M.V. Blackrock Photo: © Jehan Ashmore/shipSNAPS

In the first series of shipsARCHIVES we focus on Bowker & King’s (Hays Marine Services Ltd) coastal short-sea tanker BLACKROCK. As pictured, the then brand new vessel is seen approaching the No. 1 berth, East Pier, Dun Laoghaire Harbour on 24 April 1989.

This rare visit of a tanker to the predominantly ferry harbour was also unique as the 1,598gt /2,675 dw tanker was ‘dressed overall’ in preparation to be named the following day.

Bowker & King’s ship naming theme is based on associating their vessels with coastal towns beginning with the letter ‘B’ along the U.K and Irish coastline. The south Co. Dublin town was chosen as the first B&K tanker to have an Irish place-name. Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn T.D. performed at the naming ceremony on 25 April 1989.

Blackrock’s sister-ship, Brabourne (the first of a pair of clean petroleum products tankers built by Cochranes Shipbuilders Ltd, Selby, North Yorkshire) was named three months earlier on 10 January in the Upper Pool of the Thames, London alongside H.M.S. Belfast by Countess Mountbatten. The ships were the first vessels of their type under the Red Ensign to be fitted with ‘free-fall’ lifeboats, positioned at the stern.

Interestingly both twin-tankers met in Dublin Bay on the day after the Irish naming ceremony. The Blackrock departed Dun Laoghaire to proceed southwards whilst at anchor off Scotmen’s Bay was sister-ship Brabourne.

Also present in Dublin Bay was another vessel of the B&K fleet, the Bardsey which was also at anchor and subsequently followed Blackrock’s southern track along Leinster’s inshore coastal shipping traffic lane.

The Selby-built sisters no longer call to Dublin Port as the trend in larger tankers has taken pace. However the pair regularly serve southern Irish ports to include Waterford estuary and New Ross. The B&K shipping name no longer exists as the company was taken over by by Crescent Marine Services, but the tankers remain with their ‘B’ names.

The naming ceremony was somewhat appropriate as the Blackrock’s berth at Dun Laoghaire is the closest to the Maritime Institute of Ireland (M.I.I.) HQ and Maritime Museum. A leading founder of the M.I.I. is Dr. John de Courcy Ireland,who taught at Blackrock’s Newpark Comprehensive School.