Irish Mercantile Marine during World War II

style="font-size: larger; style="background:#CCCCCC" | Irish Merchant Marine
during the Emergency

Arklow Schooners
Agnes Craig
Antelope
Cymric Cymric (schooner) Cymric was an Arklow Schooner, built in 1893. Initially she traded with South America. She served as a Q-ship during the First World War. She failed to sink any U-boats, but did sink a British submarine, in error. She returned to the merchant service. In Ringsend, she collided with a tram, her...	24 Feb 1944
de Wadden
Gaelic
Happy Harry
Harvest KingFeatured in the film Moby Dick Moby Dick (1956 film) Moby Dick is a 1956 film adaptation of Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick. It was directed by John Huston with a screenplay by Ray Bradbury and the director. The film starred Gregory Peck, Richard Basehart, and Leo Genn... .
Invermore
J. T. & S.
James Postlethwaite
Mary B Mitchell Mary B Mitchell The Mary B Mitchell was a British schooner which served as a Q-ship during the First World War. She was in service from April 1916 until the end of hostilities, operating in the Southwest Approaches from her base in Falmouth....	20 Dec 1944
M E Johnson
Venturer
Windermere

City of Cork Steam Packet Company
Ardmore	11 Nov 1940
Innisfallen Innisfallen This page concerns the ships named Innisfallen.You might be seeking:Annals of Innisfallen, a Manuscript History of IrelandInnisfallen Island in the Lakes of Killarney----There have been five ships named Innisfallen....	21 Dec 1940
Kenmare

British and Irish Steam Packet Company
Dundalk
Kilkeny
Meath	16 Aug 1940
Munster	2 Feb 1940
Wicklow

Dublin Gas Company
Glenageary
Glencree
Glencullen

T Heiton & Co
St Fintan	22 Mar 1941
St Kenneth
St Mungo

Irish Shipping
Irish Alder
Irish Ash
Irish Beech
Irish Cedar
Irish Elm
Irish Fir
Irish Hazel
Irish Larch
	15 May 1943
	15 Nov 1942
Irish Plane
Irish Poplar
Irish Rose
Irish Spruce
Irish Willow

Limerick Steamship Co
Clonlara	22 Aug 1941
Kyleclare	23 Feb 1943
Lanahrone
Luimneach	4 Sep 1940
Maigue	4 Jan 1940
Monaleen
Moyalla
Rynanna	21 Jan 1940

Palgrave Murphy
Assaroe
City of Antwerp
City of Bremen	2 June 1942
City of Dublin
City of Limerick	15 Jul 1940
City of Waterford	19 Sep 1941

Individual Shipowners
W. Herriott, Limerick
Kerry Head	22 Oct 1940
S. Lockington, Dundalk
Margaret Lockington
R. McGowan & Sons, Tralee
Kerrymore
P. Moloney & Co., Dungarvan
The Lady Belle
L. Ryan, New Ross
Ellie Park
J. Nolan, Skibbereen
Lock Ryan	7 Mar 1942
J. Creenan, Ballinacurry
Brooklands
J. Rochford, Kilmore Quay
Crest	17 Sep 1941

The Irish Mercantile Marine during World War II continued essential overseas trade during the conflict, a period referred to as The Long Watch by Irish mariners.

Irish merchant shipping saw to it that vital imports continued to arrive and exports, mainly food supplies to Great Britain, were delivered. Irish ships sailed unarmed and usually alone, identifying themselves as neutrals

Neutrality (international relations)

A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...

with bright lights and by painting the Irish tricolour and EIREÉire

Éire

is the Irish name for the island of Ireland and the sovereign state of the same name.- Etymology :The modern Irish Éire evolved from the Old Irish word Ériu, which was the name of a Gaelic goddess. Ériu is generally believed to have been the matron goddess of Ireland, a goddess of sovereignty, or...

is the Irish

Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

name for Ireland. From 1937 "Ireland" was the correct name for the country. Prior to that it was the "Irish Free State". British documents of the time, tended to use the word "Eire" while the United States used "Irish Republic". Churchill said "Southern Ireland". in large letters on their sides

Hull (watercraft)

A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...

and decks

Deck (ship)

A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface...

. Nonetheless twenty percent of seamen serving in Irish ships perished, victims of a war not their own: attacked by both sides, though predominately by the Axis powers

Axis Powers

The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...

. Often, Allied

Allies of World War II

The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...

convoy

Convoy

A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...

s could not stop to pick up survivors, while Irish ships always answered SOS

SOS

SOS is the commonly used description for the international Morse code distress signal...

signals and stopped to rescue survivors, irrespective of which side they belonged to. Irish ships rescued 534 seamen.

At the outbreak of World War II, known as "The Emergency", Ireland declared neutrality

Irish neutrality during World War II

The policy of Irish neutrality during World War II was adopted by Dáil Éireann at the instigation of Éamon de Valera, its Taoiseach upon the outbreak of hostilities in Europe and maintained throughout the conflict. De Valera refrained from joining either the Allies or Axis powers...

and became isolated as never before. Shipping

Shipping

Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...

had been neglected since the Irish War of Independence

Irish War of Independence

The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...

. Foreign ships, on which Ireland's trade had hitherto depended, were less available; Neutral

Neutrality (international relations)

American ships would not enter the "war zone". In his Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick , the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of :Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern...

address in 1940, Taoiseach

Taoiseach

The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...

(Prime Minister

Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...

) Éamon de Valera

Éamon de Valera

Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...

lamented:

"No country had ever been more effectively blockaded because of the activities of belligerents and our lack of ships..."

Ireland was a net food exporter. The excess was shipped to Britain. The Irish Mercantile Marine ensured that Irish agricultural, and other, exports reached Britain, and that British coal arrived in Ireland. Some foods such as wheat, citric fruits and tea were imported. Ireland depended on, mainly, British tankers for petroleum.As the Dublin registered Inver tanker fleet had been transferred to the British register. Initially Irish ships sailed in British convoys. In the light of experience they choose to sail alone, relying on their neutral markings. German respect for that neutrality varied from friendly to tragic.

