Cannon Rock facts for kids

Cannon Rock is a small, rocky island called a skerry. It's located in the North Channel, which is a sea area between Great Britain and Ireland. You can find it off the coast of the Ards Peninsula near Cloughey in County Down, Northern Ireland. Cannon Rock is special because it's the easternmost point of all of Ireland! It sits to the east of another rock called South Rock, which has an old, unused lighthouse.

Why Cannon Rock is Dangerous for Ships

Cannon Rock has always been a big problem for ships sailing in the area. Many ships have crashed into it over the years. Between 1861 and 1865, nine different ships ran aground (meaning they hit the bottom or a rock) on Cannon Rock.

Shipwrecks at Cannon Rock

Here are some stories of ships that met trouble at Cannon Rock:

The Coriolanus (1861)

On August 14, 1861, a ship named the Coriolanus was sailing from Liverpool to Quebec. It was coming from North Shields. The weather was very foggy, and the ship got lost. It ended up hitting Cannon Rock. A rescue tugboat was sent, but before it arrived, the weather got even worse. The crew of 28 decided to leave the ship in their smaller boats. Sadly, all 28 crew members drowned. Later, an empty boat from the Coriolanus was found floating near Ballywalter.

The Marseilles (1873)

On January 5, 1873, another ship, the Marseilles, hit Cannon Rock. This ship was from London and was on its way from Moulmein to Glasgow. The crew of 24 also left the ship in their boats. One boat, with six men, was blown across the North Channel and safely landed on the Mull of Galloway in Scotland. However, six of the other 18 crew members drowned.

The Wembdon (1886)

On December 29, 1886, the Wembdon was sailing from Huelva to Troon. It got lost in a very bad snowstorm and crashed into Cannon Rock. The crew quickly left the ship and rowed to a nearby lightship (a ship that acts like a lighthouse). Just five minutes later, the Wembdon broke apart and sank.

The Febo (1906)

On February 6, 1906, the Febo from Genoa, Italy, was sailing from Almeria to Glasgow. It ran onto Cannon Rock because the weather was hazy (a bit foggy). The crew were all saved, but the ship's cargo of iron ore sank with the ship.

The Hazeldene (1906)

Later that same year, on December 26, 1906, a very strong storm with heavy snow was raging. Captain R.C. Begg of the Hazeldene, a ship from Cardiff, made a mistake. He thought the light from the South Rock Lightship was the light from the Mull of Galloway. This caused his ship to crash onto Cannon Rock. Captain Begg and his 19 crew members were all rescued, but another load of iron ore was lost when the ship sank.

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