The Irish Sycamore, a dry cargo vessel of 15,547 tons deadweight, was launched at the yard of Wm. Gray & Co., West Hartlepool, on 17th January, 1961. The sponsor was Mrs. Childers, wife of Mr. Erskine Childers, Minister for Transport and Power. Master of the ship on her maiden voyage was Capt. R. M. Woolfenden and her Chief Engineer was Arthur Metcalf.The images are of the ship prior to and at launch - showing Mr & Mrs Childers and Mrs Childers with the bottle in had ready to officially launch the ship. They also show the ship moving down towards the water and in the water after launch. This ship was the second last ship ever bulit at Hartlepool. About 4 and a half years later in the early hours of Friday, 23rd July, 1965, the Irish Sycamore was lying at the Public Commodity Wharf, New Orleans, discharging a cargo of steel products and lubricating oil from Japanese ports for her charterers, Retla Inc. of San Pedro, California, when fire broke out and quickly swept through the ship. Tragically, four crew members died in the inferno which was the worst peacetime disaster on an Irish Shipping vessel. Captain Padraig O'Shea, the ship's master was a resident of Castleknock, Dublin. He contacted the Company's Dublin headquarters and said that the five who died were discovered in the crews' quarters about 4 a.m. local time He believed that the men were overcome by fumes. One report said their was an explosion. The blaze was put out by harbour city and Coast Guard 'fire fighting units in two hours. The four men who lost their lives signed on the Sycamore al the Cork Dockyard in March last They had previously served on other ships of the company. Size: 21 x 16cms (8.25 x 6.5 Inches Approx.). Seller Inventory # 022281

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Bibliographic Details

Title: 6 professional Photographs of the Launch of ...

Publisher: Teoman & Co., Hartlepool

Publication Date: 1961

Condition: Fine

Signed: Signed by Author(s)

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Dublin Bookbrowsers buys and sells rare, antiquarian, out of print, & used books of Irish & general interest. We also buy & sell collectables including sports programmes, postcards, letters, documents, manuscripts,photographs, ephemera and related material on paper. We purchase libraries & collections big & small. We can also provide a valuation service for probate andother purposes when required.

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Dublin Bookbrowsers
Ireland

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Dave Downes
Stillorgan
Co. Dublin
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