"Cross-channel" trade, between Ireland and Britain, was from both national perspectives, the most important Irish trade route. Irish ships crossed the Atlantic on a route defined by the Allies: a line from Fastnet Rock

Fastnet Rock

Fastnet Rock is a small island in the Atlantic Ocean and the most southerly point of Ireland. It lies southwest of Cape Clear Island and from County Cork on the Irish mainland...

to the Azores

Azores

The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...

and then along the line of latitude at 38° North. Ships on the "Lisbon-run", imported wheat and fruits from Spain and Portugal, as well as goods transhipped from the Americas. They followed the line of longitude at 12° West, while Allied convoys to Gibraltar were 20° West.

There were never more than 800 men, at any one time, serving on Irish ships during the war. There are 149 names on the Seamen's Memorial. That is a higher casualty rate than many military units. They are remembered, each year, in ceremonies in Belfast, Cork and Dublin.

Background

Following independence

Irish War of Independence

in 1921, there was no state encouragement to develop the mercantile marine. "Our new leaders seemed to turn their backs upon the sea and to ignore the fact that we are an island". Each year the fleet declined. In 1923, the merchant fleet consisted of 127 ships. This number dropped every year until 1939 when, at the start of World War II, the fleet numbered only 56 ships. Only 5% of imports were carried on Irish flagged vessels. There were several reasons for this decline: a consequence of the war of independence, a policy of self-sufficiency, the economic depression, the lack of investment and government neglect. Foreign ships, on which Ireland had hitherto depended, were withdrawn. "In the period April 1941 and June 1942 only seven such ships visited the country".
The war of independence

Irish War of Independence

(1919–1921), and the civil war

Irish Civil War

The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....

(1921–1922) which followed it, left the country in near economic collapse. There had been destruction of industry and infrastructure. Many industries relocated abroad. It was often cheaper to transport by sea

Short sea shipping

The modern terms Short sea shipping and marine highway refer to the historical terms coastal trade, coasting trade and coastwise trade, which encompass the movement of cargo and passengers mainly by sea, without directly crossing an ocean. Deep sea shipping, intercontinental shipping or ocean...

, within Ireland, rather than using the poor road and rail networks. To take advantage of this commercial opportunity, new coasters

Coastal trading vessel

Coastal trading vessels, also known as coasters, are shallow-hulled ships used for trade between locations on the same island or continent. Their shallow hulls mean that they can get through reefs where deeper-hulled sea-going ships usually cannot....

Coaster: as the name implies, these ships were suited to travelling close to shore, between ports on the same island. They were suited for shallow waters, unsuited for the oceans. The assumption was that if a storm threatened they could promptly reach the safety of a harbour. were acquired during the 1930s, intended to ply between Irish ports. These ships would be invaluable once hostilities began. Many of these small coasters were lost, particularly on the "Lisbon run", a voyage for which they were never intended.

Then–Taoiseach

Taoiseach

(Prime Minister) Éamon de Valera

Éamon de Valera

Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...

advocated a policy of self-sufficiency

Self-sufficiency

Self-sufficiency refers to the state of not requiring any outside aid, support, or interaction, for survival; it is therefore a type of personal or collective autonomy...

. International trade

International trade

International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, such trade represents a significant share of gross domestic product...

was discouraged. "It was an important status symbol in the modern world for a country to produce her own goods and be self-sufficient."
The economic depression

Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

of the early 1930s had been global. It impacted upon Ireland less because of the partial recovery following the civil war and because industry was protected behind tariff barriers established during the Anglo-Irish Trade War

Anglo-Irish Trade War

The Anglo-Irish Trade War was a retaliatory trade war between the Irish Free State and the United Kingdom lasting from 1932 until 1938...

(1932–1938). The need for extra sea capacity was readily met by British and other foreign ships. Foreign ships were used, rather than preserving the home fleet. Banks were reluctant to lend to Irish industry, preferring British government gilts.

Although there was state support for many industries, this did not extend to shipping. In 1935 civil servants

Civil service

The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....

in de Valera's own department

Ministry (government department)

A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...

warned him of the consequences a war would have on the importation of fuel. He ignored that warning. Earlier, in 1926 the Ports and Harbours Tribunal was initiated. The tribunal received "abundant evidence" of "inefficient, uneconomic and extravagant management". It submitted a report in 1930 with recommendations which were not implemented until after the war. The tribunal observed "the public generally do not, we fear, appreciate the importance of our harbours ...". Vickers-Armstrongs liquidated their subsidiary Vickers (Ireland) Ltd. on 15 November 1938; their Dublin Dockyard had ceased operation in 1937.

On 2 September 1939 the "realisation dawned on Ireland that the country was surrounded by water and that the sea was of vital importance to her".

Response

Seán Lemass

Seán Francis Lemass was one of the most prominent Irish politicians of the 20th century. He served as Taoiseach from 1959 until 1966....

as Minister for Industry and Commerce

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ireland)

The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is the senior minister at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is Richard Bruton, TD...

, and later Minister for Supplies

Minister for Supplies (Ireland)

The Minister for Supplies was created by the , to assist Ireland through World War II, or The Emergency, as referred to by the Government of Ireland...

sought to address these issues. Many infant industries

Infant industry argument

The Infant industry argument is an economic rationale for trade protectionism. The core of the argument is that nascent industries often do not have the economies of scale that their older competitors from other countries may have, and thus need to be protected until they can attain similar...

were developed during the 1930s behind a protective tariff barrier

Trade barrier

Trade barriers are government-induced restrictions on international trade. The barriers can take many forms, including the following:* Tariffs* Non-tariff barriers to trade** Import licenses** Export licenses** Import quotas** Subsidies...

