WesWorld

A listing of Irish-flagged merchant shipping companies that own and operate two or more seagoing ships.

Irish Shipping Ltd.
History: Irish Shipping Ltd. formed in 1940 from the merger of Murphy & McKeown Shipping and the Irish & Atlantic Steamship Line. Irish & Atlantic was foreign-owned, with four ships registered in Ireland following the creation of the open Irish registry in 1936. Murphy & McKeown was Irish-owned, owning no ships but operating on contract nearly a dozen foreign-owned but Irish-flagged ships. When the two companies merged in October 1940, the new company acquired several secondhand merchant ships and began investing in new vessels built in Ireland and abroad. The ships owned by Irish Shipping Ltd. all carry the name "Irish ___", while ships operated under contract carry other names. Most of the initial ships are named after trees (Irish Oak, Irish Spruce). In 1941, four small coasters were acquired secondhand from Nordmark and named after oceanic rocks.
Headquarters: Dublin, Eire
Ships: 26 (owned), 14 (operated under contract)

Inver Tankers Ltd.
History: Inver Tankers began operating seven German-built motor tankers in 1938. In 1940, Irish Shipping Ltd. acquired 35% ownership of Inver Tankers. All ship names begin with "Inver-". Inver Tankers specializes in transporting fuel from various oil-producing regions to northwestern Europe (Britain and Ireland). Five more tankers were ordered in 1941.
Headquarters: Dublin, Eire
Ships: 7 (owned), 5 (on order)

Wexford Steamship Company
History: Founded 1865. The company operated ships sailing as far as South America, but is currently focused on the coastal trade from Ireland to continental Europe.
Headquarters: Wexford, Eire
Ships: 7

Arklow Shipping Ltd.
History: The company was founded in 1924 to engage in the coaster trade, but was in a perilous financial situation by 1936 when it was purchased by a foreign shipowner aiming to take advantage of the Irish open shipping registry. A total of six vessels were transferred to the company shortly thereafter, joining an existing vessel. Two more freighters were acquired in 1939. The company currently engages in general tramping in the Atlantic, North Sea, Baltic, and Mediterranean.
Headquarters: Arklow, Eire
Ships: 9

Palgrave Murphy Ltd.
History: The company was founded in 1830 as the W.B.&C Palgrave Company. The company owned a number of ships, but also was the dominant Irish stevedoring business. The company's ships are named after ports the company served (ie City of ___).
Headquarters: Dublin, Eire
Ships: 22

British & Irish Steam Packet Co.
History: Founded 1836 in Dublin. The B&I is partly owned by Coast Lines, a British shipping group. The company operates two modern passenger motorships, a freighter, and two small cattle carriers of thirteen hundred and six hundred tons.
Headquarters: Dublin, Eire
Ships: 5

Alliance & Dublin Consumers Gas Co.
History: During WWI, the Alliance & Dublin Consumers Gas Company determined to acquire a ship for transportation of coal from British ports to their depot and power plant in Ireland, as they had issues assuring supply due to the conflict. Following the war, the company added more ships, eventually reaching four. All vessels are small as they have to fit in the Grand Canal locks at Ringsend.
Headquarters: Dublin, Eire
Ships: 4

Christian Salvesen
History: This is a Scottish-based company which operates six whale-catchers and two factory ships under the Irish flag, taking advantage of the Irish whale quota. No further information is available at this time.
Headquarters: Scotland
Ships: 8

Guinness Brewery Company
History: The Guinness Brewery Company operates a number of barges on the Liffey, as well as on runs to Manchester. No further information is available at this time.
Headquarters: Eire
Ships: 8

Limerick Steamship Company
History: No further information is available at this time.
Headquarters: Eire
Ships: ??

City of Cork Steam Packet Company
History: No further information is available at this time.
Headquarters: Cork, Eire
Ships: ??

Irish Ferries Company
History: The Irish Ferries Company was formed in 1941 to compete in the Irish Sea and Channel ferry business. The company took delivery of three midsized day ferries and the larger overnight ferry Wolfe Tone, and began operation in July 1941.
Headquarters: Dublin, Eire
Ships: 4
Routes: Dublin-Douglas (Man), Dublin-Holyhead, Dublin-Liverpool, Rosslare-Cherbourg/Octeville, Rosslare-Fishguard

Westman-Kelly Shipping Services Ltd.
History: Westman-Kelly was founded in 1937 as a holding group to operate foreign-owned merchant ships under the Irish flag. In 1941, Westman-Kelly purchased the Irish-built motorship Clonlara for use as a merchant seaman training ship.
Headquarters: Dublin, Eire
Ships: 1 (owned), 32 (operated)

The High Line
History: The High Line was founded in 1936 by Peter FitzGerald, who saw an opportunity to use large sailing vessels as inexpensive cruise ships. The first vessel, the ship-rigged High Adventure, was completed in 1937. Two smaller barkentines were acquired in 1941 due to the popularity of the service. The High Line was one of the founders of the Tall Ships Race, which was used by the company as an advertising expedient; the High Line shares its offices in Dublin with the Tall Ships Committee.
Headquarters: Dublin, Eire
Ships: 3
Routes: Seasonal, includes Mediterranean, Tauran, and Caribbean

Celtic-American Steam Navigation Company (CASN)
History: The Celtic-American Steam Navigation Company was founded in early 1936 by a group of foreign businessmen who wished to take advantage of Ireland's favorable business laws regarding merchant ships. The company has grown substantially in the following five years, acquiring used steamships for use in the tramping trade.
Headquarters: Cork, Eire; Dublin (subsidiary office)
Ships: 11

Irish Grain Enterprises
History: This company purchased five small dry bulk freighters in 1937 as the changes in shipping laws made it cheaper for the company to offer their own shipping service.
Headquarters: Dublin, Eire
Ships: 5

Irish & Oriental Shipping Ltd.
History: Founded in 1941 under Irish auspices by foreign investors, the I&O is preparing to serve the Australia immigrant trade. The company has ordered three cargo liners, named Irish Tricolor, Irish Chieftain, and Irish Republic.
Headquarters: Dublin, Eire
Ships: 3 (on order)

Company Leith Ltd.
History: Operates five copra schooners and one nitrate freighter in the Pacific Ocean, as well as three barques engaged in the Australia grain trade.
Headquarters: Dublin, Eire
Ships: 9

Celtic Heavy Lift Ltd.
History: Celtic Heavy Lift Ltd. operates two specially-designed "heavy lift" merchant ships (Celtic Tiger and Celtic Giant) designed to carry railway equipment from suppliers in Europe and North America to purchasers abroad. They are one of two companies in the world which offer this specialty service.
Headquarters: Galway, Eire
Ships: 2

Templeton Doyle and Sons Ltd.
History: Operates two tramp steamers under contract.
Headquarters: Dublin, Eire
Ships: 2 (operated under contract)