'Starboard Home' Concert To Promote Dublin's Maritime Heritage

29th February 2016

Stars align for landmark Dublin Port commission with National Concert Hall and 12 leading Irish artists including Paul Cleary and the Blades (above and below)

Dublin Port has announced details of Starboard Home, a unique collaboration featuring 12 of Ireland’s foremost songwriters. Presented in association with the National Concert Hall, Starboard Home has been commissioned by Dublin Port as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme. Twelve leading names in contemporary music have been invited to compose and perform new songs inspired by the relationship of the Port with the City.

Produced by acclaimed Irish songwriter Paul Noonan (Bell X1 and Printer Clips) and Gary Sheehan at the National Concert Hall, Starboard Home reflects on the complex relationships between the Port, the City and the Liffey through song, ranging from elegant electronic pop to sublime trad inspired moments and crafted song-writing. This remarkable set of songs presents a contemporary and panoramic view of Dublin as a port city.

Starboard Home features new works by Paul Noonan (BellX1 and Printer Clips), James Vincent McMorrow, Cathy Davey, Duke Special, Gemma Hayes, Jape, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Lisa O’Neill, Declan O’Rourke, John Sheahan (The Dubliners), Paul Cleary (The Blades) and novelist Caitriona Lally.

Starboard Home will have its Premiere Concert at the National Concert Hall on 22nd June 2016 featuring Paul Noonan (BellX1 and Printer Clips), Cathy Davey, Duke Special, Gemma Hayes, Jape, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Lisa O’Neill, Declan O’Rourke, John Sheahan (The Dubliners), Paul Cleary (The Blades) and novelist Caitriona Lally.

The artists gathered at Sun Studios in Dublin during February to collaborate and record Starboard Home. Bringing together a new band featuring Nick Seymour (Crowded House), Brian Crosby (formerly of BellX1 and The Cake Sale) and Glenn Keating (I Am The Cosmos and Jape), the artists have recorded all the new works for an album to be released in June 2016. Further details to be announced.

Advance tickets to the concert will be available to Friends of the National Concert Hall and a pre-sale window begins at 12.30pm on Monday 29th February with general sale on Wednesday 2nd March at 10am . To book go to www.nch.ie or call 01 4170000. Tickets: €27.50, €25.00, €22.50.

Starboard Home is supported by The Irish Independent and Today FM as print and radio media partners.

Commenting on the initiative, Eamonn O’Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port said: “Dublin Port is delighted to announce that we have commissioned new contemporary music for 2016 from leading Irish artists in association with the National Concert Hall. Inspired by the Port and the Liffey, Starboard Home is a major addition to Ireland’s musical heritage which Dublin Port hopes will help rebuild the connection between the Port and the City which was so strong a century ago but which has waned in recent decades.

“Over the last three years, Dublin Port has looked to the arts to find a voice to help bridge the false dichotomy between Port and City and to remake the link of centuries. The Port’s support for culture and the arts builds on a long tradition of engagement with local communities in a way that engages new audiences.

“Where the languages of statistics, finance and commerce fail to convey the importance and relevance of Dublin Port, we have found that the arts succeed. We are confident that Starboard Home will help us to continue to communicate with the widest audience.”

Simon Taylor, CEO of the National Concert Hall, said: “As the home of music in Ireland and an iconic landmark in the city, the National Concert Hall is proud to partner with Dublin Port on their ambitious investment in commissioning and presenting this unique and exciting creative project. It represents a significant and imaginative contribution by Dublin Port to the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme and continues the development of the National Concert Hall’s commitment and support of Irish musicians and composers across the musical spectrum.”

Starboard Home is the latest in a series of cultural and heritage initiatives by Dublin Port designed to present Dublin’s rich maritime heritage in new and thought-provoking ways.

Dublin Port’s recent initiatives encompass fine art, digital installation, modern sculpture and architectural revival:

· Dublin Port has created a modern interpretation for the Diving Bell on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, part industrial heritage, part sculpture.