. (This is the origin of the term "Tariff Jews", Seán Lemass

Seán Lemass

Seán Francis Lemass was one of the most prominent Irish politicians of the 20th century. He served as Taoiseach from 1959 until 1966....

from 1932 helped Jewish entrepreneur

Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...

s to set up manufacturing

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...

business

Business

A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...

es) These industries proved valuable during the war years. They reduced the need for imports, for example in 1931 over five million pairs of shoes were imported, by 1938 this had fallen to a quarter of a million pairs. Between 1931 and 1938, Gross Industrial Output

Gross domestic product

Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....

rose from £55 million to £90 million; and Industrial Employment

Employment

Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...

from 162,000 to 217,000. In 1933, the government established the Industrial Credit Corporation to finance industry. In 1938, Life Assurers

Life insurance

Life insurance is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death of the insured person. Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger...

were required to hold their reserves in Ireland, to make capital available for industry; promptly five of the six UK providers closed,The five were: the Prudential
Prudential plc
Prudential plc is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom.Prudential's largest division is Prudential Corporation Asia, which has over 15 million customers across 13 Asian markets and is a top-three provider of life insurance in mainland China, Hong...

, the Britannic, the Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society, the Pearl, and the Refuge; The Royal Liver

Royal Liver Friendly Society

Royal Liver Assurance is a friendly society with over 1.7 million members in Ireland and the UK. Subject to Financial Services Authority approval, Royal Liver and its subsidiaries will become part of the Royal London Group on 1 July 2011.-History:...

remained. lodging their business with Irish Assurance

Irish Life and Permanent

Irish Life and Permanent, Plc or IL&P is a provider of personal financial services in Ireland. IL&P enjoys limited liability....

.As a consequence of the great depression, life assurers went technically insolvent. These companies were: the City of Dublin Assurance Company, the Irish Life and General Assurance Company, the Irish National Assurance Company, and the Munster and Leinster Assurance Company. The government response was to merge them. Private enterprises established included: Grain Importers Ltd., Animal Feed Stuffs Ltd., Fuel Importers Ltd., Oil and Fats Ltd., Timber Importers Ltd., and Tea Importers Ltd. Industry was encouraged, such as the plans for Irish National Refineries Ltd. to build an oil refinery. The former Vickers repair yard in Dublin port was reopened, in 1940, by the Dublin Port and Docks Board

Dublin Port

Dublin Port is Ireland's biggest sea port. It has both historical and contemporary economic importance. Approximatively two-thirds of the Republic of Ireland's port traffic goes via Dublin Port...

. It repaired British and Irish ships. Semi-state enterprises were established, including Irish Shipping, in 1941. which purchased nine vessels and leased six more.

War declared

At the outbreak of the Second World War Ireland declared neutrality

Irish neutrality during World War II

. There were a total of 56 Irish ships at the outbreak of World War II; 15 more were purchased

Purchasing

Purchasing refers to a business or organization attempting for acquiring goods or services to accomplish the goals of the enterprise. Though there are several organizations that attempt to set standards in the purchasing process, processes can vary greatly between organizations...

or leased

Leasing

Leasing is a process by which a firm can obtain the use of a certain fixed assets for which it must pay a series of contractual, periodic, tax deductible payments....

during the conflict, and 16 were lost. Up to then most Irish-registered ships had been flying the red ensign

Red Ensign

The Red Ensign or "Red Duster" is a flag that originated in the early 17th century as a British ensign flown by the Royal Navy and later specifically by British merchantmen. The precise date of its first appearance is not known, but surviving receipts indicate that the Navy was paying to have such...

of the United Kingdom's Merchant Navy. All were required by UK law to fly the Red Ensign, however some, such as the Wexford Steamship Company ships, had always travelled under the tricolour. With the outbreak of hostilities, choices were forced. The Irish government ordered all Irish ships to fly the tricolour

Flag of Ireland

The national flag of Ireland is a vertical tricolour of green , white, and orange. It is also known as the Irish tricolour. The flag proportion is 1:2...

. Some British ships were on the Irish register, such as the whaler

Whaler

A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...

s which were Scottish-owned (Christian Salvesen Shipping) but Irish-registered in order to take advantage of the Irish whale quota. The six whale catchers and the two factory ships were pressed into British naval service, after their owners transferred them to the British registry. Some ships which could be described as British also choose the Tricolour. The Kerrymore, which was registered as belonging to R McGowan of Tralee, was actually owned by Kelly Colliers of Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

. Most of the crew had addresses in loyalist

Ulster loyalism

Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...

areas of Belfast. For six years they sailed under the tricolour.

The Belfast Steamship Company's MV Munster which operated the Belfast

Belfast

to Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

route, (both British ports) flew the tricolour. But, no flag was a protection against mines; the Munster struck a mine approaching Liverpool and sank. There were over 200 passengers and 50 crew on board. A few hours later they were all rescued by the collier Ringwall. Four were injured; and one died later. The L&NWR

London and North Western Railway

The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...

ferries Cambria, Hibernia and Scotia were Irish-registered and sailed between Dún Laoghaire

Dún Laoghaire

Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...

and Holyhead

Port of Holyhead

The Port of Holyhead is a ferry port in Anglesey, Wales, handling more than 2 million passengers each year. Stena Line and Irish Ferries sail from Holyhead to Dublin and Dún Laoghaire in Ireland, forming the principal link for surface transport from north Wales and central and northern England to...

, under the Red Ensign. Their British crews were taken aback when the tricolour was hoisted. They went on strike

Strike action

Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...

and refused to sail until the ships were transferred to the British registry and red ensign was restored. Scotia was sunk during the Dunkirk evacuation with the loss of 30 crew and 300 troops. Hibernia had a fortunate escape on the night of 20 December 1940. She was berthing at Dún Laoghaire when a German bomber "swooped down". All lights were extinguished. Bombs fell on the nearby Sandycove railway station

Sandycove and Glasthule railway station

Sandycove and Glasthule railway station serves the suburban areas of Sandycove and Glasthule south of Dun Laoghaire in County Dublin, Ireland. The building is on a bridge as the rail line is in a cutting...

