The International Tramp Shipping Market

The Irish Fern, another coastal trader was the first company vessel built in Dublin by Liffey Dockyard Ltd. and she was launched on 28th August, 1954 and sponsored by Mrs. Sean T. O'Kelly, wife of Ireland's President. Present for that historic event were the President, Mr. G. Sweetman, Minister for Finance and Mr. William Norton, Minister for Industry and Commerce.

The Irish Fern

The Irish Fern (Pictured above) was delivered on 3rd December, 1954 and was commanded by Capt. John H. Syms on her maiden voyage to Cardiff to load a cargo of coal for discharge at Dublin on behalf of Coras Iompair Eireann. Her Chief Engineer on that first voyage was Harry Cuthbert who was subsequently attached to the company's shore staff as Superintendent Engineer.

The Irish Fern had a deadweight of 1,374 tons and was sold to Stewart & Co. of Glasgow in October, 1964, and renamed Yewtree. She served her new owners under that name until 1974 when she was sold to Arcepey Shipping Co. SA of Panama and renamed Al Hassan. In the following year, the vessel was sold to Laconia Marine Co. Ltd. of Cyprus and had her name changed to Andreas A.

The next ship built for Irish Shipping Limited was the third Irish Rose which was launched at the Ailsa Shipbuilding Co. yard at Troon in Scotland on 2nd November, 1955, and was sponsored by Mrs. Beirne, wife of the company's Director, Mr. W. H. Beirne. This vessel, of 1,971 tons deadweight, was the first bulk cargo type vessel built at the yard and she was specially designed to carry timber with a view to possible service on the Canadian Great Lakes. She was delivered to the company on 22nd February, 1956, and Capt. J. H. Syms was her Master on the ship's maiden voyage when she loaded pit props at Lisbon for discharge at Port Talbot in South Wales.

Pictured Right: The third Irish Rose discharging a cargo of meal at Cork in April, 1956

The vessel's first charter was to the French company, Societe Girondine d'Affrettments of Bordeaux, for whom she traded between British, European Continental and West African ports. The Irish Rose made her first visit to an Irish port when she arrived at Cork in April, 1956, with a cargo of meal from Dakar, West Africa. She also discharged at Waterford and completed at Belfast.

In January, 1959, she discharged a cargo of phosphate from Casablanca at Galway. Subsequently she served on the company's North Atlantic liner service and also operated on the Canadian coastal trade with Capt. James S. Kerr as Master. In 1965, the Irish Rose was chartered by Melville Trading Company of Trinidad and traded between Trinidad and the American ports of Wilmington and Galveston, Texas. During that charter, Capt. John Flanagan was Master and J. J. Reed was Chief Engineer on the ship. Apart from the ship's Officers, the crew were all from Trinidad and the charter was completed in October, 1966.
During her charter to Matthew Shipping Company in 1967, the Irish Rose carried supplies to trading posts in the Hudson Bay area. Capt. Bob McMahon was Master during that time.

Capt. John Lee The vessel sailed from Dublin on 15th November, 1968, with relief supplies donated by the people of Ireland for Biafra under charter to Africa Concern Ltd., a charitable organisation established to carry out humanitarian projects for the relief of famine and distress. Master of the vessel on that voyage was Capt. John Lee (Pictured left) of Arklow. The vessel discharged at Libreville and Sao Thome on the west coast of Africa. The third Irish Rose was sold to St.Eirene Maritime Company Ltd. of Liberia in January, 1969, and was renamed St. Sophia by her new owners. She was resold in 1974 and renamed Agia Sophia and in 1977, changed ownership and name to become the Tema. In the same year her name changed again to Spring and she was extensively damaged in collision with the Greek motorship Karyatis. She was subsequently scrapped at Cartagena in March, 1979.

The second Irish Larch (Pictured below) was the first Irish Shipping vessel to be registered at a port other than Dublin when she was registered at Cork following her launch at West Hartlepool on 11th June, 1956. Her sponsor was Mrs. F.H. Boland, wife of the Irish Ambassador to London. At 9,750 tons deadweight, she was the largest company vessel up to that time and she was the eighth ship of the post-war fleet built by Wm. Gray & Co.

