UNSUNG HERO

William Deans was a Dublin deep-sea docker. Talking to someone who knew him he told me he had an 'independent streak'. Originally from Sir John Rogerson's Quay he and his family moved to Foley Street. He liked working coal boats because it gave him a better chance of earning a regular wage. Because of his skill he was often given the job as winch driver, positioned on the deck he manouvered the winch to lift the heavy steel tubs of coal. As winchman he earned an extra few 'bob'.

William was jobed on the 12th November 1947 to an American coal-boat the s.s. Amaso Delano berthed at Sir John Rogerson's Quay (near where the Samuel Beckett Bridge is now). He was delighted to be told by the foreman that he was manning the winch. This kept him away from some of the dirt and grime involved in the unloading of loose coal. At least he could breath some fresh air compared to the dockers working in groups of four shoveling coal into enormous steel buckets.

At approximately 4pm word came from No. 1 Hatch that gas was escaping from the ballast tank. The Captain John Munro went into the hatch to investigate. He removed the lid from the tank and was immediately overcome by gas. The Engineer Andrew Smart and Bosun Antonio Lima went down into the hatch to rescue the Captain but they also collapsed overcome by gas. The Mate Francis DeRosa raised the alarm. It would appear that all the crewmen and all the dockers took to the safety of the quay wall, with the exception of William Deans. He tied his hanky around his mouth and descended the ladder into the hatch. He found a rope and tied it around the first seaman. He climed the ships ladder to the deck and hauled the man to the deck. He put his life at risk twice more to repeat this for the other two men. Thanks to his outstanding bravery the three lives were saved. He received a bronze medal and a certificate.

But the story does not end there because on the 19th May 1958 he was passing roughly the same spot when he saw a man fall into the Liffey and without hesittion he jumped in and saved his life. Again he received a bronze medal and a certificate for “saving human life at City Quay, Dublin”. From reports in the Irish Press it seems he made a habit of his heroics because in 1939 he jumped in fully clothed off Ballybough Bridge into the Tolka River to save a boy from drowning.

Unluckily the medals and certificates were lost but thanks to the hard work and persistence of his family they have now been given duplicate certificates. The Dublin Dock Workers Preservation Society (facebook Dublin Dockers and www.bluemelon.com/alanmartin) was set up in 2011 to honour the memory of all those who worked in Dublin Docks and in the surrounding Dockland industries. To us William Deans is an 'unsung hero' and that he deserves to be honoured. Anyone interested in helping us should ring 00353 86 8138618. We believe that if William Deans had come from a priviliged background that his bravery would have been celebrated before now but we intend putting matters right- any help or support would be greatly appreciated.

Declan Byrne