7 October 2018: History Ireland Hedge School: ‘The sinking of the RMS Leinster and the war at sea’, National Maritime Museum, Haigh Terrace, Dún Laoghaire
On Sunday 7 October the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, Haigh Terrace, Dun Laoghaire, hosted a History Ireland ‘Hedge School’ debate on ‘The sinking of the RMS Leinster and the war at sea’. Just before 10am on 10 October 1918, east of the Kish Bank, two torpedoes fired by the German submarine UB-123 struck the 2,640-ton packet steamship, RMS Leinster, en route to Holyhead, causing her to sink rapidly; over 500 lost their lives, out of a total of over 800. It was sadly ironic that only a few days previously the Germans had sent out peace feelers to US president, Woodrew Wilson, and the war itself would be over within a month.
To discuss these and related matters History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham was joined Philip Lecane (National Maritime Museum of Ireland), Michael Kennedy (RIA’s Documents on Irish Foreign Policy), Jeff Kildea (University of New South Wales), and Bernadette Whelan (UL).
The Hedge School took place at 7.30pm; listen back to a full recording here. This event is supported by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
From History Ireland: The sinking of the RMS Leinster.