The second Irish Larch

The Irish Larch was delivered on 17th October, 1956, and sailed on that date from West Hartlepool on her maiden voyage for the United States ports of Baltimore and Philadelphia. Capt. Tom Glanville of Cobh, Co. Cork, was Master of the vessel on that voyage and had begun his career with Irish Shipping Limited serving as Third Officer on the first voyage of the wartime Irish Larch.

After twelve years' service with the company, the second Irish Larch was sold to Aliakmon Maritime Corporation of Monrovia in October, 1968, and was renamed Aliakmon Progress. The vessel was scrapped in South Korea in June, 1979.

With a deadweight of 11,220 tons, the second Irish Poplar (Pictured left) was the largest ship owned by the company when she was delivered on 3rd December, 1956, and she was the first company vessel built at the yard of Cammell Laird at Birkenhead.

She was launched on 12th July, 1956, and was sponsored by Mrs. McKenzie, wife of Irish Shipping Director, Mr. Stephen McKenzie. The Irish Poplar was registered at the port of Waterford. The vessel sailed on her maiden voyage from Birkenhead to Halifax, Nova Scotia and St. John, New Brunswick to load grain for Dublin. Her Master was Capt. E. C. G. Horne and her Chief Engineer was Arthur Metcalf. The outward passage was an eventful one.

The second Irish Poplar, and the second Irish Spruce, were the last two company vessels to operate on the North Atlantic liner trade. Sailing in ballast, the ship was buffeted by gale force ten winds and waves rising to over forty feet high. Despite her own navigational difficulties, she rendered assistance to a Liberian registered vessel, the National Leader, off the coast of Newfoundland. Having loaded her grain cargo the Irish Poplar completed her return voyage in the record time of six and a half days. Her first visit to Dublin was marked by a reception on board for local dignitaries including the then Minister for Industry and Commerce, Mr. William Norton. The ship also called to Cork where a civic reception was given to the vessel and her Officers and Crew by the Lord Mayor and other local officials.

In the expectation that the export of frozen meat to the United States would expand, the vessel was fitted with 500 tons of refrigerated cargo space.

In April, 1958, the Irish Poplar, again under the command of Capt. Horne, was on passage to Houston, Texas, when she ran into extremely heavy weather and her engines were badly damaged. She was adrift off the Bahamas before being taken in tow and brought to Port Everglades, Florida, for repairs. She then continued to Houston where she loaded a full cargo of grain for India
The Irish Poplar gave over sixteen years' service to Irish Shipping Limited and was sold to Tower Shipping Co. Ltd. of Limassol in December, 1972, and renamed Polamary. She changed ownership and name again in 1973 when she was sold to Golden Glory Shipping Company of Panama and traded as the Golden Lion. The vessel was eventually scrapped at Taiwan in June, 1979.

The third Irish Willow

The third Irish Willow (Pictured above) was launched at the yard of Ailsa Shipbuilding Co. of Troon, Scotland, on 25th October, 1956, and was sponsored by Mrs. M. Goodbody, wife of the Chairman of Grain Importers Ltd. A vessel of 1,971 deadweight tons, she was a sister ship of the third Irish Rose, built at the same yard some ten months earlier. The Irish Willow was registered at Galway and was delivered to the company on 29th December, 1956. Capt. E. H. White was Master of the vessel on her maiden voyage.

In 1966, the Irish Willow brought supplies from St. John's. Newfoundland, to trading posts in the North West Territories of Canada, calling to Eskimo Point and Whale Cove in the Hudson Bay. Her Master on that charter, to H. V. Druce & Company of Montreal, was Capt. Michael O'Dwyer and her Chief Engineer was Pat Walker. The following year, the Irish Willow went on charter to Matthew Shipping Co. Ltd. of Canada for service on the Great Lakes as her sister ship, the Irish Rose, had already done

The ship was sold to Anel Shipping Co. S.A.. of Panama in October, 1969 and was renamed Sparta. She was resold in 1977 to Gariterry Cia. Naviera S.A. of Panama and was renamed Klio and was bought by other Panamanian owners in 1980 who changed her name again to Mandi.

