[david macdonald]

hello!

anyone out there an expert on the John Kelly costal colliers.....??? the company is now Kelly Fuels with no vessels (altho' they have a gallery on their website where one can order paintings of certain vessels). i would be interested to know what became of the 'Ballymena' and 'Ballylesson' which were around in the early 60's

 

[gdynia]

Welcome onboard to SN David and enjoy all on offer heres the answer to your question

S S Ballyhaft 1952 - Greenock 890 1952 - 1970 Sold
.
M V Ballyedward 1950 - Faversham 640 1953 - 1970 Sold to Zodiac
Shipping Co.

.
S S Ballymoney 1953 - Port Glasgow 1600 1953 -
1971 Sold & broken up
.
S S Ballyhill 1954 - Greenock 890 1954 -
1973 Sold & broken up
.
S S Ballyllumford 1954 - Glasgow 1500 1954 -
1971 Sold & broken up
.
S S Ballymena 1954 - Port Glasgow 1600 1954 -
1971 Sold & broken up
.
S S Ballylagan 1955 - Sunderland 1500 1955 - 1970 Sold to Shamrock
Shipping Co.

.
M V Ballyloran 1958 - Aberdeen 1290 1958 -
1980 Sold
.
M V Ballylesson 1959 - Aberdeen 1290 1959 -
1982 Sold
.
M V Ballyrush 1962 - Aberdeen 1930 1962 -
1985 Sold
.
M V Ballyrory 1963 - Aberdeen 1930 1963 -
1983 Sold
.
M V Ballymore 1950 - Goole 1700 1970 -
1975 Sold
.
M V Ballywalter 1955 - Sunderland 2045 1971 -
1979 Sold
.
M V Ballyrobert 1951 - Sunderland 1900 1971 -
1977 Sold
.
M V Ballycastle 1959 - Grangemouth 2174 1976 -
1981 Sold
.
M V Ballykelly 1975 - Foxol 3011 1979 - Sold
.
M V Ballykern 1976 - Smit & Toon 2110 1980 - Sold
.
M V Balygarvey 1982 - Goole 2535 1982 - Sold
.
M V Ballygrainey 1983 2535 1983 - Sold
.

 

[mclean]

Welcome David. Kelly,s used to be known around Belfast as " Kelly,s coal boats ". Regards Colin

 

[mcgurggle]

Captain McCallion would get you a 'pier head jump' if you had been a bad boy & found it hard to ship out. It only cost you a pint in the 'Rising Tide' (rarely closed before dawn) pub..... (Pint)
BTW. The Ballylesson was MY pier head jump.!
McG

 

[david macdonald]

thanks to all for this info.....

thanks to all for this swift and interesting feedback ! i sailed as a supernumerary AB/steward/dogsbody/whatever on both the vessels i originally mentioned as a summer holiday job in '63 or '64 - i forget exactly which. both were good ships to be on with good crew company as i recall.
i guess it would be called 'work experience' these days as i was considering a MN career. in fact i ended up with a Grey Funnel cadetship and went to Dartmouth, quickly realised error of my ways and transferred to the Royal Marines ! joining the RM with me on the same day was an ex Port Line cadet and an ex. P&O cadet ! were we the MN's loss or gain i wonder..??

i also did work experience on a Bowater vessel between Ellesmere Port / Gravesend and Sweden. must go see if there are any forum threads on this site re. the Bowater ships......again, they were fine ships and crews.

thanks again for the feedback.......david

 

[R58484956]

Welcome onboard David enjoy the site, as you see plenty of expertise and knowledge on here.

 

[Hamish Mackintosh]

John Kelly

Welcome onboard David enjoy the site, as you see plenty of expertise and knowledge on here.

These ships were known as"Ma kellies coal burning submarines "in the early fifties, anyone remember who owned the "Black" boats,"Black Water" "Black Sod " etc? (egg)

 

[gdynia]

These ships were known as"Ma kellies coal burning submarines "in the early fifties, anyone remember who owned the "Black" boats,"Black Water" "Black Sod " etc? (egg)

Hamish
Was it Youghal & Blackwater Tourist Steamship Company Ltd by any chance

 

[Hugh MacLean]

Welcome aboard, David. I hope you enjoy the site.
Rgds

 

[Peter4447]

