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Displaying items by tag: Cargo Increase

#Ports - Drogheda Port Company handled over 1.2 million tonnes of cargo in 2014, an increase of 17% on 2013.

The port outperformed the Irish port sector in terms of year on year throughput growth for the third year running. The latest national volumes indicate that the volume of port and shipping traffic through the Republic of Ireland are slowly recovering.

Against this backdrop the port's volume growth is particularly impressive. Throughput volumes for 2014 are the highest recorded since 2005 when a record throughput of 1.4 million tonnes was achieved. The total value of goods traded through the port in 2014 was over €425 million.

A number of capital investments in the port were made in 2014 by the private sector with the aquisition of new cranes. The port has invested in new warehousing to be completed in 2015 and will expand the throughput capacity of the port and its role in the region supporting export businesses.

Nationally and internationally the outlook for the sector in 2015 remains challenging but positive, notwithstanding the current uncertainty in the financial markets.

Commenting on the ports performance CEO Mr Paul Fleming said “The company is pleased to report that trade volumes are continuing to increase significantly year on year. It is quite clear from the volume growth that the economy is starting to grow again and construction industry imports are increasing. It is also extremely positive for a number of indigenous companies who are exporting increasing volumes of product to the UK and Europe”

He also noted “The company will continue to support the local tourist economy with plans to provide facilities for cruise calls and the now established Irish Maritime Festival again taking place in the heart of the working port in June. The company are also supporting the development of the Boyneside greenway from Mornington to Drogheda.”

Published in Ports & Shipping

Marine Wildlife Around Ireland One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with marine wildlife.  It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. As boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat.  Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to the location of our beautiful little island, perched in the North Atlantic Ocean there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe.

From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals this page documents the most interesting accounts of marine wildlife around our shores. We're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and youtube clips.

Boaters have a unique perspective and all those who go afloat, from inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing that what they encounter can be of real value to specialist organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) who compile a list of sightings and strandings. The IWDG knowledge base has increased over the past 21 years thanks in part at least to the observations of sailors, anglers, kayakers and boaters.

Thanks to the IWDG work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. Here's the current list: Atlantic white-sided dolphin, beluga whale, blue whale, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, Cuvier's beaked whale, false killer whale, fin whale, Gervais' beaked whale, harbour porpoise, humpback whale, killer whale, minke whale, northern bottlenose whale, northern right whale, pilot whale, pygmy sperm whale, Risso's dolphin, sei whale, Sowerby's beaked whale, sperm whale, striped dolphin, True's beaked whale and white-beaked dolphin.

But as impressive as the species list is the IWDG believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves keep a sharp look out!