A story from Warrenpoint

Rescued from the ice

In short: Survivors of the Hannah were rescued from the ice by the ship Nicaragua under Captain William Marshall; a letter in the Armagh Guardian recorded 127 saved and 49 lost, though totals vary between accounts.

The survivors were picked up by the Nicaragua, under Captain William Marshall. The numbers vary between accounts, but a letter printed in the Armagh Guardian recorded 127 saved and 49 lost. Grief came home to Ireland, while the survivors began new lives in Canada.

Questions people ask

Who rescued the Hannah's passengers?

The Nicaragua, under Captain William Marshall.

How many people died on the Hannah?

Numbers vary between accounts. A letter printed in the Armagh Guardian recorded 49 lost and 127 saved.

Sources: Armagh Guardian correspondence (127 saved / 49 lost; totals vary). Spotted something we should correct? Let us know.

Then, nearby

Somewhere to eat or drink afterwards, closest first.

Cafés · Warrenpoint

Leafy Greens & Co.

Vegetarian café and deli on Church St, Warrenpoint.

In Warrenpoint30–60 min

Cafés · Warrenpoint

Church Lane Coffee

Coffee shop on Church St, Warrenpoint.

In Warrenpoint30–60 min

Restaurants · Warrenpoint

The Wheelbarrow

Restaurant on Mary St, Warrenpoint.

In Warrenpoint1–2 hours

More stories from Warrenpoint

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How the train made Warrenpoint a holiday town

From 1849 until 1965 the railway ran right into Warrenpoint, and it changed the place. The railway company didn't just bring people here: it put money into hotels and entertainment so they'd stay. That's a big part of why Warrenpoint became somewhere you came for your holidays, not somewhere you passed through.

Stroll the seafront and picture the trains unloading holidaymakers a few streets away.

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The grand hotel that went bust in a year

The Beach Hotel opened in March 1885 with fifty rooms, a billiard room, a smoking room, and baths with hot, cold, fresh and salt water. It was a big bet, and it didn't pay off for its owner, Henry Stanley, who went bankrupt the following year. The Great Northern Railway Company bought it, made it bigger and folded it into their seaside holiday business.

Walk the front and look up at the old hotel buildings that line it.

Story · Warrenpoint

From grand hotel to school

The Great Northern Hotel stopped being a hotel in 1923, but the building carried on. Over the years it was a boarding school, a day school and a home for elderly men. One building, and you can follow the whole story of the town in it: from Victorian holidays to classrooms and care.

Look out for the old Great Northern building on your walk through town.