The Dog That Haunts St Patrick’s Cathedral

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dogboydHe howls for his master.

Like the other parishioners.

Sibling of Daedalus writes:

There’s no portrait available of the large Newfoundland sea-dog which haunts St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, but if there were. it might look something like the one in the painting by Edwin Landseer (top).

The dog belonged to Captain Boyd, of the Ajax, who died in Dun Laoghaire Harbour in the great storm of 1861, swept from his vessel by a wave as the two of them were working together side by side rescuing passengers from some of the many vessels lost in the storm.

Left behind, his beloved pet followed the Captain’s funeral procession, howling at a distance, before lying down and starving to death on top of his grave.

Sadly, he did not find him even in death and still haunts the cathedral as a large shaggy form curled up at the base of the Captain’s monument (above). Last reported sighting, c. 1950.

 

The Boyd Disaster (Mariner.ie)

(Pic: St Patrick’s Cathedral)

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