Irish Ships and Shipping
THE ALLIANCE & DUBLIN CONSUMERS GAS CO.
BOATS
1916-1968
THE
ALLIANCE & DUBLIN GAS COMPANY WAS FORMED BY THE AMALGAMATION OF
5 DIFFERENT GAS COMPANIES:
THE ALLIANCE GAS CO.
THE DUBLIN GAS CO.
THE UNITED GENERAL GAS CO.
HIBERNIAN GAS CO.
COMMERCIAL GAS CO.
AT THE TIME OF THE 1st. WORLD WAR IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR THE GAS COMPANIES TO MAINTAIN SUPPLIES OF COAL FROM THE BRITISH MAINLAND. IN DUBLIN THE MAIN GAS SUPPLIER WAS THE ALLIANCE & DUBLIN GAS CO. AND IN 1916 THEY DECIDED TO ACQUIRE THEIR OWN SHIP, THE "ARDRI"(EX. "CORAL" 1892 OF GLASGOW 440 TONS). SS Ardri cost £18,500.00 payments began 27/4/1917
HAPPY WITH THE WAY THE "ARDRI" WORKED THEY BOUGHT THE "BRAEDALE" (ex."BESSIE BAR" 400 TONS 1894 OF GLASGOW ) SS Braydale was bought on 8/1/1918 cost £25,000.00 FROM THOMAS COLLIER OF WICKLOW IN 1918.
BECAUSE SHE WAS SLIGHTLY SMALLER THEN THE "ARDRI" WHO HAD TO
USE SIR JOHN ROGERSONS QUAY, SHE COULD USE THE GRAND CANAL LOCKS AT RINGSEND TO
GET TO THE COMPANY'S DEPOT BETWEEN HANOVER AND CHARLOTTE QUAYS.
THE NEXT SHIP PURCHASED WAS THE "GLENAGEARY"(1920 460 TONS) BY THE LYTHAM
SHIPBUILDING CO. OF LYTHAM, WHO ALSO BUILT THE "GLENCULLEN"(460 TONS) 1921 FOR
THE COMPANY. AFTER THESE SHIPS ENTERED SERVICE THE "BRAEDALE" WAS SOLD IN 1920
WITH THE "ARDRI" FOLLOWING IN 1923.
CORAL-1892 built by John Shearer & Son [Yard# 8] Kelvinhaugh, for William Robertson Glasgow. Called "Gem Line" in later years. |
Renamed ARDRI in 1915. Sold July1916 to William J Grey, Dublin. For Alliance & Dublin Consumers Gas Co., Dublin. Sold on in October 1923, and lost in January 1936 while on a voyage London-Glasgow |
S.S.GLENAGEARY |
S.S.GLENCULLEN |
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 S.S.GLENAGEARY MODEL IN COMPANY OFFICE |
S.S.GLENGREE |
S.S.GLENBRIDE I |
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| Photos by Richard
Saunders (April 2012) |
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| Glenagarary 1962. | Glenbride-Glencullen 1962 gas works in the basin | Glenbride-Glencullen entering the Basin 1962. | Glencree Passing the ferry steps 1962. | Glencullen Passing the ferry steps 1962. |
ALL PHOTOS JOHN MOLLOY
FROM THE 1920s TO THE 1930s THE SHIPS
TRADED FROM DUBLIN TO LIVERPOOL TAKING 16-18hrs. TO COMPLETE THEIR RUN NORMALLY
WITH A CREW OF 11. DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN ONLY LIGHT SUPPLIES OF
COAL WERE NEEDED , THE SHIPS WOULD BE CHARTERED OUT TO TAKE OTHER CARGOS AROUND
THE COAST AND ACROSS TO LIVERPOOL.
DURING THE 1930s BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES BETWEEN
IRELAND AND BRITAIN THE "GLENCULLEN" MADE SOME RUNS TO ROTTERDAM FOR CARGOS OF
COAL. SHE WAS THE ONLY GAS CO. SHIP TO MAKE CONTINENTAL RUNS.
IN 1934 THEY PURCHASED THE "GLENGREE"(480 TONS) S.S.GLENGREE FROM THE VICKERS IRE. CO. AT DUBLIN DOCKYARD. AT THE OUTBREAK OF THE 2nd. WORLD WAR THE COMPANY'S STOCK OF COAL WAS PLENTIFUL BUT THIS SOON CHANGED AND THEY DECIDED TO ADD A FOURTH SHIP TO THEIR FLEET. THE "GLENBRIDE"(ex."MORION" 440 TONS 1919).
