#WW2Seafarers - The annual Maritime Institute of Ireland held Commemoration for Irish Seafarers is to take place in Dublin next Sunday, 18th November.

The wreath-laying event at 12.00 noon along the City Quay Memorial monument, is dedicated in honour of Seafarers lost at sea while serving on Irish Merchant ships during WW2.

Inscribed on the Memorial are names of merchant vessels and crews who lost their lives as battles raged in the Atlantic and surrounding seas, while Irish seafarers tried to ensure vital supplies of food reached our shores despite our neutrality. Among the casualties of war was Irish Shipping Ltd's cargoship, Irish Pine which departed Dublin bound for Boston, USA, however all 33 crew were lost when the ship sank following a U-Boat torpedo attack in mid-November 1942.

War-time Irish shipping companies ‘House Flags’ along with the banner of the Maritime Institute of Ireland will be paraded by the Sea Scouts. Wreaths will be laid at the memorial.

Following proceedings at the memorial nearby to Tara Street DART Station, all are welcome for light refreshments at the Stella Maris Seafarers Centre on Beresford Place. The centre is located across the Liffey, close to Busaras.

Also notable this year is the recent centenary to mark the end of WW1 which will add to the importance in recognising the enormity of both wars and the loss of life from Irish merchant ships. 

For further information and updates visit: mariner.ie and their facebook page here.

#EVENTS-The annual Seafarers Commemoration in Cork will be held at 12 noon, on 28th November in the Port of Cork Offices, Custom House Quay.

The event is organised by the Cork branch of the Maritime Institute of Ireland which also hosted the Seafarers Commemoration in Dublin last Sunday where a mass was held at City Quay Church. Wreaths were laid afterwards at the nearby Irish Seaman's National Memorial, for the men of the Irish mercantile marine who lost their lives at sea during the Second World War.

In the afternoon, a commemoration service of those who lost their lives on Irish ships also took place at Evensong in St. Patricks Cathedral.

As the 'family of the sea' gathered at the City Quay memorial, this provided an opportunity to reflect memories of former seafarers. In recent years, the memorial service has been extended to honour all Irish seafarers who have died at sea.

For further information detailing lists of Irish merchant ships lost during WW2 and the names of those seamen lost, click HERE in addition a short video clip depicting war footage and paintings of Irish vessels lost.

Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of the sinking of the B&I Line containership Kilkenny in Dublin Bay in which three crew lost their lives in a collision with the German owned Lo/Lo Hasselwerder.

A memorial to the incident in 1991 is located at Irish Continental Group's (ICG) headquarters in Dublin Port, where the former state-run B&I Line was based before privatisation and sold to ICG's ferry subsidiary Irish Ferries.