A life on the ocean wave

EYE ON THE PAST
Tom Cox
AMONG the many pies into which the Morrissey business empire in Abbeyleix thrust its fingers, by far the most exotic must have been their shipping agency, and of this, more at a later date.

Of course, when we think of Abbeyleix and shipping, it is only natural to turn our thoughts to the RMS Titanic. And small wonder, given our unique connection to that ill-fated liner. However, the fact that the Titanic sank on her maiden voyage means that its place in the social history of sea travel has been elevated over all others, only on foot of that disaster. In fairness, it probably has the shortest possible history of passenger transportation.

The mission I am on this week is to redress, if I can, the obscurity of some of those other ships and shipping lines who plied their trade of passenger travel to and from this island.

Among the archive material here at Heritage House, I came across a dinner menu from the SS President Harding for Friday 4 October 1935. Now, I’m not the most adventurous eater but, as dinner menus

go, I would say this one was up there with the best of them.

The chef’s suggestion included a little neck clam cocktail to start, followed by cream of fresh tomato soup, fried oysters on toast with sauce remoulade and coleslaw. For main course, roast Philadelphia milk-fed chicken, savory dressing, giblet sauce, cauliflower polonaise and French fried potatoes, with hearts of lettuce and thousand island dressing. For dessert, he suggests soufflé Hilda and assorted pastry followed by cheese and crackers, fresh fruit and a demi tasse. Not exactly your meat and two veg!

The SS President Harding was one of the ships of the United States Line, the fact that the line was founded by a son of Theodore Roosevelt might account for the number of ships of the line named after US

presidents, including one named the SS Roosevelt, of course. In the mid-1930s, its Westbound Transatlantic route departed from Hamburg to Le Harve, Southampton and Cobh, with New York as its final

destination.

The Anchor Line also serviced the transatlantic route calling at Cobh, and if you were an intending passenger in 1939 you would have had the choice of cabin class at £37. 15/-, tourist class at £30.5/- or third class £22. 10/-. These were one-way fares.

In the early stages of 1939, you could have got a round trip excursion rate of one and a half times the one-way fare. However, in late 1939, the excursion rate was suspended and, by the end of 1939, cabin class had jumped to £50.10/-, tourist class would set you back £40. 5/- and third class £30 with round trip rates costing you double this new one-way rate. Soon, though, for many ships, their passengers would all have a more military bearing as ships were commandeered for the war effort.

Cobh was also visited by the CGT ships, better known as The French Line.

Their service between Cobh and New York was inaugurated in 1937 and in 1938 they advertised that their World Class SS Paris, the largest ship under the French flag at that time, would call there four times. The ship had been completely refittedto a luxurious standard throughout, even boasting a telephone in the first class cabins. We are fortunate to have in Heritage House an original French Line CGT sailing list dated 25 May 1938, displaying a photograph of the 34,569 tons SS Paris and, if it’s not a collectors’ item, it is at least a curiosity because on 18 April 1939, the SS Paris caught fire at Le Havre docks and capsized, abruptly ending her service.

Happily, unlike the RMS Titanic, the Paris passed into relative obscurity, undoubtedly helped by the fact that there were no casualties as a result of her passing.