Irish Shipping

[Stan Mayes (remembered)]

I have a question yet to be resolved after many years and seeing the knowledgeable replies to queries in this wonderful SN site I feel I may soon have an answer..
I was told many years ago that Ireland was barred from owning ocean going tankers following a political decision..Consequently the British were committed to supplying Ireland with her petrol and oil fuel needs.
A reverse decision may have been made following the end of WW2 as I recall seeing a large tanker early 1950's -IRISH HOLLY..
So to my question - How did this all come about ?.
I had a personal experience of this..
On 7th December 1943 I signed AB in Anglo Saxon tanker NERITINA for her maiden voyage from the Clyde. At Philadelphia we loaded aviation spirit for Freetown and Takoradi then to Curacao and loaded diesel and petrol for the UK..Convoy to Miami,another convoy to New York then into convoy HX 287.
Arriving in the Mersey we anchored and a Royal Navy unit boarded the ship and removed small guns and breech blocks from the large guns plus all ammunitions..We were told that our cargo was for Dublin and Ireland was a neutral country...
We asked for a delegate of the National Union of Seamen to visit the ship as there were persistent rumours that U boats were using small ports in Ireland..
A Union man and an official from the Ministry of Shipping came aboard and we were informed that the British Government were committed to supplying Ireland with petrol and fuel oils...
We sailed for Dublin during the hours of darkness arriving there 26th April 1944.We had four days there and had a very enjoyable time with the locals..
A pub on the quay was only 40 feet from our gangway.
At this time,Irish ships had suspended trade with Portugal as Churchill threatened to sink any neutral ship including Irish,seen near the Biscay area..It was during the tremendous build up of shipping for the Normandy Operations.We returned to Liverpool and paid off 1st May 1944.
Of interest is our convoy from New York HX 287..It consisted of 71 ships - 38 of them were Liberty ships including the now well known JEREMIAH O'BRIEN..She was on her maiden voyage having loaded war materials at Boston for Newport and following discharge of cargo she loaded at Southampton for Omaha beach head...
I was in DOLABELLA at Omaha beach head from Day 2 to Day 17 so I must have seen her again.....