Dublin Port: Year in Review 2019

10th December 2019

One of the world’s largest Tall Ships, the 270-foot-long Cuauhtémoc owned by the Mexican Navy on the Liffey with sailors in the rigging

As the main gateway for trade in and out of Ireland, 2019 has been a year of exceptional progress and growth at Dublin Port on several fronts

No. 11 Liffey Ferry returns

The start of 2019 saw the return of an old favourite on the River Liffey with the re-launch of Dublin’s original No. 11 Liffey Ferry after a 35-year absence. The much-loved ferry service had been vital in linking the North and South docks communities but was decommissioned in 1984 following the completion of the East Link Bridge. Affectionately known as ‘the dockers’ taxi’, Dublin Port Company purchased the boat in 2016 from Ringsend man and former port worker Richie Saunders. Richie had salvaged and preserved the ferry, hoping one day to see her back on the River. A joint restoration project by Dublin Port Company and Dublin City Council saw the ferry restored to her former glory and given a new lease of life. Now operated by the Irish Nautical Trust, she can be seen ferrying a new generation of passengers between the 3Arena, Sir John Rogerson’s Quay and North Wall Quay.

DockersTaxi10 The much-loved No.11 Liffey Ferry service returned in 2019

MV Laureline Sails Direct

With 8,000 ship arrivals per year, Dublin Port is a hive of activity all year round. In recent years, Ro-Ro services on direct routes between Dublin and Continental Europe (Rotterdam, Zeebrugge and Cherbourg) have commenced and large new ships such as CLdN’s MV Celine and Irish Ferries’ W.B. Yeats have been deployed. In March 2019, we welcomed the addition of CLdN’s MV Laureline, now the second biggest freight ferry to service Dublin Port and a sister ship of the Brexit Buster MV Celine. Her first departure from Dublin Port coincided with “Brexit Day”, the original date of March 29th when the UK was expected to exit the European Union.

LaurelineDublinPort 21 CLdN’s MV Laureline, now the second-biggest freight ferry to service Dublin Port and a sister ship of the Brexit Buster MV Celine

Brexit

Preparations for Brexit continued during the year, with Dublin Port providing the lands and infrastructure required by State Agencies for primary and secondary border inspection posts. Combined, the new set of inspection facilities spans almost 8 hectares of land within the port estate and follows a €30 million investment by Dublin Port Company in both the construction and the acquisition of assets to facilitate this.

DBLPort 100619 TheDroneGuys 18 The MP2 Project will involve development works within existing port lands

Future of Cruise Tourism

It is within the context of the ABR Project that the company has launched a public consultation on the future of cruise tourism at Dublin Port, seeking the views of stakeholders as to the appetite of the City for large-scale cruise tourism; as well as environmental considerations, specifically air emissions and the financial challenge of funding the proposed new cruise berths. During the year, it was also announced that the port would temporarily limit the number of cruise ships calling at Dublin Port to approximately 80 for the period 2021 – 2023 in order to facilitate works on Alexandra Basin.

Treading the Boards

The company’s arts commissioning programme Port Perspectives celebrated life in the port and docklands communities with a Year of Theatre, which saw three Irish theatre companies commissioned to create original plays. Audiences came from far and near to see In Our Veins by Lee Coffey, a co-production between Bitter Like A Lemon and the Abbey Theatre, What Lies Beneath - Port Stories by The Lir Academy and Ringsend College, and Last Orders at the Dockside, an Abbey Theatre production by acclaimed playwright Dermot Bolger.

St. Patricks Rowing Club Regatta 19 pic3 St Patrick’s Rowing Club Regatta

Life on the River

During the year, the River Liffey was home to a host of events supported by Dublin Port Company including the Poolbeg Yacht Club Regatta, Clontarf Yacht Club Regatta, East Wall Water Sports Regatta, All in a Row charity event, Dublin Currach Regatta, St. Patrick’s Rowing Club Regatta, Stella Maris Rowing Club Regatta, the Hope Row, the “Three Bridges” Liffey Cruise and the Liffey Swim. These important events in the local sailing calendar provide an opportunity for local communities to come together and celebrate life on the River Liffey in all its forms.

ShipShape112 Majestic Tall Ships on the Liffey

History in the Making

Historical maps, engineering drawings and photographs continue to emerge and be displayed online as the Port Heritage team progresses with the digitisation of thousands of images from Dublin Port’s 300-year-old archive. The material gives a fascinating insight into life at the port down through the ages and has proven invaluable to a host of local history events, talks, tours and evenings this year, including an exhibition celebrating the Bicentenary of Bullock Harbour, organised by the Dublin Port Archive in association with Bullock Harbour Preservation Association and dlr LexIcon.

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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.