This weekend the River Liffey and surrounding areas come to life in celebration of Dublin’s rich maritime heritage and local boating communities, past and present, with a mix of free open air spectacles and events for the public to enjoy both on the water and on land.

On Friday evening, 18th September, the Dublin Docklands Office and Oireachtas na Gaeilge will stage a Currach racing event on the River Liffey. At 5.30pm on Culture Night, currachs will set off from the pontoon by the Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship and race for 2km up river to the Ha’penny Bridge and back.

On land, a series of talks and films about currachs and the beautiful Galway Hookers will take place in the Dublin Docklands Office on Custom House Quay, while the Dublin Dockers’ Preservation Society will also host an exhibition of photographs chronicling the history and the people of the Docklands.

On Saturday, 19th September, Dublin City Council in conjunction with Dublin Port Company will open three bridges consecutively - the Samuel Beckett, Sean O’Casey and East Link bridges - over the River Liffey to allow the passage of yachts from Dublin Bay to the Custom House Quay area of the city.

The Parade of Sail & River Liffey Cruise event will feature as many as 30 sail boats which will congregate at the East Link Bridge at 3pm on Saturday 19th September 2015. Between 2.30pm and 3.00pm both the Samuel Beckett and Sean O'Casey Bridges will open, followed by the East Link Bridge.

The boats will make their way down the River Liffey through the three bridges and will turn at the Matt Talbot (Custom House) bridge and come back up the river where they will then dock at the pontoons outside the 3 Arena.

A spokesperson for Dublin City Council said: "The Dublin City Council Docklands Office were delighted to be associated with these events which is in keeping with their policy of animating the River Liffey and facilitating its use as a natural resource for the public."

Eamonn O’Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company, said: “Dublin Port Company is committed to integrating Dublin Port with the city through a wide range of events and initiatives that celebrate the maritime heritage and traditions of Dublin as a port city. We are delighted to be involved with the Currach racing and Parade of Sail, and I would encourage everyone to come along and show their support for the boating community on the River Liffey this weekend.”

#DublinPort - It's been a proud September for Dublin Port thus far, what with yesterday's announcement that the capital is shortlisted for the seventh ESPO Award, and last week's Allianz Busines to Arts Award for the 'Dublin Ships' installation.

The Dublin Port Company can add an 'Excellence in the Community' garland to that collection, after recogition by the Chambers Ireland Corporate Social Repsonsibility Awards last Thursday 3 September.

As the official Dublin Port Company blog reports, the award is for the port's sponsorship of the IFSC-based National College of Ireland's Early Learning Initiative, which aims to assist the educationally disadvantaged through an integrated programme for children, their families and educators from early years through to third level.

#DublinShipsAward - The ‘Dublin Ships’ visual installation on the Scherzer Bridges on the North Wall as previously photographed on Afloat.ie, was among the winners at the Allianz Business to Arts Awards.

Under the category of the Jim McNaughton Perpetual Award for Best Commissioning Practice, the winner of the project in association between Dublin Port Company & Dublin City Council, went to Cliona Harmey’s installation ‘Dublin Ships’.

This project was an “Interaction with the city programme" and with the aim of Dublin ships reconnecting the work of the port, with the citizens of the city.

Afloat adds that on the day of the photograph taken at the Scherzer Bridges, next to the National Convention Centre, the ‘Dublin Ships’ featured on two large scale LED screens were the ferries ‘Ulysses’ and ‘Nordica’.

These vessels were only a snapshot in time as 'Dublin Ships' demonstrated by bringing to life the movements of ships in Dublin Port.

In addition by using the medium of LED technology was to create a strong visual and cultural link between the port and the city in full view of Dublin's citizens, commuters and pedestrians.

The work juxtaposed the speed of instantaneous data with the speed of movement of real entities in space. Dublin Ships highlighted the meanings and poetic qualities of ship names, which include allusions to maritime trade, cargoes, historical figures and distant places.

On a related note to movement of ships, the ‘Nordica’ or to give its full former name Stena Noridica as referred in our coverage, was to depart Irish Sea service in March following replacement by Stena Superfast X.

She is now on charter to DFDS on the Straits of Dover route as the Malo Seaways.

#FrigateBookedUp-Since our coverage yesterday of the visit to Dublin Port of the Royal Netherlands Navy air-defence and command frigate HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (F802), the Dutch Embassy has advised that tours on a first come served basis for this Saturday (12 September) have now been fully booked.

The ‘Provinciën’ class fast-frigate (30 knots) has weaponry that includes Enhanced Sea Sparrow missiles and is the leadship of a quartet commissioned in 2002. The striking looking 6,050 tonnes frigate with its stealth designed superstructure of sharp angles is to reduce radar signature.

Vantage points of the frigate berthed at Ocean Pier can be seen from the R131 road (East-Link bridge) along the southquays that leads to the Poolbeg Boat, Yacht Club & Marina located in Ringsend.

#ESPOaward2015 - The following ports of Antwerp, Bremen, Dublin, Guadeloupe and Valencia have been shortlisted for the seventh European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) Award on Societal Integration of Ports.

