An Irishman's Diary on the SS Sirius.

The SS Sirius was the first steamship to travel all the way from Europe to North America using continual steam power. The Dublin-registered ship was built in 1837 in Leith, Scotland by Robert Menzies and Sons. Other steamships had made the trip across the Atlantic Ocean before, but they had relied mainly on their sails and had had not used steam power alone.

I have just written an Irishman's Diary in the Irish Times newspaper about the SS Sirius. Read it here.

Painting of the Sirius by Samuel Walters. Image source

The Sirius carried forty passengers on her trip to New York in April 1838. In first class, there were 5 ladies and 6 gentlemen, they paid 25 guineas each. In second class, there were 5 ladies and 3 gentlemen, they paid 20 guineas each. In steerage, there was 1 lady and 20 gentlemen, they each paid 8 guineas.

The Sirius was a true trailblazer. Her voyage across the Atlantic opened up the possibility of regular transatlantic trade and was greeted with great welcome on both sides. In time, larger ships would connect the Old World and New World.

If the Sirius had a wildly auspicious start, she had an ignominious end. Due to fog, she was wrecked in Ballycotton Bay in Cork in January 1847. Below is a photograph of the paddle shaft that was recovered from the Sirius. It was brought to Templemichael Mills in Cork. In recent years, it was put on display in Passage West.

The paddle shaft from the Sirius, on display in Passage West, Cork.