Drogheda Steam Packet Company

The Drogheda Steam Packet Company was founded in 1826 as the Drogheda Paddle Steamship Co. It provided shipping services between Drogheda and Liverpool from 1825 to 1902, in which year it was taken over by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.[1]

Drogheda Steam Packet Company
IndustryShipping
FateTaken over
SuccessorLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
FoundedJuly 1825
Defunct1902
Headquarters
Drogheda
Area served
Drogheda, Liverpool

History

The company was founded in July 1825 with the issue of 300 shares at £50 each. It was founded as the Drogheda Paddle Steamship Co.[2]

The board of directors included Robert Pentland, mayor of Drogheda, John Leslie Foster, the MP for County Louth, Blayney T. Balfour,[3] St. George Smith, James McCann, Patrick Ternan, Nathaniel Hill, Patrick Boylan, John Woolsey and William Rodger.[4]

On 13 November 1826, PS Town of Drogheda arrived from Scotland. She made her maiden voyage to Liverpool on 26 November in 14 hours. Until 1829 a weekly service was operated sailing from Drogheda on Fridays and returning on Tuesdays under its master, Captain M. Ownes. She was employed until 1846, when she was sold.

In 1829, the company temporarily chartered the PS Liffey and PS Mersey from the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company to increase the sailings to three per week. These were sent back when the new ship, PS Fair Trader was delivered at the end of the year.

Further expansion in the 1830s saw the arrival of PS Green Isle the PS Irishman and PS Grainne Ueile.

PS Faugh-a-Ballagh was acquired in 1844, the first iron-hulled vessel. This was followed by PS Brian Boroimhe and PS St. Patrick in 1846.

Closure

In 1902 the assets of the company were taken over by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway for the sum of £80,000[5] (equivalent to £8,749,128 in 2019),[6]

House Flag
House Flag DSPC

House Flag as seen in the 1882 edition of the Lloyd's Codes Of Distinguishing Flags Of The Steamship Owners Of The United Kingdom. Another version shows a larger Arc.

Vessels
Ship Launched Tonnage
(GRT)		 Notes
Black Eagle 1851 89 Harbour Tug, official number 16836, Built in South Shields. Acquired in 1858. Put up for sale 1894, register closed 1899.[7]
Brian Boroimhe 1846.[8] 649 Brian Boroimhe,Official Number 16804, Iron Paddle Steamer, Built by Robert Napier, Govan for Passenger / Cargo service between Drogheda and Liverpool, service 1846 to 1880.[9]
Colleen Bawn 1862 609[10] or 679[2] Built by Randolph, Elder & Co Ltd, Govan in 1862.[10] Scrapped at Preston, Lancashire in 1901.[2][11]
Fair Trader 1829[11] 200[12] Built by John Scott & Sons Ltd, Greenock.[12] Bought new in 1829.[11]
Faugh-a-Ballagh 1844.[11] Sold in 1879.[11]
Grainne Ueile 1835[13] 245[13] Built by John Scott & Sons, Greenock.[13] Caught fire on 14 April 1847 north of Lambay Island. A total of 22 people killed, 68 rescued by fishing smack Bessy of Ringsend.[11]
Green Isle 1833 213[14] Built by John Scott & Sons, Greenock. Sold in 1845, scrapped in 1853.[14]
Irishman 1834 Built by John Scott & Sons, Greenock.[15]
Iverna 1895 995 Taken over by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1902. Scrapped in 1912 by Messrs Thos W Ward.
Kathleen Mavourneen 1885 988 Taken over by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1902. Scrapped in 1903 in the Netherlands.
Leinster Lass 1849[2] Built by Robert Napier, Port Glasgow.[11]
Liffey Chartered from City of Dublin Steam Packet Company during 1829.[11]
Lord Athlumney 1871[2] 803[16] Built by A. & J. Inglis, Port Glasgow.[16] Wrecked in 1888.[11]
Mersey Chartered from City of Dublin Steam Packet Company during 1829.[11]
Norah Creina 1878 894 Taken over by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1902. Scrapped in April 1912 in France.
St Patrick 1846[11] Used as a French troopship during the Crimean War.[11]
Town of Drogheda 1826[11] 185 (as built)[17] Built by William Simons & Co Ltd, Greenock. Rebuilt in 1835. Lengthened and increased in tonnage to 234 GRT.[17] Sold in 1848,[11] converted to sail. Foundered some 100 nautical miles (190 km) east of Gibraltar in 1849.[17]
Tredagh 1876 901 Entered service June 1876.[11] Taken over by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1902. Scrapped in 1904.

References
  1. Duckworth, Christian; Langmuir, Graham (1968). Railway and Other Steamers. Prescot: T Stephenson & Sons Ltd. p. not cited.
  2. Garry, Jim. "Drogheda to Liverpool service". Irish Ships. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  3. Balfour served as Lieutenant Governor of the Bahamas from 1833-5.
  4. Drogheda Journal, 30 July 1825
  5. New Zealand Tablet, 9 January 1902.
  6. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  7. Waller, Dave. "Tyne Tugs". TyneTugs. Dave Waller. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  8. "Launched 1845: PS Brian Boroimhe". Clyde Ships. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  9. "Paddle Steamer BRIAN BOROIMHE built by Robert Napier in 1846 for Drogheda Steam Packet Co. Drogheda., Passenger / Cargo". clydeships.co.uk. CMRT. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  10. "Launched 1862: ps COLLEEN BAWN". Clydesite. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2010.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. Holohan, Michael. "The Steamships of Drogheda". Drogheda Port. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  12. "FAIR TRADER(1829)". Clydesite. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2010.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. "GRANA UILE(1835)". Clydesite. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2011.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. "Launched 1833: ps GREEN ISLE". Clydesite. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2011.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. "IRISHMAN(1834)". Clydesite. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2011.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. "Launched 1871: ps LORD ATHLUMNEY". Clydesite. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2011.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  17. "TOWN OF DROGHEDA (1826)". Clydesite. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2011.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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