Plans to ‘ethically deconstruct’ 19th century Kilkeel fishing boat
A COUNCIL committee has backed plans for the ethical deconstruction of a 147-year-old Kilkeel fishing boat.
On Monday, a report presented to the Economy, Regeneration and Tourism Committee detailed the National Museums NI proposal to dismantle the Mary Joseph – which was built in the town in 1877 and which it took possession of over 50 years ago – and councillors unanimously endorsed a recommendation to support this course of action.
The document highlighted that a 9 December deadline is in place for ‘any viable, alternative solution to be put forward’ for the boat’s future.
It also noted that, due to deterioration, ‘any restoration would retain only around 10 per cent of the original fabric’, and that the cost of restoring it to operational status would be ‘in excess of £1m’.
An article on the National Museums NI website highlighted that the Mary Joseph is ‘a vernacular boat known as a nickey’ – a vessel type that originates in Cornwall – constructed in Kilkeel by ‘entrepreneurial boat builder’ William Paynter.
‘The first harbour was built at Kilkeel in 1860, and, during the late 19th and early 20th century, it became a major centre for the Irish herring fishery,’ it continued.
‘However, the mackerel fishery went into decline shortly after the Mary Joseph was built by Paynter in 1877.
‘The Mary Joseph represents a way of life of this region and the importance of the fishing industry to the people that lived there.
‘She is one of the last original fishing vessels from the east coast of Northern Ireland.’
It stated that the boat was ‘acquired by the museum in 1973 as there were plans to develop the maritime galleries’.
‘Until staff were available to restore the vessel, she was initially moored in Strangford Lough as keeping the Mary Joseph afloat was the best means of preservation,’ the article read.
‘The approach was to “maintain the vessel, but not to restore it until options for its display and interpretation have been developed and fully considered within the context of other collections/infrastructure priorities”.
‘The Mary Joseph is currently in storage, but, without a funded programme of ongoing conservation, the condition of the vessel has continued to decline.
‘In 2021, Ian Clark Restoration surveyed the entire collection of boats.
‘He outlined the very poor condition of the Mary Joseph and the risks currently posed to staff and surrounding collections.’
The ‘severe degradation of this vessel’ is said to pose ‘a health and safety risk to both staff and objects’.
‘The projected costs to stabilise and restore it are prohibitively high and are not in proportion to the opportunities for display that can be afforded in the present galleries,’ the article added.
‘There are currently no grant funds available to support large-scale maritime conservation projects.
‘Investing such a large amount of public money into a project that will continue to remain in storage does not present a viable solution either financially or ethically.
‘Based on the maritime survey and ongoing discussions with National Historic Ships UK and their relevant partners, there is a proposal for the ethical deconstruction of the Mary Joseph.
‘Before this happens, we are sharing this proposal on the National Historic Ships website and on the Museums Association’s “Find an Object” webpage in a final attempt to find another viable solution.’
The ethical deconstruction of the Mary Joseph would ‘include a full CAD survey, 3D and matterport scanning, alongside photogrammetry, ensuring that a precise, detailed plan was captured, enabling researchers to study her dimensions in the future.
‘If there are parts of the boat that can be saved that demonstrate unique aspects of its build, then we will endeavour to do so, as has been done with previous disposals of boats.’
It concludes that accredited museums ‘act through a strict ethical and legal framework when disposing of collections’, and that, ‘where possible, museums will always seek disposal through transfer to another organisation in the public domain’.
At Monday’s meeting, Glyn Hanna (DUP, Mournes) acknowledged that the Mary Joseph has “a lot of history attached to it”, but voiced his sadness that it “has, unfortunately, got into a condition that is beyond economic repair”.
He proposed that council back the deconstruction plan, though asked that council request that any artefacts that are salvaged be given to the Mourne Maritime Visitor Centre in Kilkeel’s Nautilus Centre.
David Lee-Surginor (Alliance, Rowallane) said that he agreed with Cllr Hanna’s comments and seconded the proposal.
Willie Clarke (Sinn Féin, Mournes) stated that restoring the Mary Joseph would be “a considerable piece of work” for any group to take on, and praised the usefulness of it being scanned, which may allow for the development of a replica in future.
The committee’s unanimous decision will be tabled for ratification early next month.
Expanding on the history of the Mary Joseph, an article on the National Historic Ships UK website detailed ‘an interesting link to the First World War’.
‘On 17 May 1918, the Kilkeel fleet left the harbour to drift net for herring,’ it read.
‘At daylight the next morning, on 18 May, a German submarine surfaced in the middle of the fleet – UB-64 under the command of Otto von Schrader – and ordered the crews into the punts and told them to come along the side of the submarine.
‘They were then ordered onto the deck.
‘One of the German officers then proceeded to place a bomb on each boat.
‘The subsequent explosions sank the five boats.’
The fishermen were ordered onto a boat called Moss Rose and told to row for home.
The article concluded that the Mary Joseph, which was out on the water that day, ‘wasn’t seen by the German submarine’, and that ‘there was much rejoicing in Kilkeel when she returned safely along with the other fishermen.’