. The GWR

Great Western Railway

The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...

ferries operated the Rosslare

Rosslare Europort

Rosslare Europort is a modern seaport located at Rosslare Harbour in County Wexford, Ireland, near the southeastern-most point of Ireland's coastline, handling passenger and freight ferries to and from Wales and France....

to Fishguard route sailed under the red ensign. Thirty lives were lost when their Saint Patrick was bombed and sunk. The British and Irish Steam Packet Company had some of its ships on the British registry with others on the Irish registry.

Cargo

Exports

The main export was agricultural produce to Britain.

During the First World War, Ireland's food production increased to meet Britain's needs; a pattern which would be repeated for the Second World War. In 1916 there were 1735000 acres (702,130.2 ha) under plough, this increased to 2383000 acres (964,366.7 ha) in 1918, and then fell back. By the start of the trade war in 1932 tillage had fallen to 1424000 acres (576,272.9 ha).
The trade war

Anglo-Irish Trade War

The Anglo-Irish Trade War was a retaliatory trade war between the Irish Free State and the United Kingdom lasting from 1932 until 1938...

between Ireland and Britain started in 1932.
During which Britain imposed a tax

Tariff

A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....

on Irish products. Cattle from the Irish republic were taxed but cattle from Northern Ireland were not. So, cattle were smuggled across the border. In 1934/5, about 100,000 cattle were "exported" in this way. The Department of Supplies

Minister for Supplies (Ireland)

The Minister for Supplies was created by the , to assist Ireland through World War II, or The Emergency, as referred to by the Government of Ireland...

was "all in favour of the smuggling and urged that nothing should be done which might stop it". By then, Britain was anxious to secure Irish food supplies before another world war. Survival in the looming war was the spur.

There were a series of agreements from the "cattle-coal pact" of 1935 to the Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement

Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement

The Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement was signed on 25 April 1938 by Ireland and the United Kingdom. It aimed to resolve the Anglo-Irish Trade War which had been on-going from 1933....

of 1938 which ended the dispute, on terms favourable to Ireland.

|Cattle, thousands
|702>

Item	1938	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945
Irish Cattle and Beef Exports during World War II
784	636	307	616	453	445	496
Beef, thousand tons	0.0	1.0	0.3	16.2	5.7	1.0	3.1	3.9
There was an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease Foot-and-mouth disease Foot-and-mouth disease or hoof-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids... in 1941. For some months the export and movement of live cattle was prohibited. The drop in numbers in 1943 may be the result of smuggling

Under the "cattle-coal pact", the British set up a central authority for the purchase of cattle, under John Maynard Keynes

John Maynard Keynes

John Maynard Keynes, Baron Keynes of Tilton, CB FBA , was a British economist whose ideas have profoundly affected the theory and practice of modern macroeconomics, as well as the economic policies of governments...

. The prices set before the war were attractive. As the war progressed, open market prices rose dramatically. Cattle from Northern Ireland fetched a better price, so smuggling, as practised during the trade war resumed.
In answer to the demand for food during World War II, the area under plough increased from 1492000 acres (603,791.5 ha) in 1939 to 2567000 acres (1,038,829 ha) in 1944. Studies are inconclusive on how vital Irish food exports were to Britain, due to the difficulties in accounting for the effect of smuggling, the unreliability of statistics, and wartime censorship. While Ireland's food production was increasing, British food imports were falling; for example the UK imported 1,360,000 tons of food in August 1941, but only 674,000 tons in August 1942.
|1934/38
|3,109> |1946/47
|3,059>

year	Ireland	Britain
Food consumption, per capita, in Calories Irish food consumption remained high during World War II
3,042	2,714	2,921
2,854	2,424	1,980

Before and during the second world war, Ireland was a net food exporter and the Irish people enjoyed a high calorie diet. (Nonetheless the poor experienced real deprivation). Food was donated to war-refugees in Spain. The nation did need to import certain foods, such as fruits, tea and wheat. Nearly half of Ireland's wheat was imported from Canada. Domestic food production relied on imported fertilizer

Fertilizer

Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...

and imported animal feeding stuffs

Fodder

Fodder or animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. Most animal feed is from plants but some is of animal origin...

. In 1940, 74,000 ton

Ton

The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...

sAt this time, in Ireland, imperial tons (also called long ton

Long ton

Long ton is the name for the unit called the "ton" in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used in the United Kingdom and several other Commonwealth countries. It has been mostly replaced by the tonne, and in the United States by the short ton...

) were used, that is 1 ton = 2,240 pounds

Avoirdupois

The avoirdupois system is a system of weights based on a pound of 16 ounces. It is the everyday system of weight used in the United States and is still widely used to varying degrees by many people in Canada, the United Kingdom, and some other former British colonies despite the official adoption...

, or 1,016 kilograms of fertilizer were imported, only 7,000 tons arrived in 1941. Similarly 5 million tons of animal feed were imported in 1940, falling to one million in 1941 and negligible quantities thereafter.

Imports

Although Ireland had a surplus of food, some foods were not grown in Ireland, as the climate was unsuitable. Only small plots of wheat were cultivated. A series of orders for compulsory tillage were enacted, with the threat that those who did not put their fields to wheat would have their land confiscated. In 1939, 235000 acres (95,101.2 ha) of wheat were planted; by 1945 this had increased to 662000 acres (267,902.1 ha). Yet, a shortfall remained and imports were required. Clashes between smugglers and Customs were commonplace. In 1940 the infamous "Battle of Dowra" took place on the border of Leitrim

County Leitrim

County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...

and Fermanagh. Revenue crews

Office of the Revenue Commissioners

The Office of the Revenue Commissioners , - now called simply Revenue - is the Irish Government agency responsible for customs, excise, taxation and related matters...

from Blacklion

Blacklion

Blacklion is a border village in west County Cavan, Ireland. It is situated on the N16 national primary road, just across the border from the County Fermanagh village of Belcoo.- History :The village is within the townland of Tuam...

and Glenfarne

Glenfarne

Glenfarne is a small village located in the north of County Leitrim, Ireland. It is the site of the original "Ballroom of Romance", which inspired a short story by William Trevor and was subsequently turned into a movie by the BBC...

intercepted over one hundred men with donkey loads of smuggled

Smuggling

Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...

flour

Flour

Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...

