Page 7 - Greystones Archaeological Historical Society

GREYSTONES ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL VOLUME 8

the search for gold which briefly transformed part of the county
in the 1790s. With James Scannell’s The Accident that Time
Forgot, we move northwards, to a little-remembered maritime
tragedy, the sinking of the Princess Victoria with the loss of 128
lives, on its passage from Stranraer to Larne in January 1953.

Last, but by no means least, it is a particular pleasure to pay
affectionate tribute in this collection to two of our longest-serving
members, Beatrice Gunning and Canon Bob Jennings. Both
Beatrice and Bob have contributed immeasurably to the
community in which they live over many years, and are
themselves a much-valued part of its history. Beatrice, who at
ninety years old still lives in the house in which she was born, is
a central figure of Greystones life, with a record of involvement
in local initiatives ranging from the Greystones and District
Credit Union and the Greystones Civic Association to the Active
Retirement Association, and of course our own Society. Canon
Bob Jennings has had a varied and fascinating career, which
includes service as a British Army chaplain during the Korean
War, before returning to Ireland where he served as rector of
Newcastle, Newtownmountkennedy and Calary for twenty-two
years. He is also a distinguished scholar, with a number of local
history publications to his credit, and has been a supporter of
the Greystones Archaeological & Historical Society since its
foundation in 1988.

Thanks are due to all our contributors for their interest,
expertise and professionalism, and most especially to our editor
Frank Deignan, without whose unfailing patience and
commitment over several months this volume could not have
come to fruition. Finally, I must acknowledge the part played in
the success of this and all the Society’s initiatives by an
exceptionally hard-working committee and a dedicated
membership. That, together with the range and variety of the

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