Irishmen name passenger ships (9)
I believe the answer is:
dubliners
'irishmen' is the definition.
(Dubliner is an example)
'name passenger ships' is the wordplay.
'name' becomes 'dub' (as in dubbing someone with a particular name).
'passenger ships' becomes 'liners' (I've seen this in another clue).
'dub'+'liners'='DUBLINERS'
(Other definitions for dubliners that I've seen before include "people from port" , "Short story collection by James Joyce" , "Some Irish" , "People of capital" .)