The second Irish Fir The second Irish Fir (Pictured left) was also the second vessel built for Irish Shipping Limited at Liffey Dockyard and the last ship delivered to the company in 1956.She was launched on 21st July, 1956, and was sponsored by Mrs. W. Norton, wife of the Minister for Industry and Commerce. The 1,941 tons deadweight vessel was delivered to the company on 31st December, 1956, bringing the company's fleet to fourteen modern vessels, the oldest of which was only eight years in service.

However, the departure of the Irish Fir from Dublin on her maiden voyage to Partington was delayed due to a dispute which had arisen with the crew and the vessel did not eventually sail until 13th January, 1957. Capt. F. W. Kirk was Master of the ship on that voyage when she loaded a cargo of coke at Partington for Aarhus in Denmark. Following discharge at Aarhus, she sailed to Bremerhaven where the dispute with the crew continued and they were signed-off at the German port and returned to Dublin. Eleven German seamen were then signed-on to replace the Irish crew and the vessel continued on her itinerary.

The second Irish Fir had a varied trading pattern during her twelve years service with the company from coastal and short sea voyaging to transatlantic service on charter to Manchester Liners in 1965 and H. V. Druce & Co. Ltd. of Montreal. In 1966 she was on time charter to the Caribbean Shipping Company and made a number of voyages between North and South American ports. She was sold to Arta Shipping S.A. of Liberia in January, 1969, and renamed Arta and in 1977 she was sold again and renamed Kotronas Sky. She sustained serious engine damage in January, 1978, and was eventually scrapped at Cartagena in the following June.

The first Irish Maple

The first Irish Maple (Pictured above) was launched at the West Hartlepool yard of Wm. Gray & Co. Ltd. and was the ninth ship built there for Irish Shipping. She was sponsored by Mrs. G. Sweetman, wife of the then Minister for Finance, Gerard Sweetman. The 9,750 deadweight tons vessel was registered at Limerick and was delivered to the company on 24th February, 1957. Master on her maiden voyage was Capt. J. H. Syms.

The Irish Maple operated on the North Atlantic liner service for a number of voyages but she also traded to more distant world ports. The vessel left Glasgow in January, 1963, for Galveston, Texas, with Capt. Michael O'Dwyer (Pictured left) in command and loaded grain for Bhavnagar in Northern India, thence to Vasco da Gama to load iron ore for Japan. She then went to Portland, Oregon, to load another cargo of grain for India with Madras the discharge port.

During this period, the ship was involved in a most extraordinary rescue in the Persian Gulf. Michael Treacy, a crewmember from Fairview in Dublin, heard a cry coming from the water around midnight and alerted the Master who ordered the ship to be turned round. Illuminated lifebelts were thrown overboard and a lifeboat lowered into the water while the ship's searchlight lit up the scene. In a short while the lifeboat picked up a lone swimmer who turned out to be a Japanese sailor who had fallen overboard from his ship and had been in the water for several hours before being miraculously rescued. He was kept on board the Irish Maple for five days until they reached Marmagoa where he was transferred to another Japanese ship.

Captain Ben Reilly In July, 1963, the Irish Maple made a voyage from Calcutta to Japan with Capt. Ben Reilly (Pictured right) of Trim, Co. Meath, as Master. On 12th March, 1964, the ship left London, on time charter to the Shaw-Saville Line, for New Zealand via Curacao and the Panama Canal, arriving in Auckland on 19th April to a wonderful reception from the local Irish Society. A Gaelic football match between a team from the Society and a team drawn from the ship's crew was the highlight of the visit. Capt. Michael Langran was Master of the vessel on that voyage, M. J. Byrne was Chief Engineer and Chief Officer was John Small (Pictured left), Second Officer was Frank Kelly, who was a ship Master subsequently with both Irish Shipping Limited and Irish Continental Line. Frank Kelly was a son of Capt. J. P. Kelly and brother of Capt. Jim Kelly who was also a Master with the company. After sailing from Auckland, the Irish Maple called to Melbourne where the ship was visited by the well known Irish actor Micheal MacLiammoir who happened to be performing in that city at the time. From Australia the vessel called to Muroran on the Japanese island of Hokkaido and thence to the Philippine Islands through the Panama Canal and on to New York.

