The Steamers

The Countess Cadogan

The Countess Cadogan was built in 1897 at Paisley by Bow McLachan & Co., The Countess was acquired by the Lough Corrib Steamboat Co. in 1913. She used to ply between Killaloe and Dromineer ferrying passengers and tourists. During WW1, in 1917, she was transferred to the North Sea and was ignominiously converted into a trawler operating out of Orkney. Sadly her glory days of ferrying the great and the good on Lough Derg would never return. She was broken up in 1927

Daytrippers on the Countess Cadogan

Another similar craft was the SS Olga which arrived in Lough Derg in 1897. She ran between Scarriff and Dromineer. She was lost in 1909 whilst being towed back to England. A sister vessel was built in 1892 for cruising on the Manchester ship canal between Runcorn and Manchester. This was not a success. She was acquired by the Shannon Development Company and renamed Shannon Queen. She mainly ran between Banagher and Killaloe and was the last boat to do so before the suspension of all cruising during the 1914-18 war.

SS Olga

Countess of Mayo (1897) First owned by the Shannon Development Co. Later ended up in Warrenpoint and Jarrow. Broken up on the Tyne 1921. The second picture from 1897 Illustrated London new shows the Duke and Duchess of York aboard the Countess of Mayo during a visit to Lough Derg. Notice the Royal Standard flying from the stern

Lady Betty Balfour at Killaloe 1895

...and three lifebelts between the lot of them...Lady Betty excursion party

The Barges

Other Craft