HMS Erin's Isle

The B&CDR had owned and run steamships since 1893, mainly between Belfast and Bangor but also to other destinations in County Down and County Antrim. At the end of the 1911 summer season the railway planned to sell , which dated from 1894, and replace her with a new, larger and more modern ship. The company ordered ''Erin's Isle from A&J Inglis of Pointhouse, Glasgow, who launched her on 12 June 1912 and fitted her out in less than a month. The B&CDR named her after "Erin", the Hiberno-English version of the Irish Éirinn'', meaning Ireland. ''Erin's Isle'' entered B&CDR service on 12 July 1912. She worked seasonally from mid-May to the end of September each year, making regular scheduled runs between Belfast and Bangor and between Bangor and Larne, plus excursions from Bangor to other destinations. She ended her fourth summer season on 29 September 1915. ==With the Royal Navy==

The Admiralty inspected ''Erin's Isle on 8 October 1915, and then requisitioned her on 20 November for £400 per month. Six days later she sailed from Belfast to become the Royal Navy auxiliary minesweeper HMS Erin's Isle''. ''Erin's Isle'' remained in Royal Navy service after the Armistice with Germany. On 6 February 1919 she sailed from Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey and anchored for the night in the North Edinburgh Channel off the Thames Estuary, not far from the Nore sandbank. of whom only about three were seamen from the quarters where the mine had struck. The Admiralty paid £53,676 compensation to the B&CDR for the loss of the ship but the railway found that a new ship would cost £64,000. Given the changed economic circumstances after the First World War the company decided not to replace her. ==Wreck and war grave==

The wreck of ''Erin's Isle'' lies in the North Edinburgh Channel off the Thames Estuary. In 2001 the Ministry of Defence (MoD) began a rolling programme of assessment of wrecks for possible protection as war graves under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. In August 2004 the Port of London Authority was advised that the MoD had not designated wreck as a protected place under the Act, but could decide to do so in future. ==References==