page_title: Irish Mercantile Marine during World War II
section_title: Response
hierarchical_section_title: Irish Mercantile Marine during World War II / Background / Response
caption_attribution_description: English: This is a low resolution image of an Oil Painting The work was commissioned by the Maritime Institute of Ireland http://www.mii.connect.ie The artist was Kenneth King http://www.king-studio.com The painting can be seen in the National Maritime Museum of Ireland Des Brannigan had this painting scanned for a commemorative brochure (this image is from that scan rather than directly from the painting) Permission is granted by (1)the Maritime Institute of Ireland - who own the work (2)Kenneth King - who painted it (3)The National Maritime Museum of Ireland - where the painting hangs (4) Des Brannignan: to reproduce this image - however please make reference to the artist and the museum. This permission extends only to this low-resolution image
context_page_description: The Irish Mercantile Marine during World War II continued essential overseas trade in the conflict, a period referred to as The Long Watch by Irish mariners.
  Irish merchant shipping saw to it that vital imports continued to arrive and exports, mainly food supplies to Great Britain, were delivered. Irish ships sailed unarmed and usually alone, identifying themselves as neutrals with bright lights and by painting the Irish tricolour and EIRE in large letters on their sides and decks. Nonetheless twenty percent of seamen serving in Irish ships perished, victims of a war not their own: attacked by both sides, though predominantly by the Axis powers. Often, Allied convoys could not stop to pick up survivors, while Irish ships always answered SOS signals and stopped to rescue survivors, irrespective of which side they belonged to. Irish ships rescued 534 seamen.
  At the outbreak of World War II, known as "The Emergency", Ireland declared neutrality and became isolated as never before. Shipping had been neglected since the Irish War of Independence. Foreign ships, on which Ireland's trade had hitherto depended, were less available; neutral American ships would not enter the "war zone".
context_section_description: Seán Lemass as Minister for Industry and Commerce, and later Minister for Supplies sought to address these issues. Many infant industries were developed in the 1930s behind a protective tariff barrier. (This is the origin of the term "Tariff Jews", Seán Lemass from 1932 helped Jewish entrepreneurs to set up manufacturing businesses) These industries proved valuable in the war years. They reduced the need for imports, for example in 1931 over five million pairs of shoes were imported, by 1938 this had fallen to a quarter of a million pairs. Between 1931 and 1938, Gross Industrial Output rose from £55 million to £90 million; and Industrial Employment from 162,000 to 217,000. In 1933 the government established the Industrial Credit Corporation to finance industry. In 1938, Life Assurers were required to hold their reserves in Ireland, to make capital available for industry; promptly five of the six UK providers closed, lodging their business with Irish Assurance. Private enterprises established included: Grain Importers Ltd., Animal Feed Stuffs Ltd., Fuel Importers Ltd., Oil and Fats Ltd., Timber Importers Ltd., and Tea Importers Ltd. Industry was encouraged, such as the plans for Irish National Refineries Ltd. to build an oil refinery. The former Vickers repair yard in Dublin port was reopened, in 1940, by the Dublin Port and Docks Board. It repaired British and Irish ships. Semi-state enterprises were established, including Irish Shipping in 1941 which purchased nine vessels and leased six more.
caption: City of Limerick returning from the "Lisbon Run" with a cargo of fruit, en route to Liverpool for inspection. Sunk by bombs 15 July 1940, killing two of her crew. Oil by Kenneth King, National Maritime Museum of Ireland
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