Naval Career
He joined the brig Briton that was engaged in the Cumberland coal trade and was shipwrecked off Bude, Cornwall in 1851 with many lives lost but Halpin managed to reach the shore.
He joined the crew of the 388 ton barque Henry Tanner, later that same year. The Henry Tanner plied the Britain - Australia run and Halpin's first voyage to Australia coincided with the Australian Gold Rush of 1852. Over half the crew jumped ship to seek their fortunes in the gold fields. Unable to muster a crew the Henry Tanner was forced to remain in port until the enthusiasm of these same prospectors wore thin and they returned to their posts.
Halpin then joined the ship Boomerang as a third mate. The Boomerang worked on the Liverpool to Melbourne to Kio (Ecuador) route, returning with cargo of "guano", bird-droppings used as fertiliser.
Halpin was promoted to second mate of the Salem, a wool clipper on the Australia run before he transferred over from sail to steam ships. Halpin believed steam was the future of shipping and became first officer in the Khersonese.
At 22 years of age, he was given command of the S.S.Propellor, later joining the Circassian both steamships belonging to the Atlantic Royal Company. In 1858 Robert became involved in new sea route that had started from Galway, Ireland to St. Johns Newfoundland, giving a quicker, shorter Atlantic crossing. Emigration from Europe to North America was the new large shipping trade and operated from major ports such as Liverpool, Hamburg and Galway. By 1859 the Galway line was prospering and the popular S.S.Argo was commanded by Robert Halpin, then aged 24. Disaster struck in August 1859 while in thick fog at the Newfoundland fishing banks when the Argo struck an iceberg and sank. At subsequent enquiry, Halpin lost his masters ticket. Despite this setback in 1860 the Spanish Government commissioned him to deliver two troop ships, the Isla de Cuba and the Isla de Puerto Rica, to South America.
At the break out of the American Civil War, Halpin ran the Yankee blockades bringing supplies to the Confederate States and returning with cotton to Europe. In 1864 he was forced to run his ship aground to evade capture but was then detained by the Northern Union forces. The case against him was unproven and he was released after the Battle of Mobile Bay. . .
It was then Halpin began his association with the steam ship the Great Eastern. In his book "The Great Iron Ship", author James Dugan states, "the first and in some ways the most interesing of the ocean liners was the Great Eastern, brainchild of the legendary Isambard Kingdom Brunel."
The following extract is taken from biographical notes on William Thomson, Lord Kelvin:
"Thomson was actually aboard the Great Eastern, the ship which laid the cable. The first officer and key navigator was another Irishman, Robert Halpin from Wicklow Town. Halpin was soon appointed captain of the ship, and went on to earn further distinction for cable laying, earning the nickname "Mr Cable"."
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