New book features boatman's account of life with Mountbatten in Sligo - and addresses abuse allegations

Michael O’Connor was one of six boatmen who worked on Shadow V before an IRA bomb killed the 79-year-old great uncle and mentor of King Charles III and three others in August 1979.

One of those who died was 15-year-old boatman Paul Maxwell.

Dowager Lady Brabourne, 83, and 14-year-old Nicholas Knatchbull also died when the remote control device on board the boat was detonated a short distance from the picturesque harbour at Mullaghmore.

The murder of a member of the Royal Family sent shockwaves around the world.

In ‘Boatman for Mountbatten’, O’Connor’s main focus is on the ordinary lives of the young boatmen and staff who worked in and around Classiebawn Castle. However, the impact of the shocking murder – and subsequent allegations that have emerged since then – cannot be ignored he said.

The author spent 30 years as a police officer following his summer employment at Classiebawn between 1972 and 1977.

He describes Mountbatten as being in many ways “incidental” to the story, but says the abuse allegations had to be addressed as an “elephant in the room”.

Asked if he was aware of Mountbatten ever acting inappropriately towards any young employees, the author said: “I have absolutely no knowledge of anything like that happening in Mullaghmore.”

He said: “I worked in the castle from 1972 to 1977, and I worked on the boat from 74 to 77. Personally, and what knowledge I have of the lads working on the boat – absolutely nothing.

“I was a former garda so I put on my police hat when I looked at that particular allegation, to see where the evidence is.

“I think there are 15 pages in the book where I refer to those particular allegations. I couldn’t ignore those allegations in the book because it’s there like an elephant in the room.

“So it had to be addressed … and I dissected them to see if they could possibly have happened, so people can read for themselves what I’ve said and they can make up their own mind.”

Commenting on his main reason for writing the book, Mr O’Connor said: “ Most of the stories you hear nowadays are all about the bomb. So I’ve been listening to that for the last number of years, and I said to myself, ‘there was a life there long before the bomb and it was a good life’.

“We worked in the castle, and we worked on the boat, and he came and went and he enjoyed his holidays in Mullaghmore.”

He added: “There were six of us that worked on the boat, and four of us still alive, and those were the stories I wanted to get out there – how they got the job, what they did when they were on it and that kind of thing.

“It’s a human interest story more than anything, it’s not really about Mountbatten.”

The NI launch of the book is taking place at the Killyhevlin Hotel in Enniskillen on January 12, at 7pm.

Boatman for Mountbatten is available at www.amazon.co.uk priced at £24.99.