SHE REMAINED ON CHARTER TO THE COMPANY
TILL 1949 WHEN THEY BOUGHT HER OUTRIGHT.
DURING THE WAR THE COMPANY'S SHIPS CONTINUED TO TRADE
ACROSS THE IRISH SEA, ENABLING DUBLIN AND OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY TO USE GAS
FOR THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF THE WAR . ON A FEW OCCASIONS THEY WERE ATTACKED BY
GERMAN AIRCRAFT.
THE "GLENCULLEN" AND THE "GLENGREE" WERE BOTH BOMBED AND
MACHINE GUNNED.
IN 1941 2 ENGINEER'S WERE WOUNDED
ON THE "GLENGREE" BY MACHINE GUN FIRE FROM GERMAN AIRCRAFT, THE CHIEF ENGINEER
W.BROWN AND THE 2nd. ENGINEER M.MOORE. BOTH SURVIVED.
AS H.A.GILLIGAN NOTES IN HIS BOOK 'A HISTORY OF DUBLIN
PORT'
"A LOT OF CREDIT IS DUE TO THESE BRAVE MEN WHO KEEP DUBLIN
SUPPLIED WITH GAS DURING THE WAR"
"TO THE MEN
WHO WORKED THESE SHIPS AND THE SERVICE THEY PROVIDED TO THEIR COUNTRY, ALONG
WITH OTHER SEAMEN FROM THE DIFFERENT SHIPPING COMPANY'S WHO ALSO RISKED THEIR
LIVES TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY SUPPLIED WITH FUEL AND FOOD DURING THE WAR
we owe them a great debt.
THEY HAVE STILL TO BE FULLY RECOGNISED BY THE GOVERNMENT
OF TODAY AND GOVERNMENTS PAST".
©AIDEN McCABE 2002
AFTER THE WAR THE SHIPS TRADED SUCCESSFULLY TILL THE 1960s WHEN THEY WERE REPLACED BY 2 MOTOR SHIPS THE "GLENCULLEN" 11 (ex."WALCHEREN" 440 TONS 1952) IN 1963 AND THE "GLENBRIDE" (ex."LADY SYLVIA" 371 TONS) ALSO IN 1963.
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| "GLENCULLEN" 11 | GLENBRIDE" |
THEY CARRIED COAL FOR THE GAS COMPANY TILL 1968 WHEN THE
COMPANY CHANGED OVER TO OIL AND THE SHIPS WERE MADE REDUNDANT AND LATER SOLD.
THE "GLENCULLEN" WAS SOLD TO THE THOMAS WATSON SHIPPING CO. OF ROCHESTER AND
RENAMED "LADY SABINA" SHE WAS LAST HEARD OF AS THE "MUMTAZ" OF DUBAI IN 1998.
THE "GLENBRIDE" WAS SOLD TO ALDERNEY SHIPPING CO. AND RENAMED "ALDERNEY TRADER",
LAST HEARD OF AS THE "MEMI" AND USED AS A PONTOON IN ST. MALO FRANCE.
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IN 1945 THE "GLENCULLEN"RAN AGROUND ON THE MULL OF
GALLOWAY. John Molloy |
 GLENCULLEN ON THE ROCKS 1945 |
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 SIDE PLATE REPAIR SURVEY |
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 SIDE PLATE REPAIR |
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FLEET IN THE 60s. |
CAPT JONES RETIREMENT 1957 |
REPAIRING THE CAMPSHIRE WALL IN THE GRAND CANAL 1964 |
Glenageary Patrick Connolly
from Ringsend , centre. |
IN THE CENTRE IS CAPT. DOUGLAS McGUINNESS WHO SKIPPERED THE GLENAGEARY IN THE 1950s. INFO. BY BRENDAN DALTON. |
 Lock kepper Patrick ‘Sonny’ Byrne, at the Grand Canal Locks 1941 |
IN THE MIDDLE IS CAPT. James H Stewart. (info from: M. Mc McCarthy) |
GROUP 1968 MAN WEARING BRACES -Oswald Finnie info from William Finnie |
GROUP 1965 |
©AIDEN McCABE 2002
ALL PHOTOS ©JOHN MOLLOY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANKS TO:
JOHN MOLLOY (INSTRUMENT SUPERINTENDENT BORD GAIS)
WHO SUPPLIED ALL THE PHOTOS AND A LOT OF THE INFORMATION
ON THIS PAGE.
SHIPS IN FOCUS MAGAZINE RECORD 7
THE HISTORY OF DUBLIN PORT BY H.A.GILLIGAN
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