For the first time since 1937, a steel ship slipped down into the sea at Alexandra Basin from Liffey Dockyard Company on the 20^th of September 1952.
She represented the second vessel which replaced the previous one lost during the war; the first ship to be built by the Liffey Dockyard Company and the 171^st to be constructed in this yard. It was an additional stimulus to maritime ambitions, and an opportunity to have skilled workers in various categories involved. Up to 1951, the dockyard had already completed 75% of the shell of a 1,000-ton twin-screw service steamer ordered by Irish Lights.‍

The launching ceremony was performed by Mrs. Webb, wife of Captain John Henry Webb, Vice-chairman of Commissioners of Irish Lights since 1934. Speeches were made. Irish Lights asked the participation of the Minister of Transport and other representatives of the Ministry to attend the launch as the Minister for Industry and Commerce, Lemass, who spoke of Ireland’s ambitions for a mercantile marine. The crowd cheered as the ship touched water. She was not just a ship; she was a symbol.

As a particularly important event, many people from Irish Lights were invited to attend the ceremony, like R. Noel Guinness (Chairman since 1939); Captain John Henry Webb; Chief Engineer J.H. Grose; William J. Kelly, Inspector and Marine Superintendent; W.F. Allen, Surveyor of Shipping; and many others.‍

Hugh Lennox, General Manager and Director at the Liffey Dockyard, argued that if shipbuilding were to prosper in Ireland, steel would need to be made available to Irish shipbuilders at the same price as their British competitors obtained it from British steelworks. The Irish merchant navy would then become a major asset to the economic position, similar to that of other countries such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
Replacing Irish Lights war-time casualty Isolda (built on the same birth in 1928), the new twin-screw steamer was built of steel under Lloyd’s special survey and following specific requirements.
Certainly, it was an important opportunity in which almost 450 skilled men were employed among engineers, boilermakers, platers, riveters, welders, burners, painters, electricians, plumbers, coppersmiths, and blacksmiths. The total wage bill was about £4,000 weekly. The Liffey Dockyard was started in 1940, and it carried on work as a self-contained shipbuilding yard on the premises owned by the old Dublin Dockyard.
‍Isolda begun on 28th November 1950. She was a 234 ft tender of 1,100 tons gross registered tonnage, a moulded breath of 38 ft, depth of 17 ft and a maximum draft of 12 ft 9 ins under working and seagoing conditions. Her horsepower was 1,500 and she had a cruising speed of some 12 knots. Her loaded displacement was 1,912 tons.
She had accommodation for a total of 40 and had cabins for three Commissioners for the yearly inspection voyage from coast to coast.
Officers’ cabins were on the main desk.

Irish Lights Archive contain important correspondence with the Liffey Dockyard Ltd. including reports submitted for the information of the Board from E.C. Foster (Engineer Superintendent at the Department of Industry and Commerce); G.L. Watson & Co; Naval (Naval Architects and Surveyors, Glasgow); Surveyor of Shipping. Everything was covered from costs to technical procedures. Many other companies participated in the construction of the vessel, demonstrating how values ​​such as professionalism and efficiency have always been a milestone for Irish Lights.

The Isolda carried not only hope but also memory. Her name honoured her predecessor, lost during the war. She was built to endure the demands of the sea, and every detail of her design spoke to this purpose.

As part technical process, a ‘test vessel’ was done, including actions which were carried out and submitted to the preliminary report from G.L. Watson & Co, in March-April 1953. Her trials in Dublin Bay began in March 1953. Captain Kelly oversaw them, his eye keen on every detail. The machinery ran smoothly, exceeding expectations. The speed of the vessel on various progressive runs was over a ¼ knot in excess of the estimated speed in each case. The full-speed trial reached 12.86 knots or 36 knots in excess of the specific speed. —well above the estimated speed. The speed was obtained with 180 lbs pressure on H.P. Receivers and engine’s running at 200 revs. per minute so engines have reserve power in hand.

The inclining experiment produced precise results, and the derrick, essential for buoy work, passed its tests without issue. “The quality of the material used is well up to the standard called for, and the workmanship is excellent” Kelly noted with pride; as well as his words to the works on the boats for the ship sound even now enormously powerful: “It’s essential for these boats to be slung, lifted and stored in the manner prescribed by me so that no undue strain may be set. In this connection it will be necessary for a representative of the Commissioners of Irish Lights to be in attendance at Glasgow Quays when the boats are being handled” (MP/1/7/768 , 22/12/1952).The result was optimal.