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Displaying items by tag: Dublin Port Company

According to a report in the Irish Times this morning Dublin Port Company is considering a proposal by docklands entrepreneur Harry Crosbie to relocate the city's cruise ship terminal to a site closer to the heart of the city beside the East Link bridge. 86 Cruise liners arrived in Dublin Port this Summer.

Cruise liner traffic into Dublin is in line with last years figures when almost 80 cruise liners visited the port in 2009, carrying 120,000 passengers and crew to Dublin.
The largest arrival the blue hulled Marco Polo at 176 metre contribute significantly to the Dublin economy. 

Published in Cruise Liners

Ireland's largest port will open up to the public next Saturday (18 September) when the Dublin Port Company is to host a free family-friendly Open Day.

The fun free events will be taking place throughout the day at Dublin Port, from 10am – 4pm. A festival atmosphere will greet Dubliners as visitors of all ages enjoy balloon makers, video installations, face-painters and interactive games.

Free coach tours will be operating around the port all day, offering visitors a glimpse of how Ireland's largest and busiest Port operates.

In addition for the first time there will also be free tours of the port area by sea throughout the day for adults and children (height restriction of 3'9" or 114cm applies) which will offer all our visitors the opportunity to see the port from the perspective of Captains of ferries and ocean liners as they arrive at Dublin Port.

Speaking at the launch of the Dublin Port Open Day, Mr. Eamonn O'Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company, said: "The Open Day is a fantastic opportunity for us to engage with the local community and encourage them to come and experience the workings of Ireland's largest port at first hand. Visitors to our Open Day are always amazed to witness the scale and diversity of the work undertaken at the port on a daily basis.

When Dublin Port hosted an Open Day two years ago over 2,000 came for the free fun-filled day but also discovered just how relevant it is to their daily lives. We look forward to welcoming many more visitors again this year."

For further information on the port www.dublinport.ie

Published in Dublin Port

The ports of Dublin and Cork are scheduled to receive a record 139 cruiseships in total this year, bringing 180,000 visitors and crew. Many more of these cruiseships are due to visit over the next two months and stretching into late Autumn. Between €35-55m is expected to be generated into the Dublin region from high-spend cruise visitors
while a further €5m is predicted for the local economy at Cork, writes Jehan Ashmore.

A notable visitor due to grace Dublin Bay is the return of The World, albeit not strictly a cruiseship but the first custom-built time-share ship. The vessel is to dock in the capital for four-nights from 4-8 August and then sails overnight to Cobh, for two-nights from 9-11 August.

In essence, The World presents an exclusively unique lifestyle experience. Instead of passengers, there are 'residents' who live onboard. Residents of the 43,188 gross tonnes (GT) vessel don't merely occupy a cabin but own large-sized luxurously appointed private apartments that are 'home' complete with balconies.

On 9 August, Silver Cloud docks at Dublin from Oban, Scotland. Measuring 16,927 GT, the vessel may not be the largest with only 315 passengers, but is an ultra-luxury cruiseship, regarded as one of the highest standards in the cruise-sector industry.

Returning to Cork Harbour, Cobh awaits the mighty Independence of the Seas. At 154,407 tonnes, she is the biggest ever cruiseship to dock at any Irish port. With a massive 4,375 passenger capacity, attractions include rock-climbing or surfing-boarding  using a special pool. The 'Independence' berths mid-afternoon on 29 August for an overnight call, departing 18.00hrs the next day.

Among smaller cruiseships, the private-motoryacht like, Island Sky of 4,000 tonnes and with 200 passengers, calls to Dublin on 11 August, and may berth upriver close to the new Samual Beckett Bridge.

Those keen on traditional ships, can look forward to the visit of Classic International Cruises Princess Danae, built in 1955. The veteran is due 16 August, and her sister, Princess Daphne is expected 2 September. Unusually the 16,000 tonnes pair were converted from general cargo-ships for a career in cruising.

New cruiseship, Costa Luminosa (92,700 GT) costing US $ 548m makes a second call to Cobh on 3 September and is operated by Costa Cruises.
This is the first time the Italian company has ventured into Irish cruising waters.

Without doubt the largest Dublin caller this season will be Emerald Princess. The giant weighs some 113,000 gross tonnes and at 288m long will certainly provide a spectacle, with lights blaring over a dozen or so decks, during a dusk departure on 14 September.

Also entering service this year, P&O Cruises 116,000 tonnes new Azura, is set to visit Dublin on 23 September and Cork the next day. The Italian built newbuild cost US $ 535m and has a capacity for 3,076 passengers.