. Unwilling to part with their bounty, the smugglers used cudgels

Club (weapon)

A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....

, boots, stones and fists in the ensuing struggle. Most of the flour was destroyed in the fray and some Revenue people were injured.

Early in 1942, the Allies restricted wheat deliveries to Ireland. In return, the Irish threatened to withhold the export of Guinness

Guinness

Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...

beer. To the great annoyance of David Gray

David Gray (ambassador)

David Gray was best known as the United States Ambassador to Ireland from 15 April 1940 until 28 June 1947. His official title was 'Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary' and his official residence was Florida. In his own words, his appointment to the Ambassadorship was nepotic, as he...

, the United States Ambassador to Ireland

United States Ambassador to Ireland

There have been a total of 30 Ambassadors of the United States to Ireland meaning the Republic of Ireland. All except one, Frederick A. Sterling, have been non-career appointees, while there were three under President George W. Bush.-List of Ambassadors:...

,David Gray was not titled 'ambassador', but "Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary". Ireland received 30,000 tons of wheat. Gray complained of a waste of "a vital necessity for what Americans regard at the best as a luxury and at worst a poison".
By 1944-5 coal imports were only one-third of those of 1938-9 and supplies of oil had almost ceased. The production of town gas

Coal gas

Coal gas is a flammable gaseous fuel made by the destructive distillation of coal containing a variety of calorific gases including hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane and volatile hydrocarbons together with small quantities of non-calorific gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen...

, manufactured from imported coal, was so adversely affected that regulations were brought in limiting its use, enforced by the "Glimmer Man

Glimmer Man

For the 1996 movie see The Glimmer ManA glimmer man was a somewhat pejorative name unofficially, but almost universally, applied to inspectors who were employed by the Alliance and Dublin Consumers' Gas Company, the Cork Gas Consumers Company and other supply companies in the smaller towns and...

". Britain relaxed these restrictions from 19 July 1944.
There were plans to build an oil refinery in Dublin.The Oil Refinery was to be built on right side Alexandra Rd. going towards ferry port, beyond ocean pier. In the event, this refinery was not completed. Nonetheless seven oil tanker

Oil tanker

An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...

s were built in Bremen-Vegesack

Bremen-Vegesack

-Geography:Vegesack is located at the mouth of the river Lesum, beside the Weser River . Abutting the district of Vegesack to the northwest is the district of Blumenthal, in the southeast the district of Burglesum...

, Germany for Inver Tankers Ltd. Each 500 feet (152.4 m) long and capable of carrying 500 tons were on the Irish register.
Britain asked Ireland to requisition the tankers, The reply was that it was not Irish policy to requisition vessels, instead offering to transfer them to the British register. They were transferred on the 6th, war had been declared on the 3rd. Two days after the transfer, on 11 September 1939, while still flying the Irish tricolour

Flag of Ireland

The national flag of Ireland is a vertical tricolour of green , white, and orange. It is also known as the Irish tricolour. The flag proportion is 1:2...

, the Inverliffey was sunk. In spite of Captain William Trowsdale's protestation that they were Irish, U-38 said that they "were sorry" but they would sink Inverliffey as she was carrying petrol

Gasoline

Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...

to England, considered contraband

Contraband

The word contraband, reported in English since 1529, from Medieval French contrebande "a smuggling," denotes any item which, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold....

to the Germans. U-38s next encounter with the Irish tricolour was less gallant. U-38 shelled the fishing trawler Leukos
ST Leukos
The ST Leukos was Irish Steam Trawler that operated off the coast of Ireland. She was lost with all hands on March 9, 1940 while fishing off Tory Island when the surfaced and opened fire with its deck gun. The Leukos and her crew of 11 were lost...

, all 11 crew were lost. Inver Tankers' entire fleet was lost during the war.

U-boat encounters

Vizeadmiral Karl Dönitz

Karl Dönitz

Karl Dönitz was a German naval commander during World War II. He started his career in the German Navy during World War I. In 1918, while he was in command of , the submarine was sunk by British forces and Dönitz was taken prisoner...

issued a standing order to U-boats on 4 September 1940, which defined belligerent, neutral and friendly powers. Neutral included "Ireland in particular". The order concluded: "Ireland forbids the navigation of her territorial waters by warships under threat of internment. That prohibition is to be strictly observed out of consideration for the proper preservation of her neutrality. Signed, Dönitz". However those orders did not always protect Irish ships. Wolf Jeschonnek, commander of U-607

German submarine U-607

German submarine U-607 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the German Kriegsmarine for service during the Second World War. She was commissioned in January 1942 and was sunk in July 1943, having sunk four ships and damaged two others. Her commanders were Ernst Mengersen and Wolf...

was mildly reprimanded "An understandable mistake by an eager captain" for sinking the Irish Oak. When U-46 sank the Luimneach on the Lisbon run, her commander recorded in his war diary "flying a British or Irish flag". A supplement to Dönitz's order found after U-260 was scuttled off Cork read: "for political reasons, Irish ships and also at times Irish convoys are not to be attacked within the blockade zone if they are seen to be such. However, there is no special obligation to determine neutrality in the blockade zone.".

There were many encounters with U-boats, some pleasant, others not so. On 16 March 1942 the Irish Willow was stopped by U-753

German submarine U-753

German submarine U-753 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the German Kriegsmarine for service during World War II. Commissioned on 18 June 1941, she served with 3rd U-boat Flotilla until 30 November as a training boat, and as a front boat until 13 May 1943 under the command of Alfred Manhardt von...

, which signalled "Send master and ship's papers". As Capt Shanks hailed from Belfast and therefore legally a British subject, this was considered unwise. Chief Officer

Chief Mate

A Chief Mate or Chief Officer, usually also synonymous with the First Mate or First Officer , is a licensed member and head of the deck department of a merchant ship...

