Bishop prays for community affected by shipyard closure

THE BISHOP of Paisley has offered “prayerful support” to families and communities affected by the closure of the last surviving shipyard on the Lower Clyde and the only yard still building merchant vessels, writes Brian Morton.

Ferguson’s shipyard was established in Port Glasgow in 1903. The company was nationalised in the 1970s and then privatised in various mergers and separations. In its latter years, it built mostly car ferries until it went into administration earlier this month when 70 of the company’s 77 employees were made redundant.

Bishop John Keenan, who chose on his ordination to live in the Holy Family parish in Port Glasgow rather than in the official episcopal residence in rural Renfrewshire, said that he was “deeply saddened” by the news.

“My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this news; the employees themselves, but also their families and the wider community for whom this yard had been a landmark on the Clyde for so long,” said Bishop Keenan. “It was testament to the skill and dedication of generations of workers that Ferguson’s was the last remaining independently owned shipbuilding yard on the Firth of Clyde.”

Clyde Blowers Capital has been named the preferred bidder for the yard. Bishop Keenan expressed a hope that any potential buyer would help the yard to continue operation and said he was praying for their success.