Joyce's work is to name ships (9)
I believe the answer is:
dubliners
'joyce's work' is the definition.
(short story collection by James Joyce)
'name ships' is the wordplay.
'name' becomes 'dub' (as in dubbing someone with a particular name).
'ships' becomes 'liners' (liner is a kind of ship).
'dub'+'liners'='DUBLINERS'
'is to' is the link.
(Other definitions for dubliners that I've seen before include "people from port" , "Some Irish" , "People of capital" , "Short story collection by James Joyce" .)