Harry Cullen and four crew rowed to the U-boat. He said that his (39 year old) captain was too elderly for the boat. He added that it would be Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day

in the morning. They were treated to schnapps

Schnapps

Schnapps is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage. The English word schnapps is derived from the German Schnaps , which can refer to any strong alcoholic drink but particularly those containing at least 32% ABV...

in the conning tower

Conning tower

A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....

and given a bottle of cognac

Cognac (drink)

Cognac , named after the town of Cognac in France, is a variety of brandy. It is produced in the wine-growing region surrounding the town from which it takes its name, in the French Departements of Charente and Charente-Maritime....

to bring back to the Irish Willow. Later, the Irish Willow performed a dangerous rescue of 47 British sailors from the .

On 20 March 1943, the German U-boat U-638, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Oskar Bernbeck stopped the Irish Elm. Rough seas prevented the Elms crew from pulling their rowboat alongside the submarine to present their papers, so the interview was conducted by shouting. During the course of the conversation, the Elms Chief Officer Patrick Hennessy gave Dún Laoghaire

Dún Laoghaire

as his home address. Bernbeck asked if "the strike was still on in Downey's", a pub

Public house

A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...

near Dún Laoghaire harbour. (The Downey's strike

Strike action

started in March 1939 and lasted 14 years.)

Convoys

The Irish and British authorities co-operated in the chartering of ships. They made combined purchases of wheat, maize, sugar, animal feeds and petrol. At the start of the war, Irish ships joined convoys protected by the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

. The advantages were protection and cheaper insurance. These advantages were not borne out by experience. So they chose to sail alone.

The ability to insure ships, cargo, and crew

Marine insurance

Marine insurance covers the loss or damage of ships, cargo, terminals, and any transport or cargo by which property is transferred, acquired, or held between the points of origin and final destination....

has a significant impact on the profitability of shipping. Insurance of Irish ships during the 'Long Watch' was problematic. One important aspect of this was that Irish ships usually didn't travel in convoy and insurers such as Lloyd's of London

Lloyd's of London

Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...

charged a higher premium to insure ships not in convoy. An example of the insurance problems faced, concerns the crew of the City of Waterford. When this ship joined Convoy OG 74, the lives of the crew were insured. The ship suffered a collision with the Dutch tugboat

Tugboat

A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...

Thames, and sank. The Waterfords crew was rescued by HMS Deptford and then transferred to the rescue ship

Convoy rescue ship

During the Second World War purpose built convoy rescue ships accompanied some Atlantic convoys to rescue survivors from ships which had been attacked. Rescue ships were typically small freighters with passenger accommodations. Conversion to rescue service involved enlarging galley and food...

Walmer Castle. The Walmer Castle, in turn, was bombed two days later and five of the City of Waterford survivors died. When their families made life insurance claims, they were refused, because at their time of death they were not crew of the City of Waterford, but passengers of Walmer Castle. Later the Irish government introduced a compensation scheme for seamen lost or injured on Irish ships and Irish Shipping opened its own marine insurance subsidiary, which made a handsome profit.After the war Irish Shipping sold its insurance subsidiary as the Insurance Corporation of Ireland, which was later taken over by Allied Irish Banks

Allied Irish Banks

Allied Irish Banks p.l.c. is a major commercial bank based in Ireland.AIB is one of the so called "big four" commercial banks in the state. The bank has one of the largest branch networks in Ireland; only Bank of Ireland fully rivals it. AIB offers a full range of personal and corporate banking...

.

Two Limerick Steamship Company ships, Lanahrone and Clonlara were part of the "nightmare convoy" OG-71. On 19 August 1941, Alva (Scottish) was sunk by U-559, 13 survivors were rescued by Clonlara. Two days later U-564 sank Clonlara. HMS Champion

HMS Champion

Five ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Champion:*HMS Champion was a 24-gun sixth rate launched in 1779. She was reassigned to harbour service in 1810 and sold in 1816.*HMS Champion was an 18-gun sloop launched in 1824...

rescued 13 survivors (8 from Clonlara and 5 from Alva). Eight merchant ships, two naval escorts and over 400 lives were lost. The convoy retreated to neutral Portugal. This was described as "a bitter act of surrender could ever come our way". In Lisbon Lanahrones crew went on strike, which was resolved with extra life-rafts and pay. The crew of the Irish Poplar were waiting in Lisbon; when the remnants of OG 71 limped in. The crew of the Irish Poplar resolved to sail home alone. While the City of Dublin brought the Clonlara survivors to Cork, Lanahrone joined convoy HG 73. Nine of the 25 ships in that convoy were lost. These experiences and the inability of the Royal Navy to protect merchant ships had a most profound effect on all Irish Ships. Ship-owners, on the advice of their masters, decided not to sail their vessels in British convoys and by the early months of 1942 the practice had ceased.

Captain William Henderson of the Irish Elm, returning from a transatlantic voyage reported "circled by two German bombers, probably Condors

Focke-Wulf Fw 200

The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...

, they circled for a considerable time and inspected closely but didn't molest. The incident had given the crew great confidence in the protection afforded by the neutral markings".

British routes

This "cross-channel" trade accounted for mostBritain accounted for half of imports and almost all exports, see www.cso.ie of Ireland's trade. The ships ranged, in age, from Dundalk built, two years before the start of the war, in 1937 to Brooklands built in 1859. The most important vessels to Ireland were the ten collier

Collier (ship type)

Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for...

s and to Britain the livestock carriers. Initially Germany respected the neutrality of Irish vessels, apologising for the first attack on the collier Kerry Head and paying compensation. Losses came from mines, rather than direct attacks. Meath suffered such a fate; while she was being inspected by the British Naval Control Service, she was struck by a magnetic mine, drowning seven hundred cattle, and destroying both vessels.

