The Harland and Wolff Standard Motorships

 

Page 4 - British and Irish

 

 

In 1938, it was the turn of the British and Irish Liverpool-Dublin route to receive their modern standard motorships Leinster and Munster. At 4300grt, they were the largest ships of the series, too large for winter service on their intended route. One ship was lost during WW2, and the other was transferred to the Belfast SS after the war to replace lost tonnage. In 1948, two slightly smaller (4100grt) sisters were built using the same names Leinster and Munster. These ships survived until replaced by car ferries in the late 1960s.

 

 

The 13 ships in chronological order, with links to their respective pages:-

1929 Ulster Monarch (Belfast SS) - Page 1

1930 Ulster Queen (Belfast SS) - Page 1

1930 Ulster Prince (Belfast SS) - Page 1

1930 Innisfallen (2) (City of Cork SP) - Page 2

1936 Royal Scotsman (Burns & Laird) - Page 3

1936 Royal Ulsterman (Burns & Laird) - Page 3

1937 Leinster (3) (British and Irish) - Ulster Prince - This Page

1938 Munster (3) (British and Irish) - This Page

1947 Innisfallen (3) (City of Cork SP) - Page 2

1948 Leinster (4) (British and Irish) - This Page

1948 Munster (4) (British and Irish) - This Page

1953 Irish Coast (Coast Lines) - Page 3

1957 Scottish Coast (Burns & Laird) - Page 3

 

References:-

The B&I Line: by Hazel P.Smyth - Gill & Macmillan 1984

Across the Irish Sea: by Robert Sinclair - Conway Maritime 1990

Irish Passenger Steamship Services - Volumes 1 & 2: by D.B.McNeil - David & Charles 1969

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

1937 Leinster (3) (British and Irish)

Ulster Prince (2) (Belfast SS)

 

The two sisterships Leinster (3) and Munster (3) entered service between Liverpool and Dublin in 1938, the Leinster (3) having run on the Belfast SS route until the new Dublin terminal was completed (the Ulster Monarch was having a lengthy overhaul at the time). They were delivered with buff coloured hulls, which was later replaced with dark green.

 

 

An attractive B&I art card of Leinster as delivered.

 

The ships were the largest in the Coast Lines fleet when delivered, and proved to be too large for the Liverpool-Dublin service for much of the year. They also lacked the ability to carry cattle, a major traffic out of Dublin. Following the Second World War, only one of the trio of Belfast SS ships remained, and the Leinster was refitted in 1946 to become the Ulster Prince (2). She initially carried the Burns & Laird style funnel colours that the Belfast SS ships had been given in 1938, as shown on the official card below. The route was still referred to as the Ulster Imperial Line on the card back.

 

An unidentified card of Ulster Prince (2), possibly based on a pre-war B & I card due to the white funnel band.

 

An official Belfast SS photographic card of Ulster Prince (2).

 

An official Belfast SS colour card of Ulster Prince (2). Artist unknown.

 

An official Belfast SS colour card of Ulster Prince (2). Artist unknown.

 

An official Belfast SS colour card of Ulster Prince (2). Artist unknown. The ship was renamed Ulster Prince I in 1966, to release the name for the new car ferry which replaced her. She was withdrawn in October of that year, along with the Ulster Monarch. They were replaced by the Irish Coast and Scottish Coast until the new car ferries arrived.

 

Photographic postcard of Ulster Prince (2).

 

The Ulster Prince, ex-Leinster, was sold in 1967, being bought later by Epirotiki Lines. She reappeared as the Odysseus. An official Epirotiki colour card of Odysseus is shown below.

 

An unidentified photo card of Odysseus.

 

In 1976, Odysseus was used as an accommodation ship at Kyle of Lochalsh. She later moved to Glasgow, and I took the photo below from the paddlesteamer Waverley. She looked in very poor condition by this time. She was broken up in Faslane in 1980.

 

 

 

 

 

1938 Munster (3)

(British and Irish)

 

The Munster (3) was the second of the 1930s B & I motorships, and entered service between Liverpool and Dublin in 1938. She was lost in 1940.

 

An attractive B&I art card of Munster (3) as delivered with buff hull.

Click on image for larger version in new window

 

B&I art card of Munster (3) as delivered with buff hull.

 

An Ensign photo card of the Munster (3) with her original buff hull.

 

A later official colour card of Munster. I believe the same card was issued for the Leinster. The Munster (3) was lost in 1940.

 

 

 

 

 

1948 Leinster (4)

(British and Irish)

 

At the end of World War Two, the 1937 Leinster (3) became the Ulster Prince for Belfast SS, and the 1938 Munster (3) had been lost. Two new sisters were built in 1948. They were very similar to their predecessors, but differed externally in that the stump main mast was shorter and mounted in front of the well deck. Two derricks were located in the well. The windows below the boat deck had round portholes compared to rectangular on the pre-war sisters. The Leinster (4) and Munster (4) were sold in 1969 to Greek owners. The Leinster was renamed Aphrodite and ran for Mediterranean Sun Lines. She was scrapped in 1988.

 

 

Official B&I postcard.

 

I believe this is a card of the 1948 Leinster (4), since it has the stump main mast, but it does show rectangular windows below the boat deck, not circular portholes.

 

Eason Studios (Dublin) photographic postcard of Leinster (4) passing Howth.

 

Photographic postcard of Leinster (4).

 

Photographic postcard of Leinster (4).

 

Photographic postcard of Leinster (4).

 

 

 

The Leinster (4) and Munster (4) were sold in 1969 to Greek owners. The Leinster was renamed Aphrodite and ran for Mediterranean Sun Lines. She was scrapped in 1988.

 

Mediterranean Sun Lines postcard of Aphrodite.

 

Mediterranean Sun Lines postcard of Aphrodite.

 

A Duncan photo card of Aphrodite is shown below.

 

 

 

 

 

1948 Munster (4)

(British and Irish)

 

The Munster (4) was the sister of the Leinster (4) above. The same card was issued for each ship. The text shown below is slightly different to the Leinster card shown above. Both versions of the text were issued for both ships. The Munster was sold in 1969. After a spell as Theseus, she operated as Orpheus for Epirotiki Lines.

 

Official B&I postcard.

 

The Munster equivalent of the Leinster card above had a reflected image. This one is incorrect, since the stairs down from the boat deck run the wrong way.

 

A Real Photographs photo card of the 1948 Munster (4).

 

Photographic card of the 1948 Munster (4).

 

Photographic card of the 1948 Munster (4).

 

Photographic card of the 1948 Munster (4) in final B&I colours (or the Leinster (4)) passing the new 1969 Munster (5).

 

The Munster was sold in 1969. After a spell as Theseus, she operated as Orpheus for Epirotiki Lines, as shown on the official Epirotiki card below.

 

Another official Epirotiki card of Orpheus, still with the original bow.

 

Another official Epirotiki card of Orpheus, with the later raked bow.

 

For many years Epirotiki operated the Orpheus on behalf of Swan Hellenic, which became part of P&O Cruises. The official card below shows the logos of all three concerns, Epirotiki, Swan Hellenic and P&O.

 

An unidentified photo card of Orpheus, with original bow.

 

A Duncan photo card of Orpheus, with later bow.

 

Epirotiki became part of Royal Olympic Cruises. They have issued a card of Orpheus in the new colours.

 

 

 

 

B&I Car Ferries - Coast Lines

H&W Motorships Page 1 - H&W Motorships Page 2

H&W Motorships Page 3 - H&W Motorships Page 4

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