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The Sinking of Mail Boat RMS LEINSTER

The sinking of the Mail Boat RMS Leinster in Dublin Bay on October 10, 1918 in a
German U-Boat attack saw the loss of 550 lives and is the subject of a new book.

and wars involving the British Army and Navy. “Britannia HISTORICAL
Ruled the Waves” in those years and they used that power to
restrict movement of shipping and therefore worldwide
THE LAST VOYAGE OF
trade.

The German economy, thanks to advancements in
REMEMBERING THE DÚN LAOGHAIRE & HOLYHEAD MAILBOAT technology, was seeking new outlets for their goods world-
wide. Britain, by ruling the waves, curtailed these exporting
efforts by Germany. Continued control of the sea restricted
the German trade development along with various regional
conflicts around the world, including the French-German
tensions, led to Britain declaring war in 1914. The cause of
“Catholic Belgium” was used as a reason for the declaration of
war, but British Government ministers later admitted that
they would have declared war in any case. For Britain the
main reason for war was control of the seas and therefore
world trade.

With the outbreak of war, the British war office took control
of all shipping in these islands. The City of Dublin Steam
THE BOOK THAT RECOUNTS THE PERSONAL AND Package Company was ordered to make its ships available for
FAMILY STORIES ABOUT THE SINKING OF carrying troops. The Leinster Mail Boat was ordered to retain
THE RMS LEINSTER WHICH HAVE BEEN SPONSORED BY 500 spaces on all of its sailings for soldiers, while sister ships
HANDED DOWN THROUGH GENERATIONS
ON
SALE were given other war time tasks. On a number of occasions,
HERE paying passengers revolted when they were refused
permission to board the Leinster Mail Boat due to the
number of soldiers travelling.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the principal
means of transporting individuals and goods between Because of the speed of the Mail Boat Leinster, the
Ireland and Britain was the Mail Boat service which operated authorities believed that it could out-run any German attack.
between Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead. However, they did not allow for the speed of a torpedo. The
ship was armed but a protection balloon type observation
Up to the “Great war” of 1914 to 1918 there were four ships unit, which operated out of Malahide Castle, was unavailable
used on the route, each named after an Irish province; at the time of the attack. In recent times there had been a
Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connacht. The ships were number of ships sunk by the German U Boats and the Mail
operated by a private company called The City of Dublin Boat Leinster itself had a narrow escape while departing
Steam Packet Company. The carriage of mail between both Holyhead. Nevertheless, there was no special protection
countries was the central role of the service with postal vessel accompanying the Mail Boat Leinster on her final
workers sorting mail as the ship travelled. Carrying voyage.
passengers between both port towns was another very
important commercial activity. This created employment at At a few minutes before 9.00a.m. on 10 October 1918, just
times of dire poverty throughout Ireland and in the Holyhead one month before the end of the war, the Mail Boat Leinster
area of North Wales. departed Dún Laoghaire for Holyhead as usual. Postal
workers, the crew, nurses returning to work in Britain,
When Britain declared war in 1914, the military authorities ordinary passengers and British soldiers returning to the war
decided that all ships must be utilised for the war effort. As following vacation in relatively war free Ireland were aboard
the island of Ireland was still under British rule the four mail the ship. At approximately 9.45 a.m., when the ship had
boats were considered as part of the war effort. Following the passed the Kish bank and light, the German U Boat 123
German-French war of 1870, Germany retained lands which attacked. The first shell missed he Mail Boat Leinster but the
had previously been part of France and unsurprisingly this second one hit the postal sorting office and all postal sorters,
caused constant irritation to the French. The French were except one, were killed instantly. A second torpedo hit the
regularly encouraged by British Government Ministers to ship and in all over 550 people died and hundreds more
continue demanding back their lands. Nevertheless, the barely escaped with their lives. Most of the dead were Irish
German empire had not become involved in any conflict in and Welsh, however other nationalities that died were
the years following 1870, and indeed this was true right up to English, Scottish, Canadian, and American. There were also
1914, which was in stark contrast to the constant campaigns some individuals from New Zealand and Australia.

The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport 27