Fleetwood's links with Ireland were established almost from the birth of the town. As early as 1841 the town's founder, Sir Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood, had tested the feasibility of a ferry service using a small paddle steamer. So confident was he that he reported to the Directors of the Preston & Wyre Railway, Harbour and Dock Company that he had established a Londonderry, Belfast, Ardrossan and Dublin service, in spite of the fact that the sailings were not regularly scheduled but, rather, on an occasional basis. A scheduled service only began in 1843 when Sir Peter's former agent, Frederick Kemp, formed the North Lancashire Steam Navigation Company. Steamers would leave Fleetwood on Wednesdays and Saturdays and return Mondays and Fridays.
By 1853 each way sailings were established between the town and Belfast, with boat trains providing a rail link with the service and by 1892 sailings were fixed to coincide with the train service. Trains from London, for example, would arrive at 10.25pm and the Leeds/Manchester one at 10.35pm, in time for a 10.45pm sailing.
From the outset, the steamers were designed to carry cargo as well as Royal Mail and a wharehouse was built alongside the steamer berths.
Perhaps the most regular of cargoes was the Irish cattle trade and provision was made to carry the beasts in the lower holds of the steamers.
To hold the animals at Fleetwood, pens were built beneath the staging of the berth and into the underground levels of the station. The Londonderry service terminated in 1912 but the Belfast steamers continued carrying cattle until that service also ended.
In 1926 a decision was taken to end the Belfast service at Fleetwood and move it to Heysham. The 85 year old Fleetwood-Belfast service came to an end on April 28th. 1928. At midnight on that date the Duke of Cumberland was the last vessel to leave as she steamed away from the North-end berth to close a chapter in the town's history.
A brief history of the various Belfast vessels can be found here.
