shipstamps.co.uk

The steamship LEINSTER maintained the Irish- English service of her company throughout four years of the First World War. On the morning of the 101" October 1918 she left Kingstown for Holyhead when East of the Kish Bank 12 miles out from Dun Laoghaire Harbour (then Kingstown) two torpedoes from the German U-Boat UB-123 struck RMS LEINSTER. Badly holed below the waterline, the mail ship, with 771 passengers and crew on board slipped beneath the waves.
The first torpedo struck the post office quarters, killing all but one of the 22 postal workers onboard. But by far the biggest group of casualties was among the military personnel on board. Many of the soldiers had been home on leave and were returning to duty. With the end of World War I just a month away - no doubt many of them were hopeful that hostilities would cease before they returned to the front.
Officially 501 people perished in this disaster -the greatest loss of life on the Irish Sea. Among the dead were soldiers and civilians from Ireland, Britain, The United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The subject was researched and the stamp beautifully illustrated by Vincent Killowry, with typography and layout by Steve Simpson. The image featured on the stamp is the R.M.S. Leinster in dazzle paint camouflage, with inset an illustration of one of her anchors, which was raised from the wreck and is displayed as a memorial to the Leinster facing Carlisle Pier at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, from where the Leinster set out on her final journey. The First Day Cover depicts the crest of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Co., who operated the Leinster.
Built by Laird Bros. 2.646tons. Length 360ft. Beam 41.5ft. Draught 27.3ft. Triple expansion engine gave a speed of 23.5knots. Stamp issue : 30th May 2008 - Information taken from An Post web site by Ray Hull. LB 6/08

Ireland Post issued on 30 May 2008 a single stamp of 55c for the 90th Anniversary of the sinking of the R.M.S. LEINSTER.

The Irish Post gives the following by this stamp.
East of the Kish Bank, 12 miles out from Dún Laoghaire Harbour (then Kingstown) on the morning of 10 October 1918, two torpedoes from a German U boat UB-123 struck the R.M.S. LEINSTER. Badly holed below the waterline the mail ship, with 771 passengers and crew onboard slipped beneath the waves.

The first torpedo struck the post office quarters, killing all but one of the 22 postal workers onboard. But by far the biggest group of casualties was among the military personnel on board. Many of the soldiers had been home on leave and were returning to duty. With the end of World War 1 just a month away – doubt many of them were hopeful that hostilities would cease before they returned to the front.

Officially 501 people perished in this disaster – the greatest loss of life on the Irish Sea. Among the dead were soldiers and civilians from Ireland, Britain, The United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The subject was researched and the stamp beautifully illustrated by Vincent Killowry, with typography and layout by Steve Simpson. The image featured on the stamp is the R.M.S. LEINSTER in dazzle paint camouflage, with inset an illustration of one of her anchors, which was raised from the wreck and is displayed as a memorial to the LEINSER facing Carlisle Pier at Dún Laoghaire Harbour, from where the LEINSTER set out on her final journey. The First Day Cover depicts the crest of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Co., who operated the LEINSTER.

Built as a passenger vessel under yard No 612 by Laird Bross, Birkenhead for the City of Dublin Steam Packet Co., Dublin.
12 September 1896 launched under the name LEINSTER, named after a province in Ireland, three sisters.
The launching ceremony was performed by Beatrix, Countess of Cadogan.
Tonnage 2.632 grt., dim. 109.72 (bpp.) x 12.64 x 8.32m.
Powered by two triple expansion steam engines 529 nhp., twin screws, speed 23.5 knots.
Accommodation for ? passengers.
January 1897 completed.

Used in the crossing between Holyhead to Kingstown (now Dün Laoghaire harbour), as mail and passenger vessel.
During her trial voyage on Saturday 27 February 1897 she broke by 6 minutes the existing record of 2 hours and 30 minutes between Holyhead and Kingstown.

08 September 1902 (other source gives 13 October 1902) during a thick fog at the Kish Bank off the east coast of Ireland, on her passage from Holyhead to Kingstown, she came in collision with the wooden Kish Bank light vessel ALBATROSS.
The ALBATROSS sunk without loss of life, and they were taken on board the LEINSTER.
The LEINSTER suffered a few dents in her hull, and needed not any repair.

During the First World War, she maintained in the service between Holyhead and Kingstown.
10 October 1918 shortly before 09.00 a.m. she sailed from Kingstown for Holyhead under command of Capt. William Birch, with on board 680 passengers, 76 crew and 22 postal sorters.
The weather was fine, but the sea was rough following recent storms.
Before 10.00 a.m. in a position around 16 miles from Kingstown a few people on deck saw a torpedo approaching the port side of the ship, which missed. A second torpedo fired by the U-123 commanded by Oberleutnant Ramm, struck the port side where the postal sorting room was located, the torpedo exploded killing 21 postal sorters, blowing also a hole in the starboard side.
In an attempt to return to port, the LEINSTER altered course 180 degrees, and steamed slowly back to Kingstown, water was flowing in and she was sinking, but till that moment she had only casualties in the postal sorting room. The lifeboats were made ready for launching, but at that moment an other torpedo struck the vessel in the engine room, killing many people. Captain Birch had an eye blown out by splinters of the explosion and a leg smashed, he was pulled in a boat, but when this boat was swamped when it was alongside the destroyer MALLARD he drowned.
Many survivors clinging to rafts and boats or flotsam had to wait till rescuers arrived, but in the rough seas many were swept away and drowned. When the first rescue ship arrived, HMS LIVELY, the LEINSTER was gone.
HMS LIVELY rescued 33 persons, and some other were rescued by other vessels, but 501 were lost under which many soldiers returning to the front.

Official it is given that 501 people died in the worst tragedy in the Irish maritime history, but research to date has revealed the names of 529 casualties.

The wreck of the LEINSTER is in 30 meter of water about 4 miles east of the Kish lighthouse. She is fairly intact.

Source: Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast Volume 1 by Edward J. Bourke. Register of Merchant Ships completed in 1897. http://www.rmsleinster.com/sinking/sinking.htm
Dictionary of Disasters at Sea During the age of steam by Charles Hocking.

There is a WW1 exhibition at Blenheim Palace featuring this vessel.

On October 10, 2018 An Post has commissioned a stamp to commemorate the Centenary of the sinking of RMS LEINSTER.

The sinking of the mailboat, RMS LEINSTER, in the Irish Sea by a German submarine in 1918 had a particularly devastating impact on the Irish postal service. The estimated death toll of 567 included 21 of the 22 postal workers who were working in the mailroom on board, as the boat made its way from Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire) to Holyhead in Wales.
The RMS LEINSTER torpedo sinking is the worst single disaster in that stretch of water and the greatest ever tragedy to involve an Irish-owned ship. Despite the likelihood (definite statistics are unavailable) that more Irish people perished than were lost on the Titanic in 1912 or on the LUSITANIA in 1915, the sinking has been overshadowed by these two incidents.
An official commemoration will take place in Dún Laoghaire on October 10 to mark the centenary of the actual date of the sinking and to remember those who perished. This will entail a significant cultural element, as well as a formal commemoration and wreath-laying ceremony, with participation by the Irish Naval Service. On that date, the vessel will also come under the protection of the National Monuments Act, which covers all shipwrecks over 100 years old.

Source: https://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/IrishStamp ... inster.htm Ireland 2018 1.50 Euro sg?, scott?