SS Navan (CTA)

SS Navan 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 Cork which was put into service a few months prior. 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. Navan 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, Navan stayed working the Transatlantic route, a role it served faithfully in alongside Fingal and later Dundalk and Athy.

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 Seeing Cork and Navan as out of date, the two ships made their last voyage together to Jarrow. Navan was scrapped in 1905, and its wheel used for decoration onboard Sinann in the Dining Room.

History
Navan was the second steel-hulled vessel built for CTA. Like her sister Cork, 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. She made her maiden voyage from Dublin to New York on 14 October 1884, during the end of the normal Trans-Atlantic crossing season. Navan had a near collision with the Cunard ship SS Servia in New York upon it's arrival, owing to a low hanging fog, but communication through both ships averted the potential disaster.

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. Navan faithfully served its route alongside its sister Fingal through the 1890s, being joined by Athy and Dundalk. 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.