The jury selected these five applications from a total of 22 submissions. The theme of this year’s competition is ‘engagement with local schools and universities’.

The Award will be presented to the port that demonstrates the best strategies in making schools and universities aware of their local port and its activities. The winning project will be one that succeeds in creating the interest of the local schools and universities in the work of the port and stimulate these institutions to work and/ or do research on subjects of interest to ports. In doing so, make young people knowledgeable of the port industry and excites them about entering into a career in the port at all levels, which will, lead to a better understanding of the port within its community.

“It has been very difficult to select five shortlisted projects. While assessing the projects we particularly looked at their scope, scale, magnitude of impact and innovative character. The five shortlisted ports prove to constructively engage with local schools and universities in raising awareness of the port, its activities and operations. These ports demonstrate clear strategies for bringing young people closer to the port industry and this leads to a better understanding of the port within its community”, said jury chairman Dirk Sterckx.

The winner of the seventh ESPO Award will be announced during the Award Ceremony and Port Night taking place on 10 November in Brussels. The shortlisted projects will be presented on the ESPO website in the running up to this event.

The ESPO Award was established in 2009 to promote innovative projects of port authorities that improve societal integration of ports, especially with the city or wider community in which they are located. In this way, the Award wants to stimulate the sustainable development of European ports and their cities.

“We were invited into schools in the North Wall and while all the children had grandparents who were dockers, not one of them knew what a docker was, because all of that tradition is gone….”

Amidst the current controversy over where Dublin Port and Dun Laoghaire Harbour will dump what they intend to dredge up in their plans to provide deeper access channels for the larger cruise ships which they both covet and which business they are fighting for, that comment, made to me on the edge of Dublin Bay by a man dedicated to preserving the maritime traditions of the port, should give cause for thought about where all the commercial development has taken the communities which once bounded in Dublin Port and lived from the jobs it provided.
Alan Martin of the Dublin Dock Workers’ Preservation Society was speaking to me, as we sat on the edge of Dublin Bay, for the current edition of my maritime programme, THIS ISLAND NATION. We could hear the sound of seagulls wheeling in the sky, the rumble of noise emanating from the docks, ships passed in and out, as we talked and he had a reality check for me. He told me that 40,000 jobs have gone from the capital’s port since the time when dock labour sustained viable communities.
“Why do the people of Dublin seem to know so little about the place of the docks in the history of Liffeyside and how their role was once the heart-and-soul of Dublin Port, its shipping and its commerce?”
There are many voluntary organisations doing great work in the marine sphere, without whom much of the maritime culture, history and tradition would be lost. The Dublin Port and Dock Workers’ Preservation Society, set up to preserve the history of Dublin Port, is definitely one such. The interview Alan Martin gave me is revealing. They have encountered many obstacles in their self-imposed task.
He surprised me with his revelations about the extent of the maritime-associated jobs that have been lost and the port-side communities which have suffered in the drive towards modernity. He made strong points about how Dublin’s marine traditions can be preserved and turned into a modern, vibrant, beneficial culture for the benefit of the city.
This offers a bridge from the past to the future, effectively a conveyance of pride in past experience to benefit modern life. Other port communities could, with benefit, replicate the commitment of the Dublin Dock Workers’ Preservation Society.
It was an interview I enjoyed doing and I think you will enjoy listening to. I am fortunate to work as a marine journalist and to meet exceptional people in the ports and maritime communities. So it is good to report in this programme, a positive attitude amongst young people in coastal areas, many of whom are joining the lifeboat service. Also featured in this edition of the programme is the delight of a coastal town when it gets a new lifeboat, as I found in Youghal in East Cork.

And there is always something interesting and unusual about the sea to report, such as the 467 million years old sea scorpion (above) found in a river in Iowa in the USA.

Click HERE to listen to the programme.

#IrishPorts - Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe has today (Friday 10 July) welcomed the announcement by the European Commission that a number of projects – including developments across three Irish ports – have been recommended for co-funding under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).

"This is good news and a further boost for infrastructure investment in Ireland," said Minister Donohoe. "The recommendation by the European Commission in respect of these five projects is a positive step in the development of these key infrastructural projects which will allow for future growth and development which will ultimately help with job creation.

“I was particularly delighted to support the port companies in their applications. Ireland’s National Ports Policy categorises the Port of Cork Company, Dublin Port Company and Shannon Foynes Port Company as Ports of National Significance (Tier 1) in recognition of the key role of they play in national economic development.

"This positive announcement will support significant, planned investment by the ports and follows the news that the Ringaskiddy project in the Port of Cork has recently been granted planning permission, while just today the Alexander Basin Redevelopment Project received a positive planning decision from An Bord Pleanála, allowing the largest ever infrastructure development project to be carried out at Dublin Port.

"In addition, Shannon Foynes Port Company’s first major project, the redevelopment of the East Jetty, is now well underway having commenced earlier this year. The continued commercial development of the port companies is a key strategic objective of the Government which will support job creation across the country as they are progressed in the years to come.”

