The Irish Ash

The Danish owned Mathilde Maersk was purchased by the company in September, 1942, and was taken over on 29th of that month while berthed at Limerick. The 3,600 tons deadweight ship was built at Glasgow in 1921 by Yarrow & Co.for shipowners, A. Kronn of Copenhagen, and was originally named Haderslev. She was registered at Aalborg and four years later she was bought by A. P. Moller, also of Copenhagen, and was renamed Peter Maersk. Her name was changed to Mathilde Maersk in 1932 and she traded under that name until she was acquired by Irish Shipping Limited in 1942.

The ship was renamed Irish Ash (Pictured right),and proceeded into drydock at Rushbrooke where she arrived on 7th October, 1942. On completing repairs, the vessel sailed for Port Talbot, Wales, for bunkers but the circulating pump broke down on passage and the ship had to be assisted back to Rushbrooke by the Ballycotton Lifeboat, the B. & I. vessel, Kenmare, and a unit of the Maritime Inscription. When repairs were finally completed, the Irish Ash sailed directly to St. John, New Brunswick on 31st January, 1943 and arrived at her loading port on 22nd February where she took on wheat and general cargo for Dublin. In all, this ship made fifteen voyages to St. John and one voyage to Montreal before the war ended in May, 1945.

Among the Masters who served on the Irish Ash during the war years were Capt. William Jeffares of Cork and Capt. John Poole of Co. Wexford. Other Masters who commanded the ship were Capt. Frank Kelly, Capt. David Foley, Capt. Tom Donohue and Capt. Tom Walsh. Among the Officers who served on the vessel were Peter Kavanagh, who subsequently became Commander of the Naval Service; Pat Walker, Colm Lawless and Peter Conlon who died so tragically whilst on his first voyage as Chief Officer on the vessel. He was lost overboard while working on deck some six hundred miles west of the Fastnet on passage from St. John to Dublin.An immediate search by a lowered lifeboat failed to locate the missing Officer and the ship, under the command of Capt. John Poole, arrived at Dublin on 21st January, 1947, flying the national flag at half-mast.Peter Conlon was only thirty-three years old and had studied for the Bar prior to joining Irish Shipping Limited. He was called to the Bar in 1941 and at the time of his tragic death, he was preparing to take his Master's Certificate before coming ashore to specialise in maritime law.

The Irish Ash traded for Irish Shipping up to December, 1949, when she was sold to her new owners, Rederi A. B. Skeldervik of Sweden who renamed her Scania. She continued trading under that name until she was withdrawn from register at owners' request in October, 1956.