As a snippet of general interest (although I am sure many SN members will know this already) the first letter of the ships' name after the word BALLY gave a clue to the vessel's approximate tonnage. This naming system was evolved in the early 1950's and, as an example, BallyHill was 900 dwt, BallyKerk was 1,100 dwt, BallyLesson was 1,350 dwt and the BallyM's were 1,700 dwt.
Peter4447 (Thumb)

 

[Hamish Mackintosh]

Hamish
Was it Youghal & Blackwater Tourist Steamship Company Ltd by any chance

Don't Know! thats why I am asking, I remember being in the shipping office in Goole signing on the" Beeding "and the "Black water" was signing on a fireman at the next desk, Ha was a little dark also (Hippy)

 

[Rory]

Kelly Coal Boats

Hello Hamish;

I just saw your Post from way back, and you may have already had you question answered.

I assume you were taking the "Beeding" out of Goole as a new ship, so the year would have been 1950. The "Bally" business had not yet been adopted by John Kelly. However, BLACKWATER-1907 [BALLYGOWAN in 1952] and BLACKSOD-1919 [ex DEVONSHIRE-1894] were "Kelly Boats". Your BEEDING-1950 would also pass into the Kelly? Fleet in 1970 as BALLYMORE.

Cheers,
Rory

 

[duquesa]

kelly boats

Oh the memories!! One of my very earliest triips was on the Ballybeg(1896). What a horror. First run was Belfast-Garston-Letterkenny. Going up there we were met by a gang of guys in the upper reaches on each side of the river with large wooden poles. They heaved and pushed our back end round all the bends. I suppose it may have happened in other parts of the world but in my experience I've not seen it. Cant't recall where we went after Letterkenny, possibly Maryport.

 

[Hamish Mackintosh]

Hello Hamish;

I just saw your Post from way back, and you may have already had you question answered.

I assume you were taking the "Beeding" out of Goole as a new ship, so the year would have been 1950. The "Bally" business had not yet been adopted by John Kelly. However, BLACKWATER-1907 [BALLYGOWAN in 1952] and BLACKSOD-1919 [ex DEVONSHIRE-1894] were "Kelly Boats". Your BEEDING-1950 would also pass into the Kelly? Fleet in 1970 as BALLYMORE.

Cheers,
Rory

Thanks for the info,no I was a little after her first trip , and yes she did go to Kellies after having a chunk put in her middle to make her longer, that was 1965, then they sold herto Champion shipping of Cyprus,with a name change to Baltica,who in turn sold her to Caliber Marine of Cyprus,same name on the 17th of Jan 1977 she hit an underwater object and was abandoned, taken in tow and on sept 21 1977 arrived at Le Seyne to be broken up, I'm speaking of the Beeding of course a great little ship when "Stevie "had her

 

[treeve]

Hello, Just had an email re Kelly Shipping from Rory,
hadn't seen this thread before ....
Kelly Shipping History
http://www.kellyshipping.co.uk/history-company.htm
Loss of the SS BARKLEY at
http://www.irishships.com/guinness_boats.htm
Best Wishes, Raymond

 

[treeve]

Forgot list of ships at
http://www.kellyshipping.co.uk/history-ships.htm

 

[Rory]

Unidentified Kelly Boats

Hi All;

Good of you to post new material on these interesting Kelly Boats.

There are some excellent images of BEEDING-1950, and as renamed BALLYMORE on the GOOLE SITE.

There are two ships for sure in the Kelly Roster that I cannot seem to find anything to confirm their identity. Perhaps a learned gentleman here might help.

I find nothing at all for the first of the two. Yet she appears on the Fleet Lists I have been given.

(1) MV BALLEYEDWARD 1950 – Faversham, 640GRT, Listed as In-service 1953-1970. Sold to Zodiac Shipping
The only 1950 built ship I have for Kelly was a Goole built BEEDING which became BALLYMORE. There must be info somewhere for the Ballyedward. She probably would not have been named with the BALLY prefix in 1950 either, but then the In-service date is shown as 1953.

The second vessel I may [punny] have already, but there are some differences in the year built: and possibly the tonnages.

(2) SS MAY Re-named BALLYARDS 1952. Built 1927 by Ayr, 275GRT, In-service 1927-1955, Sold & broken up.
For MAY I find a 1928 Ailsa, Ayr, Yard 404 at 257GRT. Could this be her? No further details are given on MIRAMAR site or elsewhere.

Any help on getting these two right will be most appreciated.

Cheers,
Rory

 

[Hamish Mackintosh]

Hi All;

Good of you to post new material on these interesting Kelly Boats.

