Magic
 
Magic - Classic - Killarney - Attiki
 
 
This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the Belfast Steamship Company ship Magic. which started on the main Belfast SS express night route from Liverpool to Belfast.
 
Magic was built in 1893 by Harland & Wolff for the Belfast Steamship Company. It was originally planned to name her Electric (she would have been the second ship of this name in the fleet). Magic was the most impressive ship in the fleet, and her cost was a substantial £65000 at a time when the company was facing serious financial difficulties. Triple expansion engines drove her at a claimed 19 knots, which reduced passage times to just over 8 hours, compared to the 11 hours of her running mates Optic and Caloric, and so schedules clearly showed which sailings were taken by the Magic. This disparity remained until the arrival of Graphic and Heroic in 1905. In 1899, Magic was chartered for a cruise to the Hebrides and Orkneys, a foretaste of her later employment as Killarney. Magic was very much the third ship once the larger and faster Graphic and Heroic were delivered. When the even larger Patriotic arrived in 1912, she was laid up for much of the year except for relief duties.
 
Magic served as a hospital ship during the 1914-18 war. The Royal Navy launched a destroyer named HMS Magic in 1915, which caused some confusion. At some point in 1916, Magic was renamed Magic II, The Admiralty initially decided to to call her the Magician, but later settled upon Classic from June 1918. this became official when she was returned to the Belfast Steamship Company in 1919. Since Heroic remained in naval service until 1920, Classic resumed regular Liverpool-Belfast service with the Graphic and Patriotic. When Heroic finally returned, Graphic was sent to run between Ardrossan-Belfast through the summer of 1920, and so Classic remained in daily use. When Graphic returned to Liverpool, Classic was chartered to the City of Cork SP Co for their Liverpool and Fishguard to Cork services. Classic reverted to the Belfast service when Graphic was sunk near Belfast in June 1923. Classic was reboilered and converted to oil firing after the return to service of Graphic, and was then officially transferred to the City of Cork SP Co, who renamed her the Killarney. She remained with the Cork company until 1930, having been displaced by the motorship Innisfallen. Killarney was converted into a "cruising yacht" for cruises form Liverpool to Scotland, which she maintained until the 1939 war started. After was service, Killarney was laid up until sale in 1947 to Epirotiki Lines. Her place as cruising yacht was taken by the ex-Patriotic, now Lady Killarney. Epirotiki renamed Killarney as Attiki, but she was wrecked in October 1951.
 
 
Ship Names on this Page:-
Magic (Belfast SS: 1893-1919)
Classic (Belfast SS: 1919-1924)
Killarney (City of Cork SP Co: 1924-1931)
Killarney (Coast Lines: 1931-1947)
Attiki (Epirotiki: 1947-1951)
 
Associated Pages:-
Coast Lines - Coast Lines Header Page
P&O Ferries - P&O Ferries Header Page
Belfast SS History - Overview of the Liverpool-Belfast night boats
Belfast SS Motorships - More detailed history of the Liverpool-Belfast motorships
British & Irish SP Co - Overview of the B&I SP Co
UK Excursion Ships
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates
Simplon Postcards - Home Page
 
References:-
Across the Irish Sea: by Robert Sinclair - Conway Maritime 1990
The B&I Line: by Hazel P.Smyth - Gill & Macmillan 1984
Irish Passenger Steamship Services - Volumes 1 & 2: by D.B.McNeil - David & Charles 1969
 
           
 
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Magic (Belfast SS: 1893-1919)
Classic (Belfast SS: 1919-1924)
 
Magic was built in 1893 by Harland & Wolff for the Belfast Steamship Company. It was originally planned to name her Electric (she would have been the second ship of this name in the fleet). Magic was the most impressive ship in the fleet, and her cost was a substantial £65000 at a time when the company was facing serious financial difficulties. Triple expansion engines drove her at a claimed 19 knots, which reduced passage times to just over 8 hours, compared to the 11 hours of her running mates Optic and Caloric, and so schedules clearly showed which sailings were taken by the Magic. This disparity remained until the arrival of Graphic and Heroic in 1905. In 1899, Magic was chartered for a cruise to the Hebrides and Orkneys, a foretaste of her later employment as Killarney. Magic was very much the third ship once the larger and faster Graphic and Heroic were delivered. When the even larger Patriotic arrived in 1912, she was laid up for much of the year except for relief duties.
 
Magic served as a hospital ship during the 1914-18 war. The Royal Navy launched a destroyer named HMS Magic in 1915, which caused some confusion. At some point in 1916, Magic was renamed Magic II, The Admiralty initially decided to to call her the Magician, but later settled upon Classic from June 1918. this became official when she was returned to the Belfast Steamship Company in 1919. Since Heroic remained in naval service until 1920, Classic resumed regular Liverpool-Belfast service with the Graphic and Patriotic. When Heroic finally returned, Graphic was sent to run between Ardrossan-Belfast through the summer of 1920, and so Classic remained in daily use. When Graphic returned to Liverpool, Classic was chartered to the City of Cork SP Co for their Liverpool and Fishguard to Cork services. Classic reverted to the Belfast service when Graphic was sunk near Belfast in June 1923. Classic was reboilered and converted to oil firing after the return to service of Graphic, and was then officially transferred to the City of Cork SP Co, who renamed her the Killarney.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Killarney
(City of Cork: 1924-1931)
 
When Graphic returned to Liverpool, Classic was chartered to the City of Cork SP Co for their Liverpool and Fishguard to Cork services. Classic reverted to the Belfast service when Graphic was sunk near Belfast in June 1923. Classic was reboilered and converted to oil firing after the return to service of Graphic, and was then officially transferred to the City of Cork SP Co, who renamed her the Killarney. She remained with the Cork company until 1930, having been displaced by the motorship Innisfallen. Killarney was converted into a "cruising yacht" for cruises form Liverpool to Scotland, which she maintained until the 1939 war started. After was service, Killarney was laid up until sale in 1947 to Epirotiki Lines. Her place as cruising yacht was taken by the ex-Patriotic, now Lady Killarney. Epirotiki renamed Killarney as Attiki, but she was wrecked in October 1951.
 
 
Official City of Cork SP Co postcard of Killarney
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Killarney
(Coast Lines: 1931-1947)
 
When Graphic returned to Liverpool, Classic was chartered to the City of Cork SP Co for their Liverpool and Fishguard to Cork services. Classic reverted to the Belfast service when Graphic was sunk near Belfast in June 1923. Classic was reboilered and converted to oil firing after the return to service of Graphic, and was then officially transferred to the City of Cork SP Co, who renamed her the Killarney. She remained with the Cork company until 1930, having been displaced by the motorship Innisfallen. Killarney was converted into a "cruising yacht" for cruises form Liverpool to Scotland, which she maintained until the 1939 war started. After was service, Killarney was laid up until sale in 1947 to Epirotiki Lines. Her place as cruising yacht was taken by the ex-Patriotic, now Lady Killarney. Epirotiki renamed Killarney as Attiki, but she was wrecked in October 1951.
 
 
Official Coast Lines postcard of Killarney
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Official Coast Lines postcard of Killarney
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Official Coast Lines postcard of Killarney
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Official Coast Lines postcard of Killarney
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Official Coast Lines postcard of Killarney
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Postcard of Killarney
 
 
 
Postcard of Killarney
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Postcard of Killarney
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Postcard of Killarney
 
 
 
Postcard of Killarney
 
 
 
 
 
 
Attiki
(Epirotiki: 1947-1951)
 
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