SS Cork (CTA)

SS Cork was a British ocean liner operated by the Azure Transatlantic Company. She was put into service in 1884. Built by the O'Neill shipyards in Dublin, she was the sister ship of the Navan which was put into service a few months later. The ships were built as an investment by Daniel O'Reilly, an Irish Businessman and investor in shipping yards. Seen almost as a prototype to the Navan, the two ships were very similar in design, though Cork was 5 meters shorter and had one less watertight compartment. Cork worked the Transatlantic Route from Liverpool and Dublin to New York.

When the third Cork-Class ship Fingal was launched in 1887, the three ships worked the route together, known for their frequent trips and reliability over speed and luxury. When the Dundalk class ships were in the drawing phase in 1891, Cork was moved to work the London to Wellington route, though it was less popular then its competitors, owing to the longer travel time and comparison of luxury.

In 1902, with the announcement of White Star joining the International Mercantile Marine Co, the British Government provided Cunard and Azure with substantial loans and a subsidy to build three superliners needed to retain Britain's competitive position. Seeing Cork and Navan as out of date, the two ships made their last voyage together to Jarrow. Cork was scrapped in 1904, its bell preserved at Azure House.

History
Cork was the first steel-hulled vessel built for CTA. Like her sister Navan, she was designed as a combination cargo/passenger freighter; while able to accommodate both steerage, second and first class passengers, she was primarily a cargo ship. Her emerald funnel colors were a last minute decision to make her stand out, a practice that has continued for every CTA ship. She made her maiden voyage from Dublin to New York on 14 May 1884, during the middle of the normal trans-Atlantic crossing season. Her passengers included Bill Duran: future grandfather of Ashley Duran, the first female Captain, who travelled in steerage to America with his mother Eleanor and four siblings as a toddler. Also on the voyage was Daniel O'Reilly, who infamously went and mingled with all the different travel classes to understand what improvements could be done to future ships.

In 1887, Cork, Navan and the newly finished Fingal met for the first and last time all together in Dublin to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, the ships sailing past Southend and blasting their horns in succession. With successor ships planned and Cork seeming out of date, it was moved to work the London to Wellington route, though this proved unprofitable and in 1898 the ship was changed to working the Transatlantic route again. In 1902, with the announcement of White Star joining the International Mercantile Marine Co, the British Government provided Cunard and Azure with substantial loans and a subsidy to build three superliners needed to retain Britain's competitive position. Seeing Cork and Navan as out of date, the two ships made their last voyage together to Jarrow. Cork was scrapped in 1904, its bell preserved at Azure House.