Holyhead's Cattle Boats

The Slieve Bawn, away for Dublin. © G.K. Jones.

Performing an equally important role as the passengers ships in the Holyhead fleet were the purpose-built vessels dedicated to the shipment of cargo. While the principal passenger ships carried mails and some amounts of general cargo the pure cargo ships could perhaps be described as the workhorses of the fleet.  Despite their ‘unromantic’ roles there was no less pride in these venerable ships over their more illustrious fleetmates and indeed they were each well-found and, for the majority, of handsome appearance.

On the Irish Sea the cattle trade formed a considerable part of British Railways’ operations and as such their cargo vessels were primarily built for shipment of livestock. Irish Government records for 1956 indicate that livestock accounted for almost 35 per cent of Ireland’s total exports. Some 37 per cent of this livestock trade was handled by BR routes from Heysham, Holyhead and Fishguard. 

For this trade, in 1929 the company placed a £93,463 order with Wm Denny Bros. for the first in what would be a class of four ships for the Holyhead to Dublin cargo/livestock service, each offering capacity for approximately 640 head of cattle. Entering service in 1930 the Slieve Bloom was a ship of innovation being equipped with electrically operated cranes and Brown hydro-electric steering. In the engine room instead of the reciprocating steam engines that had served the port's cargo fleet for so long, a pair of compound steam turbines with single reduction gearing were installed. 

The Slieve Bloom was followed in 1932 by a sister ship, the Slieve More. A third and slightly different vessel, the Slieve League, arrived in 1935 and she was followed in 1936 by the final ship in the range for Holyhead, the Slieve Bawn. Along with the reciprocating steamer Slieve Donard of 1921, the four modern turbine steamers remained in the company’s service throughout the war.   

Photo above: The Slieve Bawn leaving Dublin in the twilight of her career. © Pat Sweeney.

Shortly after nationalisation, closed containers for the shipment of fresh meat and other perishable goods were introduced. Up to 60 small containers of four tons and capacities ranging from 500 to 775 cu. ft. could be shipped at any one time. This method of transportation proved so successful that major improvements were put in place at the ports to meet increased demand. While new cranes were installed ashore, the ships lost their well balanced looks as mainmasts were removed and re-stepped immediately forward of the funnel, to make way for containers on deck. With the new efficiencies of containerisation the Slieve Donard was withdrawn in 1954 by which time the Slieve Bawn was spending long periods in service on the Heysham to Belfast service alongside sister ship the Slieve Bearnagh, another Denny product, of 1935. The Slieve Bloom was the first of the quartet to see withdrawal and in 1965 she and the Slieve More were sold to Van Heyghen Freres for breaking up in Belgium. 

Photo above: The Slieve Bloom at the Goods Outward berth in Holyhead. Capt. Glynne Pritchard Collection.

The Slieve League

As we have already seen, the Slieve League arrived in Holyhead in 1935. Space onboard was provided for 642 head of cattle and 14 horses. There were also 46 temporary horse stalls and 22 sheep pens on the outside decks. All told there was space for up to 114 crane-loaded trade cars, but as far as cargo was concerned any type offered could be stowed in the hold.  

Usually passengers were not carried on the cargo ships but the exception to this rule was from Dublin on Thursdays, the day of the cattle market, when drovers accompanying herds or horses’ grooms were catered for. Generally it was the midday departure from the Irish port that was graced by the kings of the cattle-market. On that day the cook and steward would produce a three course luncheon after the best tradition of the English market town hotel. At Holyhead a special train met the ship with the head stationmaster in attendance, and the head porter of the Station Hotel ready to take orders for refreshments. Within five minutes the train would be gone, complete with the great men of the trade and the tea-baskets they had requisitioned.

When the closed railway container era arrived each box was categorised.  The forerunners of the ISO containers, some were FM and others were B and BD containers, these usually containing furniture and general household items, another regular cargo which, before the modernisation of port installations, was loaded onboard by hydraulic cranes which former Holyhead master Capt John Bakewell remembers as being “Really ancient!”  Agricultural implements such as ploughs and harrows were shipped in such high numbers that the ship’s officers were convinced they carried more than Ireland ever needed! But perhaps amongst the most unusual cargoes carried were coins! Before decimalisation, Irish coinage was freely accepted in Holyhead and periodically the local banks would empty their coffers and ship the coins back to Ireland in stout unmarked wooden boxes!  Even live frogs were carried eastbound (en route to laboratories) and there is a wonderful story of passengers sitting on the early morning train out of Holyhead with escapee frogs hopping along the corridor! 

The Slieve League followed her two sisters to Belgian breakers in February 1967, being towed there after sale for £14,000.                       