There followed a return voyage from New York to New Orleans before the vessel sailed for Algiers via Las Palmas and thence to Barcelona and Tunis. The Irish Maple subsequently returned to the North Atlantic liner service and carried livestock, including seven pedigree cattle and five horses, from a farm in Co. Antrim, to New York. The vessel was sold in 1968 to Aliakmon Maritime Corporation of Monrovia and renamed Aliakmon Pioneer. She was resold in 1979 to Gryphon Maritime Inc. of Panama and renamed Annoor. She was scrapped at Karachi, Pakistan in 1981.

Pictured Left: The second Irish Alder

The second Irish Alder became the tenth of the twelve ships built for the company by Wm. Gray & Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool when she was launched on 30th May, 1957. Ms. Kathleen Grace, a sister-in-law of Irish Shipping Limited Director, Mr. Percy McGrath, was the sponsor and the ship was delivered to the company on 20th September, 1957.

She sailed on her maiden voyage to East Africa under the command of Capt. Tom Glanville and was on charter to Ellerman Lines. Her port of registry was Cork and she had a deadweight of 11,057 tons.

The Irish Alder traded to various world ports and in May, 1963, with Capt. F. W. Kirk as Master, she loaded grain at Houston, Texas for India. Chief Engineer on that voyage was J. J. Reed and Chief Officer was Thomas Hughes who was appointed Master of the ship very soon afterwards. The following year, with Capt. Hughes and Chief Engineer, J. J. Reed, still aboard, the vessel visited Japan before she returned to the North Atlantic liner service in 1965 with Capt. J. H. Onions in command. Capt Onions was later relieved as Master by Capt. B. Reilly. Following an extended period in drydock at Birkenhead in June and July, 1965, she loaded at Dublin for New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk, Virginia. Her outward cargo included 5,000 cases of Guinness; 7 bulls; 6 calves; 4 Connemara ponies and 2 show hunters.

Having completed several North Atlantic voyages to U.S. and Canadian ports, the vessel was fixed on time charter to Djakarta Lloyd from March to August, 1967, loading general cargo at Indonesian ports for United States west coast ports. On her next voyage she loaded grain for India at Norfolk, Virginia. She was then chartered to South African Marine Corporation for whom she loaded cargo at several European continental ports for Port Elizabeth, East London and Durban with Capt. J. Poole as Master. On completing her charter, the Irish Alder loaded sugar at Port Louis in Mauritius and was at that port as the small island in the Indian Ocean was celebrating its independence in March, 1968. The ship then sailed for Montreal and Toronto with 10,350 tons of sugar and when she arrived at the latter port at the end of April, 1968, she completed a voyage of over 10,000 miles from her Indian Ocean loading port. She then went on charter to Peruvian State Lines with Capt. J. A. Gleeson as Master .

She traded between South American Pacific coast ports and U.S. Gulf ports bringing grain northwards and returning with fish meal.
The Irish Alder completed charters to Saguenay Shipping Company, trading between Caribbean and U.S. ports, and to Brazilian charterers before going on a further twelve months' charter to Peruvian State Lines. She was sold to Aliakmon Marine Corporation of Monrovia in December, 1970 and was renamed Aliakmon Pilot. She was sold again in 1977 to Chelone Maritime Inc. of Greece and renamed Attican Unity. Following a fire in her wheat cargo at Flushing, on an outward passage from Antwerp to Durban, the vessel was eventually scrapped at Bremen in March, 1978.

The second Irish Spruce

The second Irish Spruce (Pictured above) was built by Cammell Laird & Co. at Birkenhead and had an unusual launch since she went down the slipway on 16th April, 1957, but was not formally named until 28th September, 1957. while the ship was in drydock. The naming ceremony was performed by Mrs. J. J. Stafford, wife of the Chairman of Irish Shipping Limited. Mrs. Stafford released the mechanical device which broke the traditional bottle of champagne over the ship's bow and a blessing ceremony, performed by the Mersey Port Chaplain, followed. In less than three hours later the ship left the drydock for her trials in the Irish Sea under the command of Capt. J. Poole. The ship then sailed on her maiden voyage to Norfolk, Virginia, to load grain for discharge at Hull.

