#Lockout1913voyage – Ben Maye (1979/548grt) the small cargoship chartered for last year's Lockout 1913 food-supply commemorative voyage as 'S.S. Hare' from Liverpool to Dublin continues to retain her Manx name despite her sale to new owners, writes Jehan Ashmore.
The Bideford-built Ben Maye, and larger short-sea coaster Ben Varrey were both sold last year to Absolute Shipping Ltd, following the wound-up of Ramsey Steamship Co. after 100 years of trading because of a £1 million pensions liability.
Ben Maye's re-enactment of the steamer 'S.S. Hare' was attended by Irish and UK trade unions, among them UNITE and RMT, the UK's largest specialist transport union, which reflected on union efforts 100 years in food-supply voyages to thousands of starving striking workers during the harsh Dublin winter of 1913/1914. The last such shipment was made in February a century ago.
Also assisting the steamer S.S. Hare, were sisters S.S. Pioneer and S.S. New Fraternity which loaded the food cargo in Manchester's Salford Docks and transported along the Manchester Ship Canal to Liverpool, before bound for Dublin Port.
The Lockout 1913 centenary commemorative voyage was also reported by Ships Monthly, to mark the Manx's shipping company centenary and given the relationship of Irish and UK trade union movement, past and present.
