles of south of Tuskar, off the coast of Wexford and close to the Coningbeg Light Vessel, tragedy ensued.
Believing the Kangaroo to be a British decoy boat on patrol, the U-Boat pulled up along side, guns drawn, and ordered Jimmie Mansfield & his crew to abandon ship, as she was to be sunk for acting as an enemy decoy. Some type of arguing & yelling took place between Capt. Mansfield & the German Captain as he implored him to spare the ship, that she was an Irish trading vessel, not a British decoy engaged in warfare. (Ireland, under occupation by a foreign power, was not at war with Germany).
At that point something went terribly wrong and the U-Boat crew let loose with a barrage of machine gun fire, slaughtering every man aboard Jimmie's ship. The Germans then continued firing into the hull until the Kangaroo began to go down. There were a number of other boats nearby that witnessed the attack.
✞ The Kangaroo and her crew rest off the coast of Wexford to this day.
✞ The Sea Pole Memorial
Skerries, Ireland
95 years after the Kangaroo tragedy, Ireland's largest memorial to her men lost at sea was dedicated in John Ryan's home villiage of Skerries. The Skerries Sea Pole Memorial remembers and honors 271 men and ships connected with the Skerries port who have no grave but the sea. The roll call of Skerries men, dedicated by Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael D. Higgins, includes John Ryan Able Seaman of the Kangaroo age 18, along with;
James Mansfield Master age 51
John Adams Mate age 68
Luke Carr Able Seaman age 22
also:
✞ The Tower Hill Memorial
London, England
In 1928, the crew - Master James Mansfield, Mate John Adams, Able Seaman Luke Carr & Able Seaman John Ryan, were remebered & honored when their names were inscribed on the Tower Hill Memorial to Merchant Seamen, located in London. The Tower Hill Memorial is dedicated to the men of the Fishing Fleets & the Merchant Seamen who died during WW I and have "No Grave But the Sea".
James Mansfield
John Adams
Luke Carr
John Ryan
John was the only son of Catherine Ryan of Cross Street, Skerries. The family earlier lived on Quay Street. While records show him to have died at age 18, census records show he may have only been 16 or 17 years old when he died.
In 1917, John Ryan, the young sailor from Skerries, signed on as Able Seaman aboard fellow Skerries native James Mansfield's trading ship Kangaroo.
The Kangaroo
On June 18, 1917, the Kangaroo was in port for repairs & overhauling. The Captain Jimmie Mansfield, Mate John Adams, Able Seaman Luke Carr and Able Seaman John Ryan, all 4 of Skerries, took her out - either to finish the work up the coast at Skerries Harbour or to check some aspect of her sea worthiness. She was in an advanced state of repair with different planks marked for replacement or repair as well as being in other states of disarray.
With The Great War raging throughout Europe, German U-Boats were a constant presence in the waters between Ireland and England, attacking British Naval ships and trading vessels. When Kangaroo was spotted by the the German submarine UC-51 (the Hans Galster), 20 miles of south of Tuskar, off the coast of Wexford and close to the Coningbeg Light Vessel, tragedy ensued.
Believing the Kangaroo to be a British decoy boat on patrol, the U-Boat pulled up along side, guns drawn, and ordered Jimmie Mansfield & his crew to abandon ship, as she was to be sunk for acting as an enemy decoy. Some type of arguing & yelling took place between Capt. Mansfield & the German Captain as he implored him to spare the ship, that she was an Irish trading vessel, not a British decoy engaged in warfare. (Ireland, under occupation by a foreign power, was not at war with Germany).
At that point something went terribly wrong and the U-Boat crew let loose with a barrage of machine gun fire, slaughtering every man aboard Jimmie's ship. The Germans then continued firing into the hull until the Kangaroo began to go down. There were a number of other boats nearby that witnessed the attack.
✞ The Kangaroo and her crew rest off the coast of Wexford to this day.
✞ The Sea Pole Memorial
Skerries, Ireland
95 years after the Kangaroo tragedy, Ireland's largest memorial to her men lost at sea was dedicated in John Ryan's home villiage of Skerries. The Skerries Sea Pole Memorial remembers and honors 271 men and ships connected with the Skerries port who have no grave but the sea. The roll call of Skerries men, dedicated by Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael D. Higgins, includes John Ryan Able Seaman of the Kangaroo age 18, along with;
James Mansfield Master age 51
John Adams Mate age 68
Luke Carr Able Seaman age 22
also:
✞ The Tower Hill Memorial
London, England
In 1928, the crew - Master James Mansfield, Mate John Adams, Able Seaman Luke Carr & Able Seaman John Ryan, were remebered & honored when their names were inscribed on the Tower Hill Memorial to Merchant Seamen, located in London. The Tower Hill Memorial is dedicated to the men of the Fishing Fleets & the Merchant Seamen who died during WW I and have "No Grave But the Sea".
James Mansfield
John Adams
Luke Carr
John Ryan
+ + +
John was the only son of Catherine Ryan of Cross Street, Skerries. The family earlier lived on Quay Street. While records show him to have died at age 18, census records show he may have only been 16 or 17 years old when he died.
In 1917, John Ryan, the young sailor from Skerries, signed on as Able Seaman aboard fellow Skerries native James Mansfield's trading ship Kangaroo.
The Kangaroo
On June 18, 1917, the Kangaroo was in port for repairs & overhauling. The Captain Jimmie Mansfield, Mate John Adams, Able Seaman Luke Carr and Able Seaman John Ryan, all 4 of Skerries, took her out - either to finish the work up the coast at Skerries Harbour or to check some aspect of her sea worthiness. She was in an advanced state of repair with different planks marked for replacement or repair as well as being in other states of disarray.
