A brand-new exhibition celebrating the former tanker operator Dublin Shipping Ltd with its ships, history, people, and stories behind its maritime heritage was officially launched at the weekend by Mr. Liam Lacey, Director of the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO).
The exhibition with display panels and a tanker model is on display at the National Maritime Museum of Ireland (NMMI) in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, housed aptly in the former Mariners’ Church, close to DLR Lexicon Library.
The exhibition (for details, mariner.ie) presents a rare opportunity to examine this Irish-flagged 'shipowner,' which represented part of a larger indigenous merchant fleet that has sadly never recovered, though specialist small 'craft,' workboat, tug, and domestic ferry/tour operators have increased in more modern times.
An Overview
Dublin Shipping was Ireland’s sole privately owned dedicated oil tanker operator, which charted a notable course during its relatively brief operational tenure of fewer than 40 years until its demise in the late 1990s. It is understood that only the former state-owned Irish Shipping Ltd also operated tankers under the tricolour until its liquidation in 1984.
The origins of Dublin Shipping can be traced to 1959, when Celtic Coasters was founded under the Jones Group, headquartered in Beech Hill, Clonskeagh, where Dublin Shipping initially focused on transporting clean oil and petroleum products from the Whitegate Oil Refinery in Co. Cork to various Irish ports.
The original fleet, which included vessels such as Herbert D, Breda J (formerly Regent Jane), and Celtic Lee (formerly Esso Tynemouth), laid the foundation for the company’s success with their reliability and robust construction.
Despite its short existence, Dublin Shipping wielded a significant influence on the Western European short-sea tanker market. Competing head-to-head with seasoned operators such as Rowbothams, Everards (see now JFE), Crescent Tankers, and Theodore Tankers, the Irish company distinguished itself as a formidable force in the maritime industry, consistently exceeding expectations.
Fleet Expansion and Operations
The company’s rise was characterised by a steady enlargement of its fleet. By leveraging strategic acquisitions and commissioning newbuilds, Dublin Shipping extended its trade routes, diversified its cargoes—primarily petroleum products—and expanded its deadweight tonnage (dwt). By the early 1990s, over half of the fleet was engaged in international trade, with more than 60% of its DWT operating on time charters in global markets.
Distinctive Fleet Identity
As Dublin Shipping evolved, its fleet became recognisable by its distinctive branding. All vessels bore the prefix “Rath,” named after towns and locations in Ireland. The fleet encompassed notable vessels such as Rathgar, Rathmines, Rathdown (as pictured, the Dublin-registered 2,190dwt tanker) Rathowen, Rathmore, Rathlynn, Rathmoy, Rathnew, Rathkyle, Rathrowan, Rathboyne, and Rathcara. Earlier ships became fixtures in European waters, with the Rathnew, Kyle, Roman, Boyne, and Cara trading worldwide.
Clean and black oil trades
Dublin Shipping operated in both the black oil and clean oil trades. Vessels like the Rathgar, Rathmines, Rathdown, Rathowen, Rathmore, and Rathmoy primarily carried fuel black oils, servicing UK refineries in Milford Haven, Avonmouth, and Eastham Dock and discharging at power stations, industrial facilities, and ports throughout Ireland.
With the passage of time, the company increased its trading area to the UK east and west coasts and near the continent. The clean oil fleet included the Rathlynn and Rathkyle, with the latter also certified for chemical cargoes. These two vessels stretch the companies' European trading limits to the Baltic, northern Norway, and Iceland.
In the mid-eighties, shipping generally suffered a downturn, and Dublin Shipping was included. Redundancies were forced, and tonnage was laid up. However, the company weathered the economic storm, and while the fleet reemerged, the crews were leaner with the loss of the messman, donkeyman, and two deckhands.
Bitumen Trade and Challenges
Dublin Shipping also transported bitumen, with vessels like Rathowen undertaking epic voyages, including one to Oman. Notably, Rathowen encountered an engine room flooding en route to the Persian Gulf, necessitating emergency repairs at Malta Drydocks before completing its journey. For a further interesting account of this tanker’s career, take a visit to the exhibition.
The company’s first newbuild, M.T. Rathnew, was dedicated to bitumen transport and undertook international charters, including Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Southeast Asian trade. On the success of the Rathnew, the company built a second decaffeinated bitumen carrier, the M.T. Rathrowan. Built in 1990 at the Barkmeijer Stroobos shipyard, the Netherlands (with Arklow Shipping also as a client), it was a state-of-the-art IMO Type II chemical and oil tanker designed for high-temperature cargoes such as asphalt and coal-tar derivatives.
Following the successful record trading of Rathnew and Rathrowan, the company added another new build to the fleet of foreign-trading bitumen tankers. The Rathboyne was built to work a similar trade with similar cargoes on behalf of Koppers Australia. Also built by Barkmeijer Stroobos, in 1997 on behalf of Dublin Shipping Ltd. To read more of its shipyard incident, take a visit to the museum.
This tanker mostly traded between Kaohsiung in Taiwan and Kwangyang in South Korea. Occasional voyages include around the Australian coast with the odd trip to Tobata, Japan. In 1998, Norwegian operator Gearbulk, part of the Kristain Gerhard group, purchased the ship and continued the existing trade with Koppers for many years.
Legacy
In the same year, Dublin Shipping ultimately ceased operations through Gearbulk’s takeover, with the legacy of the “Rath boats” enduring in maritime history. The company’s ambitious spirit, innovative practices, and exceptional seamanship demonstrated that even a small Irish operator could navigate the competitive tides of the oil tanker marketplace with distinction.
