The Antrim Princess

The Antrim Princess at Stranraer, June 1980. © Albert Novelli.

The 1967-built Stranraer-based Antrim Princess was a regular visitor to Holyhead, mainly for refit, but she also put in an appearance or two on the Dun Laoghaire service. The ship was notable as being British Rail's first seagoing ship to be fitted with a bow door. She also broke with the company's long tradition of using steam turbine propulsion for its channel vessels, a move that introduced the funnel design that was to become synonymous with British Rail and later Sealink ferries. 

On 9 December 1983 the Antrim Princess hit the news headlines when she lost power following an engine room fire shortly after leaving Larne for Stranraer. One hundred and fifty-one passengers were airlifted from the ship which was in danger of running aground on the Irish coats. Thankfully disaster was averted when her remaining crew managed to restore limited power. 

The Antrim Princess at Stranraer shortly before transfer to the Isle of Man Steam packet Company. © Brian Fisher.

Replaced at Stranraer by the St David, on 5th October 1985 the Antrim Princess was transferred to the Isle of Man Steam packet Company following a merger with Sealink, and later renamed Tynwald. With the introduction of new safety standards following the loss of the Herald of Free Enterprise at Zeebrugge in 1987 the Tynwald's days were numbered. Completing her final sailing on 18th February 1990 she was returned to Sea Containers (Sealink) who promptly sold her for further service as the Lauro Express with Italy's Lauro Line running from Naples to Sicily and Tunisia. 

As the Giuseppe D'Abundo the former Antrim Princess was sold for scrap in April 2006.