· Cliona Harmey’s Dublin Ships installation graced the Scherzer Bridge on North Wall Quay for nine months during 2015 intriguing passers-by with ever-changing couplets of ship names.

· Artist Feargal McCarthy created a replica installation of Dublin Port’s Northbank Lighthouse as part of the Science Gallery’s HOME\SICK 2015 exhibition with support from Dublin Port.

· The Port has more recently commissioned artist and NCAD graduate Eimear Murphy to create a new sculpture that will provide a focal point for Port Centre on East Wall Road, fashioned from contemporary materials which are the language of building and industry.

· Dublin Port is currently co-operating with Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane to bring an exhibition of the works of Antwerp’s port artist Eugeen van Mieghem to Dublin in 2017.

The Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, led by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys, T.D., is a year-long programme of activity to commemorate the events of the 1916 Rising, to reflect on our achievements over the last 100 years and to look towards Ireland’s future. Full details of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme are available at www.ireland.ie.

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About Dublin Port

Dublin Port is Ireland’s largest and busiest port with approximately 17,000 vessel movements per year. As well as being the country’s largest port, Dublin Port has the highest rate of growth and, in the seven years to 2019, total cargo volumes grew by 36.1%.

The vision of Dublin Port Company is to have the required capacity to service the needs of its customers and the wider economy safely, efficiently and sustainably. Dublin Port will integrate with the City by enhancing the natural and built environments. The Port is being developed in line with Masterplan 2040.

Dublin Port Company is currently investing about €277 million on its Alexandra Basin Redevelopment (ABR), which is due to be complete by 2021. The redevelopment will improve the port's capacity for large ships by deepening and lengthening 3km of its 7km of berths. The ABR is part of a €1bn capital programme up to 2028, which will also include initial work on the Dublin Port’s MP2 Project - a major capital development project proposal for works within the existing port lands in the northeastern part of the port.

Dublin Port has also recently secured planning approval for the development of the next phase of its inland port near Dublin Airport. The latest stage of the inland port will include a site with the capacity to store more than 2,000 shipping containers and infrastructures such as an ESB substation, an office building and gantry crane.

Dublin Port Company recently submitted a planning application for a €320 million project that aims to provide significant additional capacity at the facility within the port in order to cope with increases in trade up to 2040. The scheme will see a new roll-on/roll-off jetty built to handle ferries of up to 240 metres in length, as well as the redevelopment of an oil berth into a deep-water container berth.

Dublin Port FAQ

How old is Dublin Port?

Dublin was little more than a monastic settlement until the Norse invasion in the 8th and 9th centuries when they selected the Liffey Estuary as their point of entry to the country as it provided relatively easy access to the central plains of Ireland. Trading with England and Europe followed which required port facilities, so the development of Dublin Port is inextricably linked to the development of Dublin City, so it is fair to say the origins of the Port go back over one thousand years. As a result, the modern organisation Dublin Port has a long and remarkable history, dating back over 300 years from 1707.

Where was the original Dublin Port located?

The original Port of Dublin was situated upriver, a few miles from its current location near the modern Civic Offices at Wood Quay and close to Christchurch Cathedral. The Port remained close to that area until the new Custom House opened in the 1790s. In medieval times Dublin shipped cattle hides to Britain and the continent, and the returning ships carried wine, pottery and other goods.

How big is Dublin Port?

510 acres. The modern Dublin Port is located either side of the River Liffey, out to its mouth. On the north side of the river, the central part (205 hectares or 510 acres) of the Port lies at the end of East Wall and North Wall, from Alexandra Quay.

Who owns Dublin Port?

Dublin Port Company is a State-owned commercial company responsible for operating and developing Dublin Port.

What is Dublin Port Company?

Dublin Port Company is a self-financing, and profitable private limited company wholly-owned by the State, whose business is to manage Dublin Port, Ireland's premier Port. Established as a corporate entity in 1997, Dublin Port Company is responsible for the management, control, operation and development of the Port.

Name someone famous connected to Dublin Port?

