Organisation of Material
Postcards are arranged in alphabetical order based on the names of the ships. There are two pages for Irish Sea Shipping with a link to the next and previous pages at the end of each page.
Ben-My-Chree
Ben-my-Chree means 'Girl of my heart' in the Manx language and has been a favourite for vessels owned by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company which has given this name to no less than six ships; this was the second of them. She was a 2,651 GRT steam turbine engine passenger ship completed for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co. Ltd. in 1908 by Vickers, Sons & Maxim at their Barrow yard. She was 147 metres long with beam 17.8 metres. Her triple screws could propel her at 24 knots and she could accommodate 2,549 passengers on her five decks and was used on the Liverpool to Douglas service. During WW1 she was converted to a seaplane carrier and fitted with four 12-pounder and two 3-pounder guns. She was sunk by shellfire from the Turkish army off Kastelorizo on 11 January 1917. The wreck was raised in 1923 and broken up.
Caledonian Coast
Caledonian Coast was a 1,265 GRT diesel engined cargo ship completed for Aberdeen Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. in 1948 by Hall, Russell & Co. at their Aberdeen yard. She was 84.4 metres long with beam 12.3 metres. Her twin screws could propel her at 14 knots. She was sold to Coast Lines Ltd. in 1948 and renamed Makalla in 1967, sold to Alomar Mechanical Engineering Co. in 1968 and renamed Ahmadi Coast and to Kuwait Coast Line Co WLL in 1970. She was broken up at Cartagena in 1974.
Empress Queen
Empress Queen was a 2,140 GRT compound-engined paddle-driven passenger ship completed for Isle of Man Steam Packet Co. Ltd. in 1897 by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. at their Govan yard. She was 109.8 metres long with beam 12.9 metres and her twin paddles could propel her at a remarkable 21.5 knots. She was the first paddle steamer fitted with wireless telegraphy in 1903 and served the route from Liverpool to Douglas. In 1915 she was requisitioned for use as a troopship in WW1 and deployed on moving troops from Southampton to Le Havre. On her return trip on 1 February 1916, with 1,300 troops on board, she ran ashore on the Ring Rocks near Bembridge Isle of Wight but fortunately there was no loss of life. The vessel was broken up by the tides and weather over time.
Hibernian Coast
Irish Coast
Irish Coast was a 3,824 GRT diesel engined passenger/cargo ship with refrigeration completed for Coast Lines Ltd. in 1952 by Harland & Wolff at their Belfast yard. She was 97.7 metres long with beam 15.7 metres and her twin screws could propel her at 17 knots. She was sold to Epirotiki SS Nav Co "George Potamianos" Ltd. in 1968 and renamed Semiramis II in 1969, then to Epirotiki Lines SA in 1969 and renamed Achilleus and in the same year renamed Apollon II, to Corp Naviera Intercontinental de Panama SA in 1981 and renamed Regency and finally to Triton Holding Corp in 1982. She was wrecked at Batangas on 11 October 1989 whilst laid up and broken up at Manilla.
Killarney
I have been unable to identify for sure the details of this vessel. She could be the same one included in The Allen Collection HERE as Killarney Coast - though the photo actually shows the name on the side of the vessel as Killarney. If so she is from 1893 and built by Harland & Wolff.
Killarney was a 2,081 GRT triple-expansion steam engined passenger ship completed for Belfast Steamship Co. in 1893 by Harland & Wolff at their Belfast yard as Magic. She was 94.9 metres long with beam 11.7 metres and her twin screws could propel her at 17 knots. She served the Liverpool to Belfast route initially. She served as a hospital ship during WW1 as HMS Magic and later HMS Magic II due to another vessel of the same name, and later Classic. She resumed her previous service from 1919 retaining the name Classic and was later converted from coal to oil, transferred to City of Cork Steam Packet Co. and renamed Killarney. In 1930 she was converted into a "cruising yacht" and used for tours from Liverpool to Scotland until the outbreak of WW2. She was used in some manner during WW2 and in 1947 was laid up until sold to Epirotiki Lines and renamed Attiki. She was wrecked on 6 October 1951 at Falconera Island.
Lady Limerick
Lady Limerick was a 1,945 GRT triple-expansion steam engined passenger/cargo ship completed for British & Irish Steam Packet Co. Ltd. in 1924 by Ardrossan Dockyard & Shipbuilding Co. at their Ardrossan yard. She was 84.3 metres long with beam 11.5 metres and her single screw could propel her at 14 knots. She was sold to Burns & Laird Lines Ltd. in 1930 and renamed Lairdscastle. She was in collision with Vernon City on 4 September 1940 between Cumbraes and the Mull of Kintyre and sank shortly afterwards.
Leinster
Leinster was a 4,302 GRT diesel engined passenger ship completed for Coast Lines Ltd. in 1937 by Harland & Wolff at their Belfast yard. She was 107.6 metres long with beam 15.3 metres and her twin screws could propel her at 18 knots. She was sold to Belfast Steamship Co. Ltd. in 1946 and renamed Ulster Prince and in 1966 renamed Ulster Prince II. In 1968 she was sold to G.Potamianos and renamed Adria and in 1969 to Epirotiki Steamship Co. and renamed Odysseus. She was broken up at Faslane in 1979.
Mellifont
Although the name of the ship is not recorded, on the basis of comparison with photos held elsewhere, I can say with great confidence that she is Mellifont - a 1,204 GRT triple-expansion engined steam passenger/cargo ship completed for Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Co. Ltd. in 1903 by Vickers, Sons & Maxim at their Barrow yard. She was 79.2 metres long with beam 10.9 metres. Her twin screws could propel her at 17 knots. She passed to London & North Western Railway Co. in 1922 and to London, Midland & Scottish Railway in 1923. She was broken up at Barrow in 1932.
Please press Next at the foot of the page to see Part 2 of the Irish Sea postcards.