Irish Ships and Shipping 

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Irish Shipping Ltd.

Crew and Ships

I.S.L. Woman at sea.

IRISH SHIPPING LTD.(1941-84) had a number of women crew members including the first women officer on an Irish ship Marilyn Stockwell from Tuam, Co. Galway. Marilyn sailed on the Irish Maple in 1973 as the junior radio officer. In 1974 the first women deckhand on Irish Shipping Ltd. Miss rosemary Daulton joined the Irish Oak. 1977 saw the first woman cadet in Irish shipping ltd. Ms. Ann Parry.


Lorraine Byrne (left) and Phyllis Moran pictured at the I.S.L. Staff Dinner Dance.
             

Article from the companies Signal newsletter 1978.

Back in November, 1973, Marilyn Stockwell of Galway, now Mrs. O'Malley, became the first lady to serve as a crew member on board an Irish Shipping vessel. She sailed as Junior Radio Officer on the "Irish Maple" and to-day, as a fully qualified Radio Officer, Mrs. O'Malley regularly serves on ships of our fleet, ships on which her husband Kevin also serves as Bosun.

It was in the following summer that Rosemary Daulton of Dun Laoghaire became the first of the fair sex to serve as deck hand on an I.S.L. vessel. Rosemary had obtained her Efficient Deck Hand's Certificate in March 1973 and it was as E.D.H. that she joined the "Irish Oak". Already this young lady had managed to pack much seafaring experience into her chosen career including shipwreck while serving on a small coaster, the "Tralee Trader", when the vessel sank off Lands End in December 1971. Although she is at present employed in a shore-based posi­tion, Rosemary still maintains her keen interest in ships through her membership of the Maritime Institute of Ireland.

Ann Parry from Shannon, Co. Clare, our first Lady Cadet who has already completed her first round the world voyage on the "Irish Oak" and enjoyed the trip very much. Ann is keen to get her certificates and become the first lady Deck Officer in the Fleet. 

As might be expected, it is in the Catering Department that most of our seagoing ladies have chosen to make their careers. Mary Gowan of Tanknock Farm near Youghal was the first girl to become an Assistant Steward with Irish Shipping when she joined the "Irish Stardust" in that capacity in June 1975. Since then we have had Anita Bond, Phyllis Moran, Helen Calthorpe, Gillian Sanderson and Lorraine Byrne. All of these girls have had some seagoing ex­perience before joining I.S.L.

Phyllis Moran from The Curragh, Co. Kildare, spent three years serving on the "Saint Patrick" as Cashier and for some time, as Chief Stewardess before she joined the "Pine" in January 1977. She sailed sub­sequently on the "Cedar" and recently obtained Part I of her Chief Cook's Certificate. She has adapted very well to the longer voyages of the cargo ships and likes the life at sea. Helen Calthorpe of Sandycove, Co. Dublin also joined in January 1977 when she became Assistant Steward on the "Irish Oak". She has since sailed on the "Rowan” and is at present serving on that ship.

Mary Gowan is now Assistant Steward on the "Irish Larch" and Lorraine Byrne is serving on the "Maple".

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