The 'Westereems'

 


I painted my mural of the 'Westereems' on the East Pier in early September 2024.

The Dutch 'WESTEREEMS' was one of the first ships that I saw as a young lad whenever I escaped from home to the harbour in the latter half of the 1960s. As a 10 year old, I found this vessel very impressive and in great condition in keeping with the Dutch shipping tradition.

The ship was built in 1960 and at some stage before her appearance at Wicklow was converted to carry livestock for export to Continental and English ports. This export trade was managed by the Herbst family from Kilpoole Hill and Frank Conway Shipping Agents, and lasted into the mid-70s, with many other different vessels involved along the way.

There was a cattle lairage on the South Quay and from there, batches of cattle were herded out to the ships at the East Pier. Many people used to sit on the top of the pier in the evenings to watch this fascinating operation!

Eventually, this vessel was sold on to different owners and traded under different names until 1990 when she went for scrap.




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