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Dublin Port News
Enough Talk having discharged the first crane at the Port of Waterford is seen departing from the south-east port with the remaining second crane bound for Dublin Port
The second of two new cranes transported by sea to Irish ports, has been identified by Afloat to begin a career with a shipping agency located in Dublin Port, writes Jehan Ashmore. The new cranes built by Liebherr in Germany…
Two projects within the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment (ABR) in Dublin Port have been shortlisted for the 'Engineering Project of the Year'. Members of the Irish public are invited to cast their votes - see details and deadline below.
Two projects in Dublin Port have been shortlisted for the 'Engineering Project of the Year' and both are located within Alexander Basin which is undergoing a major redevelopment as part of the port's Masterplan 2040. The port projects shortlisted are…
The Libertad arriving at Dublin Port earlier today
Dublin Port Company and the Embassy of Argentina in Dublin have welcomed one of the world’s largest tall ships, the 340-foot-long Libertad, which sailed into Dublin today (Friday 1 November) for a five-day visit to the capital. As previously reported…
The Libertad arrives in Dublin Port at lunchtime tomorrow
One of the world’s largest tall ships, the Libertad will arrive in Dublin Port tomorrow, Friday 1 November 2019 for a five-day visit to the capital. Owned by the Argentinian Navy and carrying 280 crew, the tall ship will arrive…
Royal Princess cruise ship moving astern into Dublin Port
Views of the public, businesses and other interested parties is been sought from Dublin Port Company, on the benefits of investing €108 million in terminal facilities to attract more cruise ships, writes The Irish Times.  The semi-State company (yesterday) launched a public…
Indecon Report shows positive economic benefits – funding requirements, air quality and mass tourism considerations to be addressed
Dublin Port Company (DPC) has launched a public consultation on the future of cruise liner tourism at Dublin Port. To help inform the consultation process, DPC has published a discussion paper setting out key considerations to be addressed. DPC has…
The cetacean spotted at Dublin Port this afternoon
Update Friday 4 October: RTÉ News is now reporting that the whale, now identified as a 25ft fin whale and believed to be a juvenile, was found dead in Dublin Port this morning. RTÉ News reports on a suspected whale sighting…
It has been identified at the Department of Transport several sites in Dublin that can be used for the parking of some 500 trucks should Brexit-related congestion block traffic at Dublin Port. The site, according to The Irish Times, includes…
The Port of Rotterdam was the winner in 2018 of the ESPO Societal Integration of Ports Award.
Dublin Port is among four ports shortlisted for the 11th European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) Award on Societal Integration of Ports. The Irish port is in competition with Dover, Stockholm and Union des Ports de France (UPF). The jury selected…
Early next month reports The Irish Times, a major traffic plan is to be launched to prevent Brexit-related traffic congestion at Dublin Port spilling out into the city, the port tunnel and the motorway network. The contingency plan – known…
Ship Shape - Arriving into Dublin Port this morning was one of the world’s largest Tall Ships, the 270-foot-long Cuauhtémoc owned by the Mexican Navy
Dublin Port Company and the Mexican Embassy in Dublin have welcomed one of the world’s largest Tall Ships, the 270-foot-long Cuauhtémoc, which sailed into Dublin early this morning for a five-day visit to the capital. She is berthed at Sir…
The 270ft Mexican Naval Ship “Cuauhtémoc” will open to public
Dublin Port Company and the Mexican Embassy in Dublin have announced that one of the world’s largest Tall Ships, the 270-foot-long Cuauhtémoc will sail into Dublin on Thursday, 5th September 2019 for a five-day visit to the capital before departing…
Planning approval has been secured by Dublin Port for the development of the next phase of its inland port near Dublin Airport. The latest stage, reports Independent.ie, of the inland port will include a site with capacity to store more…
Newbuild leadship tanker Thun Lidkoping is one of five 18,650dwt chemical product tankers, which AFLOAT tracked arriving to Dublin Port from Milford Haven, south Wales this morning. A sister, Thun London (above) was recently delivered to the same Swedish based shipping group who are regular callers to the Irish capital port.
A brand new Chinese built Dutch flagged tanker ordered by a Swedish lake based shipping group arrived into Dublin Port from Wales this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore. The L-class leadship Thun Lidkoping is the first of five 18,650 deadweight chemical…
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said a no deal Brexit is now a live possibility and his party would honour its promise to continue with the Confidence and Supply Agreement to provide stability. However Mr Martin speaking on RTE…
Pictured enjoying the official launch of the annual South Docks Festival were Lisa Kelleher, coordinator at St Andrew’s Resource Centre, Paul McAuliffe, Lord Mayor of Dublin and Honorary Admiral of Dublin Port, Clown Johnie K (front), Dolores Wilson, chairperson of St Andrew’s Resource Centre South Docks Festival, and Eamonn O’Reilly, Chief Executive of Dublin Port Company.
This month's South Docks Festival in Dublin is celebrating community and heritage and taking pride in the identity inherent in the South Dublin Docklands area. This year’s festival is run by staff and volunteers at St. Andrew’s Resource Centre in collaboration…

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Eamonn O'Reilly is the Dublin Port Chief Executive.

Capt. Michael McKenna is the Dublin Port Harbour Master

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

In 2019, there were 158 cruise liner visits.

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

In 2019, there were 7,898 ship arrivals.

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

In 2019, there were 559,506 tourist vehicles.

There were 98,897 lorries in 2019

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

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.

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

Source: Dublin Port Company ©Afloat 2020.