From 1958, the Irish Spruce covered 40,000 miles in sailing round the world twice and visiting twenty seven ports from Honolulu in the far west to Miyako in Japan. On her eventual return to home waters under the command of Capt. J. H. Syms, she loaded a cargo of grain at Fremantle and Bunbury in Western Australia for discharge at Dublin. The occasion of her arrival at Dublin was celebrated with a reception on board which was attended by the Minister for Transport and Power, Mr. Erskine Childers and Mrs. Childers as well as other civic dignitaries. The Chief Officer on the vessel at that time was Cyril Brennan and her Chief Engineer was John Morgan.

In May, 1963, the Irish Spruce became the third company ship to have refrigerated cargo space provided and in doing so extensive alterations had to be carried out on the vessel's upper deck. The refitting was commissioned in response to the demands of the frozen meat export trade to the United States. Later in 1963, the Irish Spruce carried the first shipment of cattle to go directly by sea from Ireland to America. This marked the beginning of a regular service for live cattle exports from Irish to North American ports. In 1965, the Irish Spruce and Irish Poplar were withdrawn from the North Atlantic liner service because of a dramatic fall in the export of frozen meat to the United States. The exports worth £10 million in 1963 fell to £1.5 million in 1964 and, with the prospect of a further drop, the company decided it would be uneconomic to continue operating the vessels on this trade. However, a recovery of the frozen meat export trade in 1966 led to the recall of the two vessels to the service to the U.S.

In September, 1966, the Irish Spruce carried an unusual item of deck cargo when she took the small sailing boat, Nonoalca, in which the American, Bill Verity, crossed the Atlantic single-handed from Florida to Fenit in Kerry. Bill Verity later crossed from Fenit to Florida in a replica of the boat claimed to have been used by St. Brendan the Navigator on his legendary crossing of the Atlantic. The Irish Spruce operated on the North Atlantic liner service up to 1970 when the company withdrew from that trade and, subsequently, she went on the international charter market like the other vessels of the company's fleet.

On 27th January, 1972, while on charter to the Peruvian State Line, the Irish Spruce ran aground on Quita Sueno Bank, off the coast of Nicaragua, as she was on passage from Peruvian ports with ore concentrates and coffee for New Orleans. Twenty crewmembers together with the wives of the Master, Capt. J. S. Kerr and the Chief Engineer, Harry Mooney were taken off the stricken vessel by another merchant vessel, Eastern Venture, and landed at Balboa, Panama. The vessel was so badly damaged that she had to be abandoned as a total loss.

Pictured Left: The second Irish Ash leaving Capetown on passage to Calcutta with grain from the Gulf of Mexico

The second Irish Ash was launched on 24th September, 1957, at the yard of Wm. Gray & Co., West Hartlepool, and the sponsor was Mrs. McEntee, wife of Mr. Seán McEntee, Minister for Health. The 11,719 deadweight tons vessel was delivered to the company on 17th January, 1958, and her port of registry was Limerick. She was under the command of Capt. J. Caird on her maiden voyage to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where Capt. Caird was presented with a port plaque by the Mayor of Halifax, Charles Vaughan, to mark the occasion. The presentation was made at a special reception which was held on board the vessel for civic and port authorities.

The Irish Ash made voyages from the St. Lawrence River ports to the U.K. and from India and Pakistan to Somalia also voyaging from Lattique in Syria to Italian, North African and French ports in the early 1960's. She was on hire to Belgian charterers and to States Marine Corporation and Isthmian Lines of New York in 1967 trading to Bahrain and Kuwait in the Persian Gulf with general cargo from U.S. ports. Capt. J. S. Kerr was Master on these charters with John Mitchell, Chief Officer and J. T. Morgan, Chief Engineer.

Pictured Right: Capt. Bob McMahon

On 24th March, 1968, the vessel went on twelve months' charter to the Peruvian State Line and was delivered at New Orleans where Capt. Bob McMahon took over from Capt. John Lee as Master. During this charter the vessel traded between west coast South American ports and ports in the Gulf of Mexico. The Irish Ash was sold in September, 1970 to Aliakmon Maritime Corporation of Monrovia and renamed Aliakmon Power. She was scrapped at Ulsan, Japan in June, 1979.