With The Great War raging throughout Europe, German U-Boats were a constant presence in the waters between Ireland and England, attacking British Naval ships and trading vessels. When Kangaroo was spotted by the the German submarine UC-51 (the Hans Galster), 20 miles of south of Tuskar, off the coast of Wexford and close to the Coningbeg Light Vessel, tragedy ensued.
Believing the Kangaroo to be a British decoy boat on patrol, the U-Boat pulled up along side, guns drawn, and ordered Jimmie Mansfield & his crew to abandon ship, as she was to be sunk for acting as an enemy decoy. Some type of arguing & yelling took place between Capt. Mansfield & the German Captain as he implored him to spare the ship, that she was an Irish trading vessel, not a British decoy engaged in warfare. (Ireland, under occupation by a foreign power, was not at war with Germany).
At that point something went terribly wrong and the U-Boat crew let loose with a barrage of machine gun fire, slaughtering every man aboard Jimmie's ship. The Germans then continued firing into the hull until the Kangaroo began to go down. There were a number of other boats nearby that witnessed the attack.
✞ The Kangaroo and her crew rest off the coast of Wexford to this day.
✞ The Sea Pole Memorial
Skerries, Ireland
95 years after the Kangaroo tragedy, Ireland's largest memorial to her men lost at sea was dedicated in John Ryan's home villiage of Skerries. The Skerries Sea Pole Memorial remembers and honors 271 men and ships connected with the Skerries port who have no grave but the sea. The roll call of Skerries men, dedicated by Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael D. Higgins, includes John Ryan Able Seaman of the Kangaroo age 18, along with;
James Mansfield Master age 51
John Adams Mate age 68
Luke Carr Able Seaman age 22
also:
✞ The Tower Hill Memorial
London, England
In 1928, the crew - Master James Mansfield, Mate John Adams, Able Seaman Luke Carr & Able Seaman John Ryan, were remebered & honored when their names were inscribed on the Tower Hill Memorial to Merchant Seamen, located in London. The Tower Hill Memorial is dedicated to the men of the Fishing Fleets & the Merchant Seamen who died during WW I and have "No Grave But the Sea".
James Mansfield
John Adams
Luke Carr
John Ryan
John was the only son of Catherine Ryan of Cross Street, Skerries. The family earlier lived on Quay Street. While records show him to have died at age 18, census records show he may have only been 16 or 17 years old when he died.
In 1917, John Ryan, the young sailor from Skerries, signed on as Able Seaman aboard fellow Skerries native James Mansfield's trading ship Kangaroo.
The Kangaroo
On June 18, 1917, the Kangaroo was in port for repairs & overhauling. The Captain Jimmie Mansfield, Mate John Adams, Able Seaman Luke Carr and Able Seaman John Ryan, all 4 of Skerries, took her out - either to finish the work up the coast at Skerries Harbour or to check some aspect of her sea worthiness. She was in an advanced state of repair with different planks marked for replacement or repair as well as being in other states of disarray.
With The Great War raging throughout Europe, German U-Boats were a constant presence in the waters between Ireland and England, attacking British Naval ships and trading vessels. When Kangaroo was spotted by the the German submarine UC-51 (the Hans Galster), 20 miles of south of Tuskar, off the coast of Wexford and close to the Coningbeg Light Vessel, tragedy ensued.
Believing the Kangaroo to be a British decoy boat on patrol, the U-Boat pulled up along side, guns drawn, and ordered Jimmie Mansfield & his crew to abandon ship, as she was to be sunk for acting as an enemy decoy. Some type of arguing & yelling took place between Capt. Mansfield & the German Captain as he implored him to spare the ship, that she was an Irish trading vessel, not a British decoy engaged in warfare. (Ireland, under occupation by a foreign power, was not at war with Germany).
At that point something went terribly wrong and the U-Boat crew let loose with a barrage of machine gun fire, slaughtering every man aboard Jimmie's ship. The Germans then continued firing into the hull until the Kangaroo began to go down. There were a number of other boats nearby that witnessed the attack.
✞ The Kangaroo and her crew rest off the coast of Wexford to this day.
✞ The Sea Pole Memorial
Skerries, Ireland
95 years after the Kangaroo tragedy, Ireland's largest memorial to her men lost at sea was dedicated in John Ryan's home villiage of Skerries. The Skerries Sea Pole Memorial remembers and honors 271 men and ships connected with the Skerries port who have no grave but the sea. The roll call of Skerries men, dedicated by Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael D. Higgins, includes John Ryan Able Seaman of the Kangaroo age 18, along with;
James Mansfield Master age 51
John Adams Mate age 68
Luke Carr Able Seaman age 22
also:
✞ The Tower Hill Memorial
London, England
In 1928, the crew - Master James Mansfield, Mate John Adams, Able Seaman Luke Carr & Able Seaman John Ryan, were remebered & honored when their names were inscribed on the Tower Hill Memorial to Merchant Seamen, located in London. The Tower Hill Memorial is dedicated to the men of the Fishing Fleets & the Merchant Seamen who died during WW I and have "No Grave But the Sea".
James Mansfield
John Adams
Luke Carr
John Ryan
Inscription
the main inscription on the
Sea Pole Memorial reads:
I gCuimhne ar na daoine go léir
a cailleach san Fharraige idir
na Sceirí agus Loch Sionnsigh
the inscription on the individual plate:
JOHN RYAN 18 yrs (MARINE)
of Cross St. Skerries
18th June 1917
On the Kankaroo of Douglas, sank 20 miles S of Tuskar after submarine attack by UC21
(nota bene: incorrect submarine listed. It was UC51)
Gravesite Details
LOST AT SEA: Off Wexford on the south east coast of Ireland, near the Coningbeg Light Vessel
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
