An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir May / June 2025 www.military.ie/magazine 26 | THE FREE STATE COASTAL AND MARINE SERVICE Introduction I reland's first naval service was established by the Free State Government in 1923. Its primary aim was to prevent Republican gun-running, protect the permitted coastal fishing grounds, and secure the area. However, the service was short-lived, concluding in 1924. For detailed information about this Marine Service, Patrick McCarthy's article in An Cosantóir (75th Anniversary Issue, Volume 81, 2021) provides a thorough account. This article aims to give additional insights into its operations from the perspective of an enlisted officer. Captain John Murphy, a Master Mariner, worked the cross-channel ferries between England and Ireland. At the start of the Civil War, he and his vessel ferried 'regular soldiers' to 'jump-off' ports around the coastline. Later, he enlisted in the new service, hoping for a permanent position. In his own words, he reflects on his experience and expresses regret over its outcome. An extract below from 'Storm Along' by Captain John Richard Murphy, Publisher: Blackie & Son, London and Glasgow, 1936. Item 002198, First Edition, 248 pages, B&W plates "I had been offered a berth in the new Irish Naval and Patrol Fleet, which promised fine prospects, and I decided to join, hoping to secure a Coast Guard office job later. I handed in my notice and hurried to Dublin to take up my new position. I needn't have rushed, for when I arrived, I found numerous others waiting to start, and we were in for a long wait without pay. After a lengthy wait, we were summoned to Portobello Barracks to receive our appointments. Each captain was given his flag, which consisted of orange, white, and green, and we were ordered to be ready to proceed to Inverness via Glasgow the following evening. The Navy was to consist of twelve small Canadian-built trawlers, renamed sloops, two motor launches, and two drifters. These ships were lying at Dochfour, several miles from Inverness. Built during the Great War, they were poorly fitted out. Having been sailed over from Canada, everything movable had been sold when they called at the Azores. The full complement of crews came from Dublin, and everyone was broke. The trip was quiet, to say the least. Upon arriving at Dochfour, we found thirty-six trawlers, nearly derelict. We had no bedding and had to rig up a cooking apparatus on one of the sloops. We made the best of things and worked to get our vessels shipshape with little equipment. After a week, we received orders: the fleet was to proceed to Oban via the Caledonian Canal for compass adjustments, then to Ayr for bunkers, and finally to Dublin. In the canal, 'hands' had to go ashore to open the lock gates. The ship would enter, and the crew would close them again. It amazed me that we were allowed to use our engines. Considering the engines were poorly built, we were fortunate to get all twelve ships through without mishap. We adjusted our compasses, in a fashion, at Oban and then proceeded to Ayr. The navigational arrangements were primitive, and we had to shade lamps with paper, relighting them every few minutes. We arrived in Ayr to get our coal on Sunday morning, but by Sunday evening, none of us had any money. Not having received any payment from the Free State, we were relieved to leave Kingstown, get our review over with, and head to Haulbowline. The Free State had taken over the island, along with the fine buildings the British authorities had constructed. There were about 1,000 Free State recruits and 200 of us, segregated and with our own sergeant-major. We had to be on the parade ground at 7:00 AM, and none of us could wear uniforms, as the sergeant-major made no distinction between captains and firemen. We were a motley collection of captains, engineers, sailors, firemen, and fishermen. The Captain Superintendent, a former Royal Navy officer, was desperate to get the service up to standard, which kept things going. After fitting out, we were allocated patrols. I was to patrol from Killybegs and Donegal Bay to Greencastle and Lough Foyle, marking the limit of the Free State. The rest of the Free State coastline was divided among other patrols. In addition to guns, bayonets, and revolvers, we had a twelve- pounder on the fo'c'sle—but not a single shell to fire from it. Our job was to patrol within the three-mile limit and prevent smuggling, illicit trawling, and Republican gun-running. Our trawler could only do ten knots, while many Fleetwood trawlers could reach fourteen. We stood little chance of catching them unless we trapped them in a bay or inlet. Our patrol system was one day in port and four days at sea. The three-mile limit posed a risk to the vessels in heavy seas. The ARTICLE BY DR. NOEL R. CLANCY, PC, MB, DCH, DO, MICGP, MRCGP Image from "An t-Oglách" Free State officers disembarking from SS Lady Wicklow at Passage West in 1922 during the Irish Civil War, SS Lady Wicklow was a steam powered ferry used as a troopship to transport troops during the war

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