The Slieve Donard

Built in 1959 by Ailsa Shipbuilding at Troon the general cargo and cattle ship Slieve Donard was unusual in that she had a stern door to allow up to 61 cars to be driven onto the main deck. She could accommodate 150 cars in all, usually trade cars, but normally she carried up to 668 head of cattle or 30 20ft containers, or an equivalent mix of each. Thanks to her drive-on, drive-off capabilities the ship quite often saw supplementary service at Stranraer and Fishguard during the summer months, carrying additional cars while drivers and passengers travelled on the principle ships.

The Slieve Donard of 1959 running astern up the River Liffey. Photo © Pat Sweeney.

Life onboard the cargo ships was anything but dull. Towards Christmas they would carry live poultry such as geese in cages. Holyhead’s Capt. Glynne Pritchard recalls ‘These were discharged from the ship by putting a rope sling around say five cages and hoisting them ashore. One night, flat calm, we were the second boat into Holyhead. As we approached the Boathouse we could hear loud 'honking' noises, and were amazed to see several geese swimming around, pursued by the mooring boat, which eventually had to give up the task to attend to our needs. I was on the Slieve Bawn that evening and apparently whilst discharging from the Slieve Donard a slingfull of geese somehow ended up in the dock. All were eventually captured and rehoused.’

Although the cattle trade is long gone, shipment of dogs and horses has continued to this day, the latter in horse boxes. Back in the days of the ‘Slieves’ the ships had several kennels for prized greyhounds while race horses were carried in special stalls.

Capt Pritchard recalls, ‘By radio, the foreman ashore would ask "Will you take horses tonight?" We on the ship would reply that it was dependant on the forecast. If the wind was forecast to be strong to gale from the south we would refuse shipment because of the excessive rolling we may experience. I have on occasion been down with the grooms, off the South Stack, 'talking' to the horses as conditions turned out to be worse than expected. It was essential that the horse stalls had wooden battens secured to the deck against which they could brace their hooves.’ 

The Slieve Donard's UK career was a short one – just 16 years. Two weeks before the big new roll-on, roll-off car ferry for Holyhead was launched as the St Columba, the Slieve Donard left her home port on 1 July 1976 bringing down the curtain on the company’s livestock trade. General cargo was now the preserve of the cellular container ships Brian Boroime and Rhodri Mawr.

 

Shifting Ship Holyhead On the cargo boats, at the week end, on completion of cargo work we used to swing from No 10 berth to the Boathouse berth, writes Capt Glynne Pritchard.  This necessitated pinning the stern on to a king pile whilst the ship was pulled around by a rope run across the dock. This pile suffered so much damage by heavy use, that the 'Bangor crowd' who maintained the piles named it the 'Golden Pile' for the amount of overtime it provided. Often we had to shift to the other side of the Harbour, to No 3, 4 or 5 berths.   The east side of the Inner Harbour, berths 3 - 5. On a quiet day we would perform the outlawed half swing, when the ship would be rotated through 180º and swung bow to seaward on the ropes. It was important to ensure that the long 'box ropes' were used as check ropes. On occasion an ordinary mooring rope would be mistakenly used and the shifting crew  realising they were rapidly running out of rope would turn it up on the bits and the whole process would come to an undignified halt whilst the mooring boat was summoned to run another rope. Even more undignified was the rare occasion when the end of rope ran out before it was secured, which meant an anchor let go in a hurry! Swinging at Dublin At Dublin it was customary to swing off Alexander basin and back up to the berth on north wall. In a SE or East gale, the ship would not come round, so we used to proceed bow up and swing on the berth after breakfast. The mooring boat would be craned into the water and a wire run round to the bow moorings. On the Slieve Bawn with her steam windlass we would be half way round (usually in the driving rain) when we would reach 'stays position' and the ship would slowly and painfully pull round. I have known another ship to arrive in the Liffey at this point and we had to let the wind blow us back alongside again until she was clear. ****** The late Capt Len Evans related his experience of swinging in Dublin. "The cargo ships would do this at Dublin when strong Easterlies prevented us backing up the Liffey. When convenient we would then swing stern on the quay, and usually there was enough 'fresh' in the river to push her around, except for one occasion - at least in my experience. "This was on 24 December 1962. Work was to stop at 1300, so everyone was looking forward to an early departure. Unfortunately it was a good Easterly Force 8, so the Slieve Bloom would not swing stern on the quay. I decided to proceed stern first down to Alexandra Basin, swing there and proceed out. It worked like a dream, much to the evident surprise and delight of all hands who were beginning to wonder if we'd be home for Christmas!"