The Irish economy “couldn’t function” without the “central role of Dublin Port”, Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe has said.

Speaking at the opening of Dublin Port’s Substation as an interpretive centre and venue, Mr Donohoe said that Dublin began as a port city, and it was easy to forget this.

“We understand that better about our history than we do about our present,” he said, stating the port is “a vital piece of national infrastructure that is an artery not just to our city, but to our economy”.

The Fine Gael minister, whose constituency is Dublin Central, said this could best be appreciated when walking out to the end of the North Bull Wall and observing the shipping traffic in the bay with “the wind in your face and the salt on your lips”.

He paid tribute to Dublin Port for “opening up walls and gates”, with the refurbished Substation being a prime example of this.

Dublin Port chief executive Barry O’Connell noted that the opening was taking place on national culture night, when a plaque honouring Bindon Blood Stoney, one of the port’s most pioneering engineers, would also be unveiled.

“Today marks another significant milestone in our journey towards making Dublin Port a destination, and achieving port-city integration,” O’Connell said.

The Substation’s opening and discovery and preservation of the 18th century sea wall, which gave East Wall its name symbolises the port’s “commitment to bridging the past and present”.

During refurbishment works on site, part of the city’s original sea wall was discovered running underneath the Substation. The 18th century sea wall once served to protect the East Wall from flooding and was a catalyst for the North Lotts reclamation of centuries ago. Dublin Port, together with a multidisciplinary team has worked to preserve and expose the sea wall underneath a glass floor inside the building  Photo: Conor McCabe

“As we continue our efforts to connect the port with the city, this interpretive centre becomes a vital part of Masterplan 2040, fostering a deeper connection between our maritime heritage and the community,” he said.

Dublin Port heritage director Lar Joye said the Substation marked the point where the “port meets the city”, and once played a pivotal role in the early electrification of the port complex.

The 18th-century sea wall discovered running underneath the Substation once served to protect the East Wall from flooding and was a catalyst for the North Lotts reclamation of centuries ago.

One of the Substation’s first events will be an exhibition curated by the Little Museum of Dublin in November, entitled “Solidarity: the Dockers of Dublin Port”.

A tribute to the dockers was the theme of a short performance at the Substation opening by ANU actor Robbie O’Connor, based on a short extract from “The Book of Names” by Louise Lowe.

When completed, the redbrick Substation museum display would be part of a 6.2 km cycle and pedestrian route linking port, maritime and industrial heritage landmarks and views from Dublin Port estate and overlooking Dublin Bay, Joye said.

The Liffey-Tolka project recently acquired planning permission to create a “transformative public realm” along a 1.4 km dedicated cycle and pedestrian route linking the Liffey with Tolka estuary, passing the Substation en route as part of a greenway.

Attending the event at the Substation – and assisting the minister in ringing a ship’s bell before he unveiled the section of the old sea wall - were Adam Roche (9) and Everly Whelan (9) of St Joseph’s Co-Ed Primary School.

Adam Roche, 9, and Everly Whelan, 9, of St. Joseph’s Co-Ed Primary School, at the launch of the Substation at Dublin Port Photo: Conor McCabe

Their school board chairperson, former Dublin Central Independent TD Maureen O’Sullivan, also attended the opening, along with members of the Ringsend and East Wall communities.

Part of Dublin’s original sea wall dating back to the late 1720s has been discovered during excavations beneath a former electricity substation at Dublin Port.

Announcing the find today (Wednesday 5 October), Dublin Port Company also revealed the discovery of dockworker artefacts including clay pipes, leather shoe parts and pottery fragments from the 19th century.

The “historic” unearthing was made during works being carried out on the former redbrick electricity substation located near the junction of East Wall Road and Alexandra Road in the grounds of Port Centre.    

“The original sea wall once enclosed the eastern and northern sides of newly reclaimed land that would become known as the North Lotts – acting as a polder,” the port company explains.

“As the port extended eastwards away from the city, the sea wall’s original purpose became obsolete, and the facing stones of the wall were removed.

“It is likely that the stones were re-used to construct the three-metre-high boundary wall that defines the port’s perimeter today, visible from East Wall Road. It is from this original sea wall that the area known as East Wall derives its name today.”   

Jim Kelleher, head of special projects with the port’s heritage and communications team, said: “We have long suspected that part of the original sea wall may have lain beneath the old redbrick substation, which itself is a protected structure.

“But it has been incredibly exciting to have those suspicions confirmed, and to see this part of the original ‘East Wall’ for the first time.” 

The port company promises that the sea wall — visible through a glass floor — and related items will on permanent display within the restored substation at Port Centre. Dublin Port has more on the story HERE.

East Wall Water Sports Club will launch two new clinker–built rowing boats next month. The hand–crafted punts were built with the support of Dublin Port Company and Dublin City Council. 

East Wall Water Sport’s was founded in 1981 provides a wide variety of water sports activities to the local community. The new rowing boats will add to their growing fleet of vessels, which promotes coastal rowing on Dublin’s north side, according to the club's Martin Whelan.

'With the help of many other volunteers from the East Wall skiff rowing club the project has finally coming to an end. It’s wonderful to see at first hand the boatbuilding skills which our Viking ancestors handed down to us, still in use today', said Whelan.

The project began in October 2015 and the two clinker built boats, are to be blessed and launched on Sat 1st Oct at 12 noon.

With the growing popularity of rowing within the club, the skiff rowing section saw the need for these new vessels. These boats will primarily be to teach younger children the skills of rowing.

The current project is just one of numerous projects completed by this partnership over recent years that keeps alive an age old tradition of wooden boat building.

To date the club has refurbished two 26 ft rowing skiffs and built currachs and naomhogs in their workshop. Dublin Port Company provided free of charge the services of their resident shipwright Patsy Whelan and his apprentice Stephen, on a weekly basis to supervise the project.

East Wall Water Sports Club through their skiff rowing section and currach section now provide great rowing experiences for all ages at a very minimal cost. The club is open to all, young and old, and a friendly atmosphere is always maintained.