491 
‘The Rival sailed from the Clyde on the 2d day of September, 1854, bound for Genoa, with a cargo of iron and coal, from which day, until the 11th of September, nothing of moment occurred, when we then encountered very heavy weather in about long. 12 30 W, with a heavy head sea, and the brig sprang a leak. It continued blowing a gale with a very heavy sea on, and the crew, although continually at the pumps night and day, were unable to keep the water from gaining on us.
The above can be verified by many respectable and impartial persons who were present. As to tobacco and rum, they destroyed all the latter and some of the former, which was a loss to the owner. I saved ten pounds of tobacco, which has been returned to the Custom-house, for the owner’s benefit; such matters are never seized for forfeiture, but are detained, as they are purchased out of bond, paying no duty, being intended for use afloat, but subject to duty when landed and as such detained by the Revenue.
Velinheli & Reciprocity Shipwrecked Oct 1910 Colourised Colin Doyle
he shipwreck that didn’t find a port in a storm at Greystones, as Gary Acheson explains…
he shipwreck that didn’t find a port in a storm at Greystones, as Gary Acheson explains…Shipwrecks were not uncommon up and down the Wicklow coast.
Two sunken ships at Greystones harbour 13OCT10
Generally, the coastguard and people were helpful to distressed mariners but this sea-captain’s account tells a different story. Captain Jackson and the brig were from Belfast.
Northern Whig 28 September 1854 newspaper story
Foundering Of The Brig ‘Rival’
In reference to the loss of the above vessel, the master has published a statement, from which we make the following extract:
‘The Rival sailed from the Clyde on the 2d day of September, 1854, bound for Genoa, with a cargo of iron and coal, from which day, until the 11th of September, nothing of moment occurred, when we then encountered very heavy weather in about long. 12 30 W, with a heavy head sea, and the brig sprang a leak. It continued blowing a gale with a very heavy sea on, and the crew, although continually at the pumps night and day, were unable to keep the water from gaining on us. 
By great, and almost supernatural exertions, we managed to keep our vessel from going down during the night, and until about one o’clock next day, when she foundered.
Previous to the vessel sinking, I succeeded in getting the crew into the boats, together with some spirits and bread, and after much difficulty we got safely landed at Greystones that night, wet and fatigued. For the three days and nights previously I was not in bed, and got but little to eat. Upon our boat touching the beach at Greystones, the Coastguards came alongside, and seized everything we had, and even permitted the mob ashore to steal the small quantity of provisions left.
Coast Guard HQ late 1800s
Although wet with the sea washing over us and very much fatigued, the Coastguard denied us all shelter, and, although it was night, we were all obliged to walk on to Bray, about five miles distant, not being able to get lodgings at Greystones. To the captain of the Union, of Wicklow, who took us on board and gave us dry clothing, I beg to return grateful thanks on behalf of myself and crew, and also to Mr. Marshall, of London, Agent for the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners’ Benevolent Society, who provided us with free passages to Belfast.’
But, as they say, there are two sides to every story. The officer in charge of the Greystones Coastguard wrote a letter of rebuttal. Saunders’s News-Letter 29 September 1854
‘TO THE EDITOR OF SAUNDER’S NEWS-LETTER.
SIR—Having seen in your paper of yesterday day a statement, purporting to be made by the master of the brig ‘Rival’, which foundered at sea on the 14th instant, relative to the treatment he received from the Coast Guard at Greystones, in justice to myself and the men under my orders I feel it my duty to give it the most unqualified contradiction. In the execution of my duty I was compelled to search their things, which was done in the quietest manner possible, and in return received nothing but the greatest abuse. As to the assertion that his people were plundered by the mob, it is equally untrue, as they gave away whatever provisions they had left— some to the master of a collier which was unloading here, and a bag of bread to a countryman. They never asked for shelter or lodgings, and they were in such a state that they were turned out of the only house of entertainment in the place.
‘TO THE EDITOR OF SAUNDER’S NEWS-LETTER.
