The Drogheda Steam Packet Company was founded in 1826 as the Drogheda Paddle Steamship Co. It provided shipping services between

Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...

and

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

from 1825 to 1902, in which year it was taken over by the

Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways. It was the third-largest railway system based in northern ...

History

The company was founded in July 1825 with the issue of 300 shares at £50 each. It was founded as the Drogheda Paddle Steamship Co. The board of directors included Robert Pentland, mayor of Drogheda,

John Leslie Foster John Leslie Foster, FRS (c. 1781 – 10 July 1842) was an Irish barrister, judge and Tory Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom Parliament. In 1830 he was appointed a Baron of the Court of Exchequer of Ireland. He was the son of Wi ...

, the MP for

County Louth County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the ...

, Blayney T. Balfour, St. George Smith, James McCann, Patrick Ternan, Nathaniel Hill, Patrick Boylan, John Woolsey and William Rodger. On 13 November 1826, PS ''Town of Drogheda'' arrived from Scotland. She made her maiden voyage to Liverpool on 26 November in 14 hours. Until 1829 a weekly service was operated sailing from Drogheda on Fridays and returning on Tuesdays under its master, Captain M. Ownes. She was employed until 1846, when she was sold. In 1829, the company temporarily chartered the PS ''Liffey'' and PS ''Mersey'' from the

City of Dublin Steam Packet Company The City of Dublin Steam Packet Company was a shipping line established in 1823. It served cross-channel routes between Britain and Ireland for over a century. For 70 of those years it transported the mail. It was 'wound-up' by a select commit ...

to increase the sailings to three per week. These were sent back when the new ship, PS ''Fair Trader'' was delivered at the end of the year. Further expansion in the 1830s saw the arrival of PS ''Green Isle'' the PS ''Irishman'' and PS ''Grainne Ueile''. PS ''Faugh-a-Ballagh'' was acquired in 1844, the first iron-hulled vessel. This was followed by PS ''Brian Boroimhe'' and PS ''St. Patrick'' in 1846.

Closure

In 1902 the assets of the company were taken over by the

for the sum of £80,000''New Zealand Tablet'', 9 January 1902. (equivalent to £ in ),

House flag

House Flag as seen in the 1882 edition of the Lloyd's Codes Of Distinguishing Flags Of The Steamship Owners Of The United Kingdom. Another version shows a larger Arc.

Vessels

References

{{DSPC Ships Drogheda 1825 establishments in Ireland Transport companies disestablished in 1902 Shipping companies of Ireland Packet (sea transport) Transport in Drogheda Transport companies established in 1825 1902 disestablishments in Ireland