In August 1940 Germany "required" Ireland to cease food exports to Britain. On 17 August 1940, Germany declared a large area around Britain to be a "scene of warlike operations". It was believed that attacks on Irish ships and the bombing of Campile

Campile

Campile is a small village situated in the south of County Wexford, Ireland. It is nine miles outside the town of New Ross.Nearby exists the ruins of an old Cistercian abbey of Dunbrody.-Transport:...

was to reinforce that message. Lord Haw-Haw

Lord Haw-Haw

Lord Haw-Haw was the nickname of several announcers on the English-language propaganda radio programme Germany Calling, broadcast by Nazi German radio to audiences in Great Britain on the medium wave station Reichssender Hamburg and by shortwave to the United States...

in a broadcast on German, threatened that Dundalk

Dundalk

Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...

would be bombed if the export of cattle to Britain continued. On 24 July 1941, George's Quay, Dundalk was bombed. Nonetheless, the trade continued.

The first attack, after the German ultimatum, was against the schooner Lock Ryan, returning to Arklow. She was strafed and bombed by three German aircraft. Fortunately Lock Ryans cargo of china clay adsorbed the blast and although badly damaged, she survived. Germany acknowledged the attack but refused to pay compensation for the damage as she was in "the blockaded area", "through which the Irish had been offered free passage but on terms which were rejected". There were many attacks on ships on the cross-channel trade. During 1940, nine Irish ships were lost.February 2: Munster; March 9: Leukos; July 15: City of Limerick; August 15: Meath; October 22: Kerry Head; November 11: Ardmore ; December 19: Isolda; December 21: Innisfallen. That figure may be small compared with Allied

Allies of World War II

The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...

losses, but it represents a larger proportion of the small Irish fleet.

There were restrictions

Censorship

thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...

on reporting attacks on ships. Frank Aiken

Frank Aiken

Frank Aiken was a commander of the Irish Republican Army and later an Irish politician. A founding-member of Fianna Fáil, Aiken was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1923 and at each subsequent election until 1973...

, the government minister

Minister (government)

A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....

whose responsibilities included censorship, reverted this policy. His intention was to let Germany know that the Irish public know, and "they don't like it". There had been a British proposal for transshipment

Transshipment

Transshipment or Transhipment is the shipment of goods or containers to an intermediate destination, and then from there to yet another destination....

. William Warnock, the Irish chargé d'affaires

Chargé d'affaires

In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...

in Berlin told Germany that Ireland was refusing to transship British cargoes, while protesting against the attacks on Irish ships, and other neutral ships with Irish cargoes. Deliberate attacks on cross-channel shipping ceased on 5 November 1941, when the collier Glencree was strafed.A later loss was from "natural causes", Lock Ryan was wrecked in a storm, on 7 March 1942. There were attacks on other routes. Mines were a constant danger.

The Iberian trade

On November 1939, Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...

signed the Fourth Neutrality Act forbidding American ships from entering the "war zone", which was defined as a line drawn from Spain to Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

. Cargoes intended for Ireland were shipped to Portugal. It was up to the Irish to fetch them from there. This route, known as the Iberian Trade or the Lisbon run. Setting sail from Ireland, the ships would carry agricultural products to the United Kingdom. There they would discharge their cargo, load up on fuel, pick up a British export (often coal), and carry it to Portugal. In Portugal, usually Lisbon, Irish ships loaded the awaiting American cargo, such as fertilizer or agricultural machinery. Sometimes the cargo was not there: it may have been delayed, or lost at sea due to the war. In this case, the Irish captains would load a "cargo of opportunity" and bring it back to Ireland. This might be wheat or oranges; on occasions, they even purchased their own cargo of coal.
The was fortunate to have a cargo of coal when two unidentified aircraft attacked her with cannon

Cannon

A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...

fire. The shells

Shell (projectile)

A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...

lodged in the coal, rather than piercing her hull

Hull (watercraft)

. Britain denied involvement, but when the coal was discharged shell fragments of British manufacture were found. The attackers were de Havilland Mosquito

De Havilland Mosquito

The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...

s of the Polish squadron

No. 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron

No. 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron was a Polish night fighter squadron formed in Great Britain on 24 August 1940 as a result of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom...

of the RAF

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

.

The Cymric was not so fortunate, she vanished in the same waters without a trace.

The Lisbon run was undertaken by small coastal trading vessel

Coastal trading vessel

s, commonly called coasters, which were not designed for deep-sea navigation. Small, and having low freeboard

Freeboard (nautical)

In sailing and boating, freeboardmeans the distance from the waterline to the upper deck level, measured at the lowest point of sheer where water can enter the boat or ship...

(frequently around ) these ships were designed never to be out of sight of land, and to be able to make quickly to a harbour when the weather turned foul. The MV Kerlogue

MV Kerlogue

The MV Kerlogue has become the exemplar of neutral Irish ships during World War II. She was very small. She was attacked by both sides and rescued both sides. She was almost sunk by a German mine and was dive-bombed by the RAF, being left for dead...

has become the exemplar of the Irish Mercantile Marine during the Emergency. At only and 142 feet (43.3 m) long, Kerlogue was attacked by both sides and rescued both sides. Her rescue of 168 German sailors, given her size, was dramatic. From January 1941, British authorities required Irish ships to visit a British port and obtain a "navicert". This visit sometimes proved fatal. It also added up to 1300 miles (2,092.1 km) to the voyage. A ship with a "navicert" was given free passage through allied patrols and fuel, however they would be searched. Irish ships on the "Lisbon run" carried UK exports to Spain and Portugal.

Atlantic routes

Some British ships traded between Ireland and Britain. Other destinations were served by Irish and other neutral ships. Philip Noel-Baker

Philip Noel-Baker, Baron Noel-Baker

by Philip Noel-Baker with other authorsby others* Lloyd, Lorna: Philip Noel-Baker and the Peace Through Law in -External links:...

(Churchill's

Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...

Parliamentary Secretary

A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...

) was able to tell the British parliament that "no United Kingdom or Allied ship has been lost while carrying a full cargo of goods either to or from Eire on an ocean voyage." He added "a very high proportion of imports from overseas sources into Eire, and of such exports as are sent overseas from Eire, are already carried in ships on the Eire or on a neutral register." and "The trade between Great Britain and Eire is of mutual benefit to both countries, and the risks to British seamen which it involves are small."

