Were car ferries operating from Liverpool, Holyhead, London to Ireland in 1948?

[lyndsaybird]

Hello, I am writing about a relative who visited Ireland from Liverpool in 1948 and who drove around different counties in Ireland. I would like to verify if she could have travelled there by car ferry, and if not would she have been able to hire a car in Ireland at the time?

In the information I found about B&I Ferries it is stated that:

After the war the company began to rebuild its fleet, with the Longford (ex-Lady Connaught) and Louth (ex-Lady Munster) entering service on the Dublin-Liverpool route. In 1948 they took delivery of the Munster, and the Leinster, (both 4,115 tons) and a new Innisfallen (3,705 tons) for the Cork-Fishguard route (the first ship to be fitted with stabilisers, or Denny Brown Stabilisers as they were known at the time).

Would anyone know if any of these ferries also transported cars or would she have had to hire a car on the other side? I just don't want to misrepresent how people would have travelled from England to Ireland and got around Ireland in those days.

Thank you so much for your advice.

Regards,
Lyndsay

[Ulysses17]

I think the MV Munster in 1968 was the first car ferry for B&I line. I could be mistaken however.

[Kieran]

I think the MV Munster in 1968 was the first car ferry for B&I line. I could be mistaken however.

...previously to that, cars were loaded by crane if being brought across the Irish Sea.

[Steven]

I think the MV Munster in 1968 was the first car ferry for B&I line. I could be mistaken however.

...previously to that, cars were loaded by crane if being brought across the Irish Sea.

Unless they came via Northern Ireland.  We've had roll on roll off for cars since the 1940's!