Ireland’s Mercantile Marine during the Second World War An earlier version of this article was donated to Wikipedia The Irish Mercantile Marine (note25) during World War II continued essential overseas trade during the conflict, a period referred to as “The Long Watch” by Irish mariners. (1) Irish merchant shipping ensured that vital imports continued to arrive and exports,…
The Flanders Flotilla and U-Boat Alley The repeated claims that America declared against Germany during WW1 because her citizens and ships had been attacked by German U-boats is not accurate. Though the U-boats were restrained as a result of American diplomatic protests, America did not enter the war at that time and when they did,…
‘Drowned like rats’ The torpedoing of Arandora Star off the Donegal Coast, 2 July 1940 Michael Kennedy (difp at iol.ie) This paper is a revised version of ‘Men that came in with the sea’ which appeared in History Ireland in 2008. The torpedoing of the Blue Star Line’s 15,000-ton luxury liner Arandora Star off Bloody Foreland, Donegal on 2 July 1940…
Old Dublin society talk Pearse St Library at 7.30. pm on Wed 21st Nov 2007. Edward J Bourke Napoleonic wars From the time of the French revolution in 1789 to Waterloo in 1815 there was nearly constant war between Britain and France. The battle of Trafalgar occurred in 1805. This coincided with the third coalition…
The MV Kerlogue by Marie-Claire McGann Some of the crew of the Kerlogue: Tom Grannel, Tom ONeill, Dick Roche (able bodied seaman), G Roche (third engineer), Chum Roche (bo’sun) The MV Kerlogue, was the smallest of three ships belonging to the Wexford Steamship Company. She was built in 1939, just prior to the outbreak of…
Early Irish Free State Naval Activity Eddie Bourke Dainty The early years of the Irish Free State from January 1922 were a time of turmoil after the war of Independence ceased with the Truce in July 1921. The British army commenced their withdrawal and the Free State Army developed from the Volunteers of the…
G2, the Coastwatching Service and the Battle of the Atlantic: 1939-41 Michael Kennedy (difp at iol.ie) (This paper is an early version of the introduction to the book: Guarding Neutral Ireland: the coastwatching service and military intelligence 1939-45 (Four Courts Press, 2008)) On the evening of 14 June 1940 volunteers McFadden and Greer of the Marine and…
LOP 6 Howth Head The Coastwatching Service in Howth, Co. Dublin: LOP 6, the Summit, Howth Michael Kennedy (difp at iol.ie) [paper delivered to the Howth Historical Society, February 2009] I: Introduction May I begin by thanking you for the invitation to address the society this evening, as it is always a pleasure…
Forgotten Submariners Early in 1999, Chief Petty Officer Owen O’Keeffe of the Irish Naval Service was visiting Old Church Cemetery near Cobh, County Cork. The purpose of his visit was to do some research on U S Navy graves dating back to the First World War. In the course of his search for the American…
The First World War at sea off West Cork Edward J Bourke The ferocity of the First World War evokes names like the Somme, Verdun, Paschendale and Mons and maybe Jutland or Coronel. It may therefore be a surprise to realise that the First World War equivalent of the battle of the Atlantic was fought…