There are some excellent images of BEEDING-1950, and as renamed BALLYMORE on the GOOLE SITE.

There are two ships for sure in the Kelly Roster that I cannot seem to find anything to confirm their identity. Perhaps a learned gentleman here might help.

I find nothing at all for the first of the two. Yet she appears on the Fleet Lists I have been given.

(1) MV BALLEYEDWARD 1950 – Faversham, 640GRT, Listed as In-service 1953-1970. Sold to Zodiac Shipping
The only 1950 built ship I have for Kelly was a Goole built BEEDING which became BALLYMORE. There must be info somewhere for the Ballyedward. She probably would not have been named with the BALLY prefix in 1950 either, but then the In-service date is shown as 1953.

The second vessel I may [punny] have already, but there are some differences in the year built: and possibly the tonnages.

(2) SS MAY Re-named BALLYARDS 1952. Built 1927 by Ayr, 275GRT, In-service 1927-1955, Sold & broken up.
For MAY I find a 1928 Ailsa, Ayr, Yard 404 at 257GRT. Could this be her? No further details are given on MIRAMAR site or elsewhere.

Any help on getting these two right will be most appreciated.

Cheers,
Rory

Which Goole Site? Cheers Hamish(K)

 

[Rory]

​

Hamish;

go to;

http://riversea.tugtalk.co.uk/

When it opens go down to bottom of page, and look for

YORKSHIRE WATERWAYS MUSEUM
BUILT AT GOOLE

JUST UNDER THAT IS THE LINK

GOOLE​

Then do a search for your ship, and Walla!
Rory

 

[GALTRA]

Rory, hope this is of interest ---- ---- BALLYEDWARD -- Built by J.Pollock Sons & Co. Ltd Faversham and launched Feb. 1950 as GOLDLYNX for E.J.Goldsmith,London. (Laid down as aircraft transport SEA GLADIATOR for the Admiralty) 1951 - Sold to Springwell Shipping Co. Ltd; London and renamed SPRINGWOOD. 1953 - Sold to Leadenhall Shipping Co. Ltd; London and renamed LEAFOAM. Later in 1953 - Sold to J. Kelly,Belfast and remnamed BALLYEDWARD. She became their first motorship.. 1970 - Sold to Zodiac Shipping Co. Ltd; Newry, Co. Down for £22,500 and renamed LADY HYACINTH.Company suffered many problems trading her and in - 1973 - Sold by public auction at Rouen to European Ferries Ltd; Dublin and renamed GOLDEN TRADER, registred - Manchester. 1973 - Owners restyled - Commercial Ferries Ltd. 1974 - Scrapped Gilon, Spain. Official no. - 183177, 552gt; 180' x 30'. 1'' x 10'.9'', 480bhp, 9 knots, motor vessel MAY - Built Ailsa,Ayr in 1927 for Sir Samuel Kelly,C.B.E. Station Rd; Belfast. Delivered to the Company in Jan. 1928. 1952 - renamed BALLYARDS. 1955 - Scrapped Port Glasgow. She had been reqisitioned by the Goverment for five years during the war an used as a cable ship at Scapa Flow. Official no.148154, 257gt, single hatch steamer, 34hp, 124'.6'' x 22'.1'' x 9' There was in fact an earlier MAY, but she only spent a few months in Kelly. ownership. Bought from the explosives firm of Kynoch, Arklow Ltd; with three other vessels they were sold for a quick profit to Samuel B. Stevenson, Derry in 1919 BALLYMORE - - Built by Goole S.B. and R. Co.Ltd; as the BEEDING for Stephenson Clarke Ltd; London. 1970 - Sold to J.Kelly Ltd; Belfast and renamed BALLYMORE. 1975 - Sold to Champion Shipping Co; Limassol and renamed BALTICA. 1976 - Sold to Caliber Marine Co; Cyprus. 17th Jan. 1977 - Abandoned after striking a submerged object, Speza to Barcelona. In tow, beached Porquerolles Is. Refloated, towed to Marseilles. 1978 - Scrappd La Seyne. Official no.184300, 1277gt, 224' x 34'.7'' x 14'.6'', 980bhp, 11 knots. gdynia, -- The Youghal & Blackwater Tourist Steamship Co. Ltd; were a company who ran excusion paddle-steamers between Youghal, Co. Cork and Cappoquin,Co. Waterford on the River Blackwater in the early 1900's. All the best, Charley.