City of Dublin Steam Packet Co

paddlesteamers.info : The Internet's leading website for Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers

City of Dublin Steam Packet Co (1824-1924)

Established in Dublin in 1822 as Charles Wye Williams & Co, it initially provided services between Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire) and Liverpool but later extended services to London, Belfast and Glasgow as well as across the Atlantic to New York (with its vessel Royal William making the first Atlantic steamship crossing from Liverpool in 1838). The company obtained the Royal Mail contract, which had hitherto been under the Admiralty, when it was contracted out to a private operator in 1850. Four large sister ships named after the four provinces of Ireland were added to the fleet in 1859 once the company were established on the Royal Mail service betweeen Holyhead and Kingstown. These large paddlers were built for speed in order to satisfy the mail contract. An even larger vessel, PS Ireland, was added in 1885 and was the largest paddle steamer built for the Irish trade.

Above : Ireland : The largest paddle steamer built for trade and mails between Ireland and England.

With the company retaining the mail contact with a long-term contact concluded in 1897, four replacement screw vessels were constructed and given the same "province" names as the paddlers they were replacing. These were with reciprocating engines as they pre-dated the introduction of turbine steamers.
The company was liquidated in 1924 but its goodwill and assets had already taken over by the British & Irish Steam Packet Company, part of Coast Lines, then a growing shipping conglomerate.

Paddle Steamers for the Holyhead - Kingstown service.

As Charles Wye Williams & Co

City of Dublin
Town of Liverpool

As City of Dublin Steam Packet Co

Britannia (1825-1859) Built by Dawson & Pearson at Liverpool. 136 ft : 320 GRT : Beam engine by Fawcett & Co
Commerce (1826-1845). Built in 1845 by Grayson & Leadley at Liverpool for Dublin & Liverpool SN Co. 144 ft : Engines by Maudsley Sons & Field. Sold converted to Barque
Athlone (1826-xxxx) Built at Liverpool. 145.5 ft : 434 GRT
Mona (1826-1847) Built in 1825 by Mottershead & Hayes at Liverpool for Liverpool SP Co. 124.8 ft : Engine by Fawcett & Co
Thames (1826-xxxx) Built by H Fletcher, Son & Fearnall at London for Dublin & London SN Co.
Nottingham (1827-xxxx) Built by Th Wilson at Liverpool. 142.7 ft
Gipsy (1828)
City of Londonderry (1830-1837) Built in 1827 by W&R Haselden of Ellesmere Port for Liverpool & Lononderry SP Co. 139.6 ft : 308 GRT : on Dublin-London cargo service
Shamrock (1831-1843) Built in 1824 by Bland & Challoner at Liverpool for Livepool & Belfast SP Co. 121.4 ft : Engine by Fawcett & Co. Sold for use at Newry
Mersey (1831-1859) Built in 1824 by Grayson & Leadley at Liverpool for Dublin & Liverpool SN Co. 129.3 ft : 300 GRT : Engines by Fawcett & Co
Royal William (1837-xxxx) Built at Liverpool. 172.5 ft : 564 GRT : Beam engine by Fawcett & Co
Queen Victoria (1837-1853) Built at Liverpool. 154.5 ft : Engine by McDixon & Co. Lost 12/2/53
Duke of Cambridge (1838-1870) Built at Liverpool. 158.10 in : 601GRT : Beam engine by Fawcett & Co
Duchess of Kent (1838-xxxx) Built at Liverpool. 155.2 ft : 482 GRT : Beam engine by Fawcett & Co
Royal Adelaide (1838-xxxx) Built at Liverpool. 171.7 ft : 641 GRT
Prince (1839-1851) Built at Liverpool. 164.9 ft : 626 GRT : Sold to Dublin & Liverpool Steam Ship Co
Princess (1839-1851) Built at Liverpool. 165.8 ft : 637 GRT : Sold to Dublin & Liverpool Steam Ship Co
Erin Go Bragh (1840-1851) Built at Liverpool. 126.4 ft : 324 GRT : Sold to Dublin & Liverpool Steam Ship Co
Hibernia (1843-1849) Built in 1825 by Grayson & Leadley at Liverpool
Liffey (1843-1846) Built in 1824 by J Rathbone at Liverpool for the Dublin & Liverpool SN Co. 131.7 ft : Engine by Fawcett & Co
Iron Duke (1844-1851) Built at Liverpool. 177.5 ft : 629 GRT : Beam engine by Fawcett, Preston & Co. Sold to Dublin & Liverpool Steam Ship Co
Albert (1845-xxxx) Built by Th. Wilson & Co at Liverpool. 146.5 ft : 493 GRT : Engine by Maudsley, Sons & Field.
Leeds (1845-xxxx) Built in 1826 in Liverpool. 141.3 : 400 GRT. Started on runs from Dublin to Bordeaux for the City of Dublin SP Co
Shannon (xxxx-xxxx) Built in 1826 by H Fletcher, Son and Fearnall at London for Dublin & Liverpool SN Co. 153 ft : 550 GRT
Pearl (1845)
Windsor (1846-1851) Built by Th Vernon & Sons at Liverpool. 204.7 ft : 727 GRT : Beam engine by Bury, Curtis & Co
Roscommon (1846-1868) Built by P Cato & Co at Liverpool. 173 ft : 448 GRT : Beam engine by Fawcett & Co. Sold and converted to a barque as Amacree
Prince of Wales (1846-1881) Built by Tod & MacGregor at Glasgow. 174.1 ft : 328 GRT : Engine Side Lever. Sold to Liverpool, Llandudno & Welsh Coast SP Co
Diamond (1846)
Emerald (1846)
St Columba (1847-xxxx) Built by Laird Bros at Birkenhead : 205.3 ft : 589 GRT : Beam engine by G Forrester & Co
Banshee (1848)
Trafalgar (1848-1880) Built by Tod & MacGregor at Glasgow. 190.4 ft : 793 GRT : Engine oscillating : Sold 1852 to Dublin & Liverpool Steam Ship Co but operated by CofD
Ballinasloe (1849-1864) Built in 1829 at Liverpool. 138.1 ft : 300 GRT : New engines in 1839 by Fawcett & Co
Elblana (1849)
Fairy (1849-1881) Built by Tod & MacGregor at Glasgow. 129 ft : 166 GRT : Engine Steeple. Sold to Liverpool, Llandudno & Welsh Coast SP Co
Prince Arthur (1851-1881) Built by Miller, Ravenhill & Co at Blackwall, London. 195 ft : 427 GRT : Engine Oscillating. Sold to Liverpool, Llandudno & Welsh Coast SP Co
City of Limerick (1852-xxxx) Built in 1836 in Liverpool for the British & Irish Steam Packet Co. 143 ft : 459 GRT : Engine by Fawcett & Co

