Captain William G. Cummins

Captain William G. Cummins, Viewmount Park, Waterford, retired this month as senior master and longest serving officer with Irish Ferries after 46 years at sea. In 1956, after doing his Leaving Certificate examination at De La Salle College, Waterford, he joined Irish Shipping on a four-year cadetship and attended the Irish Nautical College for three months.

He then joined the s.s. ‘Irish Poplar’, registered in Waterford and adopted by De La Salle College, on her maiden voyage in December 1956, at the age of 17. He then travelled the world in the course of his duties on trips varying from 6 weeks to 14 months to all continents. He served as 3rd and 2nd officer with Irish Shipping from 1959 to 1964, attending college at various intervals.

In 1964 he left Irish Shipping and joined the m.s. ‘Innisfallen’ of the City of Cork Steam Packet Co. (B. & I. Line) as third officer. He obtained his Masters in May 1968 and received his first command with the B& I Line in 1974 and commanded all their vessels. He joined their first ship on the Rosslare and Pembroke Dock service in 1980, having served on 17 ships on that service during that period, the first two in the last six years, these being the m.s. ‘Isle of Inishfree’ from January 1997 and presently the m.s. ‘Isle of Inishmore’ of 34,000 tons, two ships that could be classed as state of the art in their class. The latter ship is the newest and largest ship ever to enter Rosslare Harbour and can accommodate 2,200 passengers and crew.

Up to 1993 the service was doing very badly mostly because of unsuitable types of ships on the run, but when the Government disposed of the B& I Line, Irish Ferries took over under the helm of Eamon Rothwell and provided the most modern and up-to-date fleet on the Irish Sea. Capt. Cummins is thankful to him, John de Courcey Ireland and Tom McSweeney (‘Seascapes’, RTE) for their great endeavours in the cause of Irish maritime affairs. As an island maritime nation he considers it is a shame to see so many, if not all, Irish shipping companies sailing no more. When he left Irish Shipping in 1964 they had 21 ships, many of them carrying four cadets but that type of four year training is lost forever and successive Irish governments have failed to halt the situation, he says, and young men and women have now to go to foreign shipping companies to serve their apprenticeships. He loved the seagoing career for the past 46 years, especially the last six years on the two finest ships he ever commanded. He said he never feared the sea as he totally respected it and always kept in contact with the ‘man above’.

After completing his long service at sea, he now looks forward to his new position of retirement and time to catch up on sports such as hurling, football, World Cup soccer and, of course, his daughter Aine’s sport, hockey. He says he will finally have time to catch up on further studies in Law, Church History and go on some foreign holidays with his wife Brigid, sons Liam, Garvan and Emmet and daughter Aine.

On his final trip from Pembroke Dock to Rosslare, bells, sirens and horns were heard for miles around Milford Haven as a fleet of tugs with water cannon and spray and hose power escorted the m.s. ‘Isle of Inishman’ for seven miles down the Haven, bidding him farewell and a happy retirement. On arrival at Rosslare a large party awaited him and a very large gathering attended his party on board.

BACK TO B+I MASTERS