Kate Tyrrell facts for kids

Kate Tyrrell (1863–1921) was an amazing Irish sailor and a smart business owner. She took over her father's shipping company and became a captain. For more than twenty years, she captained her ship, the Denbighshire Lass. Kate also bravely fought against old rules that stopped women from being officially listed as ship owners.

Early Life and Learning to Sail

Kate Tyrrell was born in 1863 in Arklow, a town in County Wicklow, Ireland. She was the second of four daughters. Her father, Edward Tyrrell, was a sea captain. He owned a company that moved goods by ship between Ireland and Wales.

As a child, Kate loved spending time at her father's shipyard. By the time she was twelve, she was already helping him. She would fill out important shipping journals. Kate became very helpful to her father. He even promised her that one day she would own a ship herself.

By the end of 1882, Kate faced sadness. She lost her mother and a younger sister to illness. Kate then took charge of running the family home. She also continued to manage the paperwork for her father's business.

In 1885, Kate's father bought a Welsh ship called a schooner. He named it the Denbighshire Lass. He made sure to register the ship in Kate's name. She even sailed it home from Wales herself! They used this ship to carry cargo like coal, bricks, iron ore, and fabrics.

Her Career as a Ship Captain

In July 1886, Kate's father passed away suddenly. Kate bravely took over the family business. She sold some of the other ships. This made her the only owner of the Denbighshire Lass.

However, there was a big problem. Even though she owned the ship, old rules meant that a woman could not have her name on the official ship documents. For a while, a trusted male employee put his name on the papers. But Kate was the one who ran everything. She managed all the business, checked on repairs, and captained the crew.

In 1888, Kate lost another younger sister to illness. Her oldest sister helped manage their home. Kate supported them both with the money from her shipping business. Kate spent most of her time personally captaining the Denbighshire Lass. She became very skilled at navigating and all parts of sailing. People knew her as a strict captain. She made sure everyone on her ship followed the rules.

Throughout the 1890s, Kate was inspired by the growing movement for women's rights. She fought hard to have her name officially recognized as the ship's owner. Finally, in 1899, she won! Shipping authorities officially recognized her as the owner.

The Denbighshire Lass kept sailing even during World War I. It sailed through dangerous waters in the Irish Sea without any problems. This was amazing because the ship did not even have insurance! It was also the first ship to fly the new Irish tricolour flag in a foreign port.

Her Family Life

In 1896, Kate married her childhood friend, John Fitzpatrick. They had two children together. Their son, James, was born in 1900. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1905. Kate chose to keep her own last name after getting married. This was very unusual for women at that time.

Later Life and Legacy

After her second child was born, Kate's health started to decline. She was not able to travel on her ship as often. She passed away in 1921. This was just four years before the Denbighshire Lass was finally retired from service.

In 2017, Kate's grandson made a special gift. He donated some signal flags and a fid from the Denbighshire Lass to the Arklow Maritime Museum. A fid is a tool used by sailors. In 2018, Kate's amazing career was celebrated in Arklow. This was part of International Women's Day events.