#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.

#Lockout1913 – S.S. Hare the ship that carried vital cargo food supplies from the British TUC to support 25,000 striking workers and their families during the 1913 Lockout was re-enacted yesterday, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Hundreds of people lined Sir John Rogersons Quay in Dublin's 'Docklands' where at berth No. 4 the small short-sea cargoship Ben Maye (1979/548grt) berthed alongside the last remaining campshire ware-houses.

To mark the unique commemorative voyage from Liverpool to the Liffey, the chartered cargoship coaster Ben Maye as previously reported is operated by the Ramsey Steamship Company. Coincidentally the Isle of Man based shipping company was founded a century in the same year of the so called Lockout.

Ben Maye was 'dressed overall' and her bows drapped with banners displaying her temporary renaming in the role of S.S. Hare. After the eventful year of 1913, she was sunk during WW1 by a U-Boat off the Kish Bank in 1917.

As the Ben Maye entered firstly through the East-Link toll lift bridge she was given an escort led by East coast rowing skiff's, Dublin Port Company tug sisters Shackleton and Burford and Dublin Bay Cruises excursion vessel St. Bridget. Following that she made the short distance upriver after passing the opened Samuel Becket swing-bridge.

Senior trade union official made speeches at the quayside and the organisers gratefully acknowledge the support received for the SS Hare re-enactment from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, SIPTU, Unite, Dublin Council of Trade Union, Dublin Port Company. Also providing assistance was the RMT, the UK's largest specialist transport union and the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF).

#ManxCargo - Ramsey Steamship Company's chairman has expressed his sadness that the historical business could face closure in its centenary year.

The 100-year-old freight, engineering and agency company faces going into liquidation due to its share of a multibillion pound black hole in an industry-wide pension fund.

Chairman Ramsey Cringle served as a captain for the Parliament Street-based company in the 1970s, and has been a director for 26 years. For more on this story The IOMToday reports.

Afloat.ie adds that the company based in Ramsey located on the north-east of the island operates two small coasters which are a familiar sight particularly in northern Irish Sea ports.

The coasters are the Ben Varrey (1986/997grt) and elder fleetmate Ben Maye (1979/548grt). They may be small sized vessels but they represent character compared to modern day counterparts.