When the tanker, the Irish Hawthorn (Pictured below), was launched at the Fairfield Shipyard, Govan, Glasgow, on 30th August, 1957, she became the biggest vessel ever registered in Ireland up to that time. She was 17,980 deadweight tons and was registered at the port of Dublin.Her sponsor was Mrs. Lemass, wife of Mr. Seán Lemass, Minister for Industry and Commerce. She sailed on her maiden voyage from Glasgow to Curacao in the West Indies on 2nd. March, 1958, to commence a five years' charter to Shell Petroleum Co. Ltd. Master of the vessel on that voyage was Capt. R. W. Robson and her Chief Engineer was Arthur Metcalf. She subsequently called at Indian ports and at Durban, South Africa.

In February, 1963, while on passage from Rotterdam to Las Palmas, the Irish Hawthorn stood by the distressed Norwegian ship Johan Collette in the English Channel and pumped oil on the very rough sea to facilitate the rescue of the crew by the lifeboats in attendance. The stricken vessel went down next morning despite salvage efforts but all the crew were taken off safely. Capt. G. Blaney was Master on the Irish Hawthorn on that voyage with Chief Engineer F. McAlees and Chief Officer T. Scollay.

In January , 1964, the vessel left Amsterdam for Pointe a Pierre, Trinidad, then called at Tallaboa, Puerto Rica; St. Thomas, Virgin Islands and on to Puerto la Cruez, Venezuela. She sailed for Dakar, West Africa and arrived there on 3rd. March , then called to Lagos, Nigeria and Cotonou, Benin before sailing westwards for Pointe a Pierre again. In August, 1965, the Irish Hawthorn was sold to Cia. Angolia de Nav. S.A. and was renamed Esperis. She was subsequently sold to Astron Trading Ltd. of Greece and renamed Global Unity in 1973. The vessel was scrapped at Valencia in 1979.

Pictured Left: The Irish Blackthorn

The second large tanker built for the company at the Fairfield Shipyard, Glasgow, was the Irish Blackthorn which was launched on 27th January, 1959, and was sponsored by Mrs. Ryan, wife of Mr. James Ryan, Minister for Finance. The naming of the 18.050 tons deadweight ship was performed entirely in Irish by Mrs. Ryan. The tanker was also registered at Dublin and she was delivered to the company on 3rd June, 1959. As with the Irish Hawthorn, the vessel was commanded by Capt. R. W. Robson on her maiden voyage and her Chief Engineer was Charles McSwiney who subsequently took up a shore appointment as Lecturer at the Crawford Technical Institute in Cork.

In December, 1964 the Irish Blackthorn called to Port Everglades, Florida, where her Master, Capt J. H. O'C Devine , was presented with a key to the port to mark the occasion. The presentation was made by Mr. L.Corcoran, a member of the Port Authority and also an Irishman.

Unfortunately, neither of these two larger tankers was a profitable investment for the company and both were sold in August, 1965. The Irish Blackthorn was sold to Mohawk Cia. Nav. S.A. of Liberia and was renamed Profitis Elias. She subsequently changed ownership in 1968 and 1969 and was renamed Golden Piper and Captain Elias respectively. Whilst on passage from New York to Aruba, off the north coast of Venezuela, on 10th March, 1969, the vessel went aground near Cape Engano in the Dominican Republic and, although she was refloated, the damage sustained was such that she had to be scrapped at Castellon in September, 1969.

The Irish Blackthorn was the twenty second ship built for the company since 1948 and was the last vessel built in the 1950's. Together with her sister ship, the Irish Hawthorn, the two large tankers incurred losses of £800,000 up to the time of their sale in 1965.

Adding to the operating losses sustained by both vessels was the loss incurred on their sale together with the loss on the sale of the second Irish Pine also in August 1965. The combined loss on written-down values of the three ships was £1,415,562 which changed the financial results for that year from a profit of £686,172 to a net loss of £729,390.

Because of the low level of freight rates and the difficulties involved in maintaining a strategic fleet on the one hand and the commercial constraints imposed by State ownership on the other, the 1950s were not profitable years for the company. Trading conditions were also adversely affected by increased fuel costs during that period. Nevertheless, the extent of overall losses was restricted to comparatively reasonable levels so that when the company eventually returned to profitability the cumulative deficit in the Profit and Loss Account was quickly turned into a net credit balance.