During the economic depression, the Limerick Steamship Company sold both its ocean-going ships, Knockfierna and Kilcredane. They were Ireland's last ocean-going ships. At the outbreak of hostilities Ireland did not have a ship designed to cross the Atlantic. British ships were not available. American ships would only travel to Portugal. Ireland depended on other neutrals. In 1940 a succession of these ships, from Norway, Greece, Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, and Finland, usually carrying wheat to Ireland, were lost. Soon many of these nations were no longer neutral. Ireland had to acquire its own fleet. Irish Shipping was formed. The Irish Poplar was Irish Shipping's first ship. It was acquired in Spain after it had been abandoned by its crew. Other ships were acquired from Palestine, Panama

Panama

Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

, Jugoslavia

Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....

, and Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

. The Irish government minister

Minister (government)

A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....

Frank Aiken

negotiated the bareboat charter

Bareboat charter

A bareboat charter is an arrangement for the chartering or hiring of a ship or boat, whereby no crew or provisions are included as part of the agreement; instead, the people who rent the vessel from the owner are responsible for taking care of such things....

ing of two oil-burning steamships

Steamboat

A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...

from the United States Maritime Commission

United States Maritime Commission

The United States Maritime Commission was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and replaced the U.S. Shipping Board which had existed since World War I...

's reserve fleet. They were both lost to U-boats. The Irish Oak was sunk in controversial circumstances by U-607

German submarine U-607

. All 33 crew of the Irish Pine

SS Irish Pine (1919)

Irish Pine was a 5,621 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1919 for the United States Maritime Commission . She was chartered in 1941 by Irish Shipping Ltd. On 16 November 1942, Irish Pine was torpedoed and sunk by .-Description:...

were lost when she was sunk by U-608. Three ships were from Estonia

Estonia

Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...

, They were in Irish ports when Estonia was annexed

Annexation

Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...

by the Soviet Union. Their crews refused to return to the new Estonian SSR. The ships were sold to Irish Shipping. The SS Cetvrti (Jugoslavia) was abandoned in Dingle Bay

Dingle Bay

Dingle Bay is a bay located in County Kerry, western Ireland. The bay runs approximately from northeast to southwest into the Atlantic Ocean and is approximately wide at the head, and wide at the entrance. It is flanked on the north by the Dingle Peninsula, and on the south by the Iveragh...

after being strafed on 1 December 1940. She was salvaged by the Fort Rannoch of the Irish Navy

Irish Naval Service

The Naval Service is the navy of Ireland and is one of the three standing branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its main base is in Haulbowline, County Cork....

; she was purchased and renamed Irish Beech.
An Italian ship, Caterina Gerolimich had been trapped in Dublin since the outbreak of the war. After the fall of Italian Fascism

Italian Fascism

Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...

she was chartered, repaired and renamed Irish Cedar. When the war was over, she returned to Naples

Naples

Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...

with a cargo of food, a gift from Ireland to war-ravaged Italy. The was purchased on 17 June 1941, she was 46 years old, and required extensive repairs. "She was fit for nothing but the scrap yard." A British yard bid for, and won, the contract to renovate her. This work was completed in November 1943. Even though the Irish government paid for her purchase and for the repairs she was requisitioned by the British Ministry of War Transport and renamed Empire Don. She was returned to Irish Shipping in 1945.

The Irish Shipping fleet imported, across the Atlantic: 712,000 tons of wheat, 178,000 tons of coal, 63,000 tons of phosphate

Phosphate

A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...

(for fertilizer

Fertilizer

), 24,000 tons of tobacco

Tobacco

Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...

, 19,000 tons of newsprint

Newsprint

Newsprint is a low-cost, non-archival paper most commonly used to print newspapers, and other publications and advertising material. It usually has an off-white cast and distinctive feel. It is designed for use in printing presses that employ a long web of paper rather than individual sheets of...

, 10,000 tons of timber

Lumber

Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....

and 105,000 tons of assorted other cargo. Figures from the other shipping companies have not survived.

After the war

When the hostilities were over, on 16 May 1945, Éamon de Valera, in his speech to the nation said: "To the men of our Mercantile Marine who faced all the perils of the ocean to bring us essential supplies, the nation is profoundly grateful." The Ringsend

Ringsend

Ringsend is a southside inner suburb of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. It is located on the south bank of the River Liffey, about two kilometres east of the city centre, and is the southern terminus of the East Link Toll Bridge....

area of Dublin has a long maritime tradition. When housing was being redeveloped in the 1970s, some streets were named after ships which were lost: Breman Road, Breman Grove, Cymric Road, Isolda Road, Pine Road, Leukos Road, Kyleclare Road and Clonlara Road. The "An Bonn Seirbhise Eigeandaile" "An tSeirbhis Mhuir-Tractala" or in English: "Emergency Service Medal" "Mercantile Marine Service" was awarded to all who had served six months, or longer, on an Irish registered ship during the Emergency.

On 24 September 2001, a plinth and plaque, embossed with the Irish tricolour was erected to commemorate those crews lost on neutral Irish registered vessels during the period 1939-45. "a very significant gesture by our British friends towards recognising the debt of honour owed to all shipmates irrespective of nationality who lost their lives during the Second World War." in the National Memorial Arboretum

National Memorial Arboretum

The National Memorial Arboretum is a national site of remembrance at Alrewas, near Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It gives its purpose as:-Origins:...

in England.

In Dublin, an annual commemoration, is held on the third Sunday of November. The Cork commemoration is held on the fourth Sunday of November in the former offices of the White Star Line

White Star Line

The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company or White Star Line of Boston Packets, more commonly known as the White Star Line, was a prominent British shipping company, today most famous for its ill-fated vessel, the RMS Titanic, and the World War I loss of Titanics sister ship Britannic...

. The Belfast commemoration is held on the second Sunday of May.

External links

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Background

Response

War declared

Cargo

Exports

Imports

U-boat encounters

Convoys

British routes

The Iberian trade

Atlantic routes

After the war

See also

External links