Royal Mail Steamers
Three were built by Laird Bros of Birkenhead with Leinster built in London by Samuda, all in 1860.
Length 338 ft : 1412 GRT
The steamers were highly advanced for their time with oscillating engines (2 x 98 in x 78 in) with four funnels. Reboilering in 1885 led to a reduction in funnels to two.
All were withdrawn and replaced in 1896/7.

Connaught
Leinster
Munster
Ulster

St Patrick (1865-1895) Built in 1848 at Blackwall, London : 239.6 ft : 737 GRT : Engine 2 cyl oscillating 68 x 72 in : Built for the UK governement as Llewellyn
Kildare (1867-1895) Built by Laird Bros at Birkenhead. Length 262.5 ft : 748 GRT : Engines Oscillating 64 and 64 in x 72 in. Cargo steamer. Cattle carrier
Mullingar (1868-1896) Built by Walpole, Webb & Bewley at Dublin. 261 ft : 763 GRT. Engines 2 x 1 cyl 64 x 60 in
Leitrim (1874-1900) Built by Laird Bros at Birkenhead. Length 249.4 ft : 796 GRT : Engines Oscillating 46 and 79 in x 84 in
Cavan (1876-1896) Built by Laird Bros at Birkenhead. Length 250.2 ft : 803 GRT : Engines Oscillating 46 and 79 in x 72 in
Mayo (1880-1903) Built by Laird Bros at Birkenhead. Length 262.6 ft : 760 GRT : Engines Oscillating 46 and 79 in x 54 in
Longford (1880-1896) Built by Laird Bros at Birkenhead. Length 249.5 ft : 817 GRT : Overhead 2 cyl 64, and 64 in x 72 in
Meath (1884-1906) Built by Laird Bros at Birkenhead. Length 262.6 ft : 848 GRT : Engines Oscillating 46 and 79 in x 81 in

Ireland (1885-1899) Built by Laird Bros at Birkenhead. Length 366.3 ft : 2049 GRT : Engines Oscillating 102 x 102 in. Sold to Liverpool & Douglas Steamers Ltd. Scrapped in 1900

Galway (1891-1907) Built by Blackwood & Gordon at Port Glasgow. Length 262.5 ft : 881 GRT :Engines Compound diagonal 33 and 75 in x 72 in. Sold to the Corporation of the City of London

Cargo Services

City of Londonderry (1830-1837) Dublin - London service. Vessel ex- Liverpool & Londonderry Steam Packet Co

Return to:

Historical Database