Ocean_Countess_departing_Dublin._Photo__Jehan_Ashmore_-_ShipSNAPS

Ocean Countess departing Dublin. Photo: Jehan Ashmore/ShipSNAPS

A newcomer to Irish ports is Cruise & Maritime Voyages Ocean Countess which is making round Ireland itineraries with calls at Cobh on 13 August and 12 September. Incidently the 'Countess' was converted into a troopship for the Falkland Islands conflict in 1982.

Jewel of the Seas (90,090 GT) makes a Cobh call on 7 September and exactly a month later returns, marking the last cruise-call to Cork in 2010 while Fred Olsen's Boudicca will be Dublin's last caller on 20 November.

For further information on other visiting cruiseships, please click links:

www.dublinport.ie/not-in-menu/cruise-ship-scheduled/

www.portofcork.ie/index.cfm/page/cruiseschedule2010

Published in Ports & Shipping
28th September 2009

Irish Ports

This is a list of seaports around the coast of the island of Ireland.

EAST COAST

Arklow – Port of Arklow

BelfastPort of Belfast (Northern Ireland)

DroghedaDrogheda Port

DublinDublin Port Company

DundalkDundalk Port Company

Dun LaoghaireDun Laoghaire Harbour Company

Greenore – Port of Greenore

HowthHowth Harbour

LarnePort of Larne (Northern Ireland)

RosslareRosslare Europort

WarrenpointWarrenpoint Harbour Authority (Northern Ireland)

Wicklow

NORTH COAST

Coleraine (Northern Ireland)

LondonderryLondonderry Port and Harbour (Northern Ireland)

WEST COAST

Ballina – Port of Ballina

Bantry Bay

Dingle

Fenit

Foynes

Galway

Killybegs

Kilronan

Limerick

Sligo 

SOUTH COAST

Castletownbere

Cobh

Cork

Dungarvan

Dunmore East

Kinsale

New Ross

Port of Waterford

Ringaskiddy

Tivoli

Youghal

Published in Irish Ports
Page 9 of 9

Whether you're a boat enthusiast, historian, archaeologist, fisherman, or just taken by the natural beauty of Ireland's waterways, you will find something of interest in our Inland pages on Afloat.ie.

Inland Waterways

Ireland is lucky to have a wealth of river systems and canals crossing the country that, while once vital for transporting goods, are today equally as important for angling, recreational boating and of course tourism.

From the Barrow Navigation to the Erne System, the Grand Canal, the Lower Bann, the Royal Canal, the Shannon-Erne Waterway and the Shannon Navigation, these inland waterways are popular year in, year out for anyone with an interest in rambling; flora and fauna; fishing; sailing; motorboating; canoeing, kayaking and waterskiing; and cruising on narrowboats.

Although most will surely identify Ireland's inland waterways with boating holidays and a peaceful afternoon's angling, many varieties of watersport are increasingly favoured activities. Powerboat and Jetski courses abound, as do opportunities for waterskiing or wakeboarding. For those who don't require engine power, there's canoeing and kayaking, as Ireland's waterways have much to offer both recreational paddlers and those looking for more of a challenge. And when it comes to more sedate activities, there's nothing like going for a walk along a canal or river bank following some of the long-distance Waymarked Ways or Slí na Sláinte paths that criss-cross the country.

Ireland's network of rivers, lakes and canals is maintained by Waterways Ireland, which is one of the six North/South Implementation Bodies established under the British-Irish Agreement in 1999. The body has responsibility for the management, maintenance, development and restoration of inland navigable waterways on the island of Ireland, principally for recreational purposes. It also maintains Ireland's loughs, lakes and channels which are sought after for sailing; the network of canal locks and tow paths; as well as any buoys, bridges and harbours along the routes.

Along the Grand and Royal Canals and sections of the Barrow Navigation and the Shannon-Erne Waterway, Waterways Ireland is also responsible for angling activities, and charges Inland Fisheries Ireland with carrying out fisheries development, weed management and ensuring water quality.

Brian Goggin's Inland Blog

Giving his personal perspective on Ireland's Inland Waterways from present-day activities to their rich heritage, Brian Goggin tells it like it is with his Inland Blog.

From recognising achievements in management of the waterways to his worries on the costs of getting afloat on Ireland's canals, Goggin always has something important to say.

He also maintains the website Irish Waterways History that serves as a repository for a wealth of historical accounts of the past commercial and social uses alike of Ireland's rivers and canals, which were once the lifeblood of many a rural community.