Irish shipping Ltd

IRISH SHIPPING LTD.WAS SET UP IN 1941 TO ENSURE IRELAND COULD IMPORT AND EXPORT ESSENTIAL GOODS DURING THE 2nd.WORLD WAR.

BRITAIN HAD DECIDED THAT IT COULD NO LONGER PUT ITS SHIPS AND MEN AT RISK BY SUPPLYING A COUNTRY THAT HAD DECIDED TO REMAIN NEUTRAL.
SO AFTER A MEETING HELD AT EARLSFORT TERRACE DUBLIN ON THE 21 MARCH 1941 A NATIONAL SHIPPING COMPANY WAS FORMED CALLED IRISH SHIPPING LTD.

THE FIRST SHIP PURCHASED WAS THE GREEK SHIP VASSILIOS DESTOUNIS FROM P.E.PANAS FOR £142,000. AFTER A FEW PROBLEMS WITH THE SPANISH AUTHORITIES (WHERE IT HAD BEEN ABANDONED AFTER GROUNDING DURING HEAVY WEATHER) CAPT. M.MORAN WITH AN IRISH CREW TOOK COMMAND AND AFTER LOADING A FULL
CARGO OF GRAIN SET SAIL FOR DUBLIN ON THE 1st. OCTOBER 1941.

ON HER ARRIVAL IN DUBLIN SHE WAS RENAMED THE IRISH POPLAR.

2 SHIPS WERE LOST DURING THE WAR:

THE IRISH PINE
-- SANK BY UBOAT IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC 15 NOVEMBER 1942 33 CREW LOST

Cargo carried during the war.

AT THE END OF THE WAR I.S.L. PLACED ORDERS FOR 7 NEW VESSELS WITH SHIPYARDS IN BRITAIN. THE FIRST ONE WAS LAUNCHED IN 1948 AS THE IRISH ROSE(2)

THE IRISH WILLOW(2) 1948	THE IRISH PINE(2) 1948	THE IRISH HAZEL(2) -- 1952
THE IRISH HEATHER -- 1952	THE IRISH ELM(2) -- 1953	THE IRISH FERN -- 1954
THE IRISH LARCH---1955	THE IRISH WILLOW(3) -- 1956	THE IRISH FIR(2) -- 1956 (BUILD BY LIFFEY DOCKYARD)

(THE IRISH ELM(2) WAS THE FIRST SHIP IN THE FLEET TO HAVE SEPARATE CABINS FOR
EACH CREW MEMBER.)

BY THE START OF 1960 IRISH SHIPPING LTD. HAD A FLEET OF 20 SHIPS CONSISTING OF MOTOR SHIPS-SMALL BULK CARRIERS-COLLIERS AND TRADITIONAL STEAMERS.
BUT THE DOWNTURN IN WORLD SHIPPING RATES WAS JUST ABOUT TO START.
ALSO IN 1960 THE IRISH OAK(2)

WAS THE FIRST SHIP TO THE HEAD OF THE GREAT LAKES, AND CAPT.J. POOLE( LATER COMMODORE POOLE) WAS AWARDED THE FREEDOM OF THE CITY OF DULUTH.

IN 1963 A LOSS OF £900,000 WAS REPORTED
AT THE A.G.M. AND IT WAS DECIDED TO START
A PROGRAM OF REDUCING THE FLEET:

THE IRISH ELM(2) WAS SOLD IN 1963, THE COLLIERS IN 1964
THE IRISH HAWTHORN -- THE IRISH PINE(2) AND THE IRISH BLACKTHORN IN 1965
THE IRISH OAK(2) AND THE IRISH HOLLY IN 1967
AT THE START OF 1967 IT WAS LOOKING BETTER AND THE COMPANY REPORTED A PROFIT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 10 YEARS. IN 1967 A NEW BULK CARRIER (38,000 TON.) WAS DELIVERED FROM VEROLME DOCKYARD CORK AND NAMED

THE IRISH ELM(3)

IT WAS THEN CHARTERED OUT TO A SWEDISH FIRM FOR 5 YEARS.
IN 1967 THE COMPANY SETS UP A NORTH ATLANTIC SERVICE WITH MANCHESTER LINERS LTD.

THE FOLLOW THE FLEET SCHEME ALLOWING SCHOOLCHILDREN TO FOLLOW THE MOVEMENTS OF THE COMPANYS SHIPS AROUND THE WORLD IS SET UP.