The five projects are as follows:
· Port of Cork, Ringaskiddy Project (Project Type: Works, Co-funding rate: 17.47%, EU Max Contribution: €12,736,001.10)
· Shannon Foynes Port Company, Jetty Enhancement for Sea Port (Works, 20%, €2,200,000)
· Shannon Foynes Port Company, Connecting International Sea Cargo to the Irish Rail Network (Study, 50%, €800,000)
· Dublin Port, Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project (Works, 10.3%, €22,782,055)
· City Centre Re-signalling Project (Works, 30%, €17,586,760.20)

Dublin Port Company today published trade statistics for the first six months of the year. The figures show a notable spread in growth across both import and export trade at Ireland's premier port with overall cargo volumes rising 5.0% on the same period last year. Dublin Port is now firmly on track for a record trading year in 2015.

Total throughput (imports and exports) for the year to date was 16 million gross tonnes, an increase of 5.0% on the 15.3 million tonnes handled in the first six months last year. Imports performed strongly at 9.5 million gross tonnes while exports strengthened, reaching 6.5 million gross tonnes, up 5.6% and 4.2% respectively on the same six month trading period in 2014.

The figures reflect continued growth in the domestic economy, driven by the increased movement of unitised goods (containers and trailers). The spike in petroleum imports reported in Q1 shows no sign of abating, rising 6.3% on the year to date as more vehicles take to our roads.

Unitised trade grew strongly across both Ro-Ro and Lo-Lo modes. When compared to the same period last year, Ro-Ro trailers moved ahead by 6.4% to 425,153. Of particular note is the port's Lo-Lo container business, which increased by almost 10% (9.6%) to 299,680 TEU. This had been the worst affected cargo mode during the recession but is now recovering solidly.

The continued growth in unitised business reaffirms Dublin Port as the island's port of choice for both Ro-Ro and Lo-Lo services. Ro-Ro is Dublin Port's biggest mode and the large growth in Ro-Ro has been driven by increased sailings to both Britain and Continental Europe. There are now 12 daily sailings for passengers and 14 daily sailings for freight to Britain plus five weekly Ro-Ro sailings to Continental Europe.

As evidenced by rising vehicle registrations, imports of new cars and commercial vehicles continued to climb with over 55,000 (55,185) new vehicles imported through Dublin Port in the first six months of the year, up 26.6% on the same period last year. These are accommodated at Dublin Port's new 4.2 hectare car terminal on East Wall Road, which has a capacity for 2,500 vehicles at any one time.

Growth was not confined to cargo. Over ¾ million ferry passengers (764,017) passed through Dublin Port in the first six months of the year, up 4.8% on the same period last year. This follows investment by the ferry lines in additional capacity in recent years, such as Stena's Superfast X and Irish Ferries' Epsilon on services between Holyhead and Cherbourg. Further growth is expected as peak season gets underway and passengers prepare to holiday in Britain and France over the coming months.

As well as growth in cargo and ferry passengers, 2015 is set to be a record year for the port's cruise business. Some 42 cruise ships have already called at Dublin Port in the first six months of the year, up 35.5% on the same period last year, bringing over 56,000 (56,498) visitors to the capital, an increase of 11.7% on figures for the year to date in 2014. Visiting cruise ships included some of the world's largest liners such as the Royal Princess and MSC Splendida, measuring up to 333m long. Dublin Port projects close to 100 cruise ship calls and 200,000 passengers by year end.

Eamonn O'Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company, said: "The first half of 2015 was very strong with overall growth of 5.0% in cargo volumes and we are on track for a record year. We are very encouraged by the spread of this growth across all modes and between imports and exports. In addition to growth in cargo, we have also seen strong growth in our passenger volumes both on ferries and on cruise ships. By year end, we expect to see two million passengers pass through the port. Having seen 10% growth in cargo volumes over 2013 and 2014 and, against a background of strong growth in the domestic economy, we foresee Dublin's volumes continuing to increase in the years ahead as we envisaged in our Masterplan to 2040. This growth will require major and continuing investment in port infrastructure and we have both the plans and investment in place to do this."

#DublinPort - Vayu Energy, an Irish energy supplier has signed a gas and renewable electricity deal with Dublin Port Company valued at €1m per annum.

The agreement will see Vayu supply Ireland's biggest port with gas and electricity to meet the year-round energy requirements for its operations, which handle almost 50pc of the country's trade, 42pc of GDP and two- thirds of the country's containerised imports and exports.

Dublin Port is Ireland's largest commercial port. It caters for 31m tonnes of imports and exports and facilitate over 1.76m tourists.

For more on this The Irish Independent has the storey here.

Taking place over the June bank holiday weekend (Saturday 30th May – Monday, 1st June 2015) along Dublin's historic North Wall Quay, Dublin's unique maritime festival has a pirate theme for 2015, featuring seafaring events and quayside activities to create a carnival celebration for all the family to enjoy. Now in its third year, the Dublin Port Riverfest is aiming to attract 65,000 visitors over the three days and expects to contribute a €1million boost to the local economy.

With plenty to attract both swashbucklers and landlubbers, highlight attractions include seven majestic tall ships and schooners open for the public to explore, flyboarder demonstrations, street performers such as juggler Jack Flash and music from unique Irish/Nigerian band Tig Linn.