MV Hibernia (1948)

Hibernia at Dun Laoghaire, May 1974
History
Name	1949–1976: Hibernia 1976–1980: Express Apollon
Owner	1949–1968: British Transport Commission 1962–1976: British Rail
Operator	1949–1968: British Transport Commission 1962–1976: British Rail 1976–1980: Agapitos lines
Port of registry	1949–1968: London,  United Kingdom 1976–1981: Piraeus,  Greece
Route	1949–1976: Holyhead - Dún Laoghaire [1]
Builder	Harland and Wolff, Belfast
Yard number	1367
Launched	27 April 1948
Completed	1949
Maiden voyage	14 April 1949
In service	1949
Out of service	1976
Identification	IMO number: 5150111
Fate	Scrapped in India, 1980
General characteristics
Tonnage	4,972 gross register tons (GRT)
Length	379.5 ft (115.7 m)
Beam	54.2 ft (16.5 m)
Draught	28 ft (8.5 m)

MV Hibernia was a twin screw motor vessel operated by the British Transport Commission from 1948 to 1962 and British Rail from 1962 to 1976.^[2] Together with her sister ship the MV Cambria she served the Holyhead to Dún Laoghaire route across the Irish Sea.^[3]

She was built by Harland and Wolff of Belfast, launched on 27 April 1948 for the British Transport Commission and started service in 1949. She replaced a 1920 vessel of the same name, the twin screw steamer Hibernia.

In 1951 she was fitted with Denny-Brown stabilisers. In 1964–65 they were refurbished with airline style seating. Some cabins and staterooms were removed and replaced with second-class lounges, and a cafeteria. The screened areas were extended to provide further covered seating, and the first and second class smokerooms were converted into a tea lounge.^[4]

She was sold in 1976 to the Agapitos Brothers in Greece and became the Express Apollon but never traded in Greece. She remained laid-up at Salamina, and was sold to Indian breakers in 1980. She arrived in Darukhana, India in 1980 for scrapping by Ankom Solid Steel Traders, and had been demolished by 1981.