Captain William Bligh (of Mutiny of the Bounty fame) was a visitor to Dublin in 1800, and his visit to the capital had a lasting effect on the Port. Bligh's study of the currents in Dublin Bay provided the basis for the construction of the North Wall. This undertaking led to the growth of Bull Island to its present size.

Is Dublin the largest Port in Ireland?

Yes. Dublin Port is the largest freight and passenger port in Ireland. It handles almost 50% of all trade in the Republic of Ireland.

Who handles the Cargo in Dublin Port?

All cargo handling activities being carried out by private sector companies operating in intensely competitive markets within the Port. Dublin Port Company provides world-class facilities, services, accommodation and lands in the harbour for ships, goods and passengers.

Who is the Chief Executive of Dublin Port?

Eamonn O'Reilly is the Dublin Port Chief Executive.

Who is the Harbour Master of Dublin Port?

Capt. Michael McKenna is the Dublin Port Harbour Master

How many passengers come through Dublin Port each year?

In 2019, 1,949,229 people came through the Port.

How many cruise liners arrive in Dublin Port?

In 2019, there were 158 cruise liner visits.

How many tonnes of exports were shipped by Dublin Port?

In 2019, 9.4 million gross tonnes of exports were handled by Dublin Port.

How many ships arrive at Dublin Port each year?

In 2019, there were 7,898 ship arrivals.

What is the total throughput of goods at Dublin Port?

In 2019, there was a gross tonnage of 38.1 million.

How many tourist vehicles come through Dublin Port?

In 2019, there were 559,506 tourist vehicles.

How many trade vehicles come through Dublin Port?

There were 98,897 lorries in 2019

Can pleasure craft enter Dublin Port?

Boats can navigate the River Liffey into Dublin by using the navigational guidelines. Find the guidelines on this page here.

What is the VHF Channel for Dublin Port control?

VHF channel 12. Commercial vessels using Dublin Port or Dun Laoghaire Port typically have a qualified pilot or certified master with proven local knowledge on board. They "listen out" on VHF channel 12 when in Dublin Port's jurisdiction.

Is there a Dublin Bay webcam?

A Dublin Bay webcam showing the south of the Bay at Dun Laoghaire and a distant view of Dublin Port Shipping is here

What is Dublin Port’s 'distributed museum'?

Dublin Port is creating a distributed museum on its lands in Dublin City.  A Liffey Tolka Project cycle and pedestrian way is the key to link the elements of this distributed museum together. The distributed museum starts at the Diving Bell and, over the course of 6.3km, will give Dubliners a real sense of the City, the Port and the Bay. For visitors, it will be a unique eye-opening stroll and vista through and alongside one of Europe’s busiest ports: Diving Bell along Sir John Rogerson’s Quay over the Samuel Beckett Bridge, past the Scherzer Bridge and down the North Wall Quay campshire to Berth 18 - 1.2 km. Liffey Tolka Project - Tree-lined pedestrian and cycle route between the River Liffey and the Tolka Estuary - 1.4 km with a 300-metre spur along Alexandra Road to The Pumphouse (to be completed by Q1 2021) and another 200 metres to The Flour Mill. Tolka Estuary Greenway - Construction of Phase 1 (1.9 km) starts in December 2020 and will be completed by Spring 2022. Phase 2 (1.3 km) will be delivered within the following five years. The Pumphouse is a heritage zone being created as part of the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project. The first phase of 1.6 acres will be completed in early 2021 and will include historical port equipment and buildings and a large open space for exhibitions and performances. It will be expanded in a subsequent phase to incorporate the Victorian Graving Dock No. 1 which will be excavated and revealed.   The largest component of the distributed museum will be The Flour Mill. This involves the redevelopment of the former Odlums Flour Mill on Alexandra Road based on a masterplan completed by Grafton Architects to provide a mix of port operational uses, a National Maritime Archive, two 300 seat performance venues, working and studio spaces for artists and exhibition spaces. The Flour Mill will be developed in stages over the remaining twenty years of Masterplan 2040 alongside major port infrastructure projects.