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Dublin Port News
Development works at Dublin Port are already advanced with construction of the ABR Project well under way and capital investment of €1 billion planned over the next decade
The first review of the Masterplan commenced in 2017 with the purpose of ensuring that the Masterplan 2040 remains relevant and achieves its central objective of providing a clear vision for the sustainable development of Dublin Port into the future.…
Dublin Port Landmarks To ‘Go Green’ For St Patrick’s Day
Dublin Port’s iconic landmarks are set to be illuminated in green for the first time to celebrate the St Patrick’s Festival next week. The Diving Bell on Sir Rogerson’s Quay, Port Centre and Crane 292 will be aglow in emerald…
The brand new Delphine swings off Poolbeg Yacht & Boat Club in Dublin Port where the giant ro-ro ship made a maiden call to the capital port last week.
#DublinPort - The brand new Delphine made a maiden call to Dublin Port, the giant ship is a sister of leadship Celine, claimed to be the world’s largest short-sea ro-ro freightship, writes Jehan Ashmore. The Celine of 74,000 gross tonnage…
Alexandra Basin and the main channel fairway of Dublin Port where can be seen ro-ro ferries, lo-lo vessels and a trio of cruiseships
#DublinPort - "Overdependence" on Dublin Port for trade traffic raises significant supply security issues in the context of Brexit, the Irish Academy of Engineering has argued. As The Independent writes, Dublin Port's share of Ireland's roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) traffic has…
Overall Growth at Dublin Port 2007 – 2017
Dublin Port Company has today reported full year trading figures for 2017. The latest figures show that cargo volumes through Dublin Port hit record levels for the third successive year with growth of 4.3% to reach a new record level…
Members of the Dublin Fire Brigade practice real life situations as part of an ongoing height training programme from container gantry cranes in a Dublin Port terminal that is operated by the Peel Ports Group. Afloat adds the facility is where a new generation of custom-built 'Ireland' max containerships for BG Freight Line (subsidiary of Peel Ports Group) will enter service this year. See related Ports & Shipping report dated 12 December 2017.
#DublinPort - In recent weeks Dublin firefighters scaled 110ft high container gantry cranes in Dublin Port so to play out real life situations as part of an ongoing height training programme. Firefighters and paramedics from Dublin Fire Brigade were invited…
Earlier this month Doyle Shipping won an injunction allowing it to continue to provide services to Stena Line ferries docking in Dublin Port
#Dispute - A Dublin Port stevedore, Doyle Shipping, whose case against Stena Line was back in court recently, where a ruling on costs was reserved. Earlier this month as The Irish Times reported, Doyle won an injunction allowing it to…
On her maiden call to Dublin Port was CLdN’s MV Celine, the largest short sea Ro-Ro vessel in the world with a capacity of 8,000 lane-metres, capable of carrying over 600 freight units. She will operate on a new service between Dublin Port and the ports of Zeebrugge and Rotterdam, providing additional capacity on routes to Continental Europe
2017 has been a very productive year for Dublin Port. There has been sustained, significant growth across the business, from cargo to cruise, and it has also been a year of firsts on a number of fronts. Trade  Latest trade…
The vast majority of exporters from Ireland involves freight traffic bound for mainland Europe using the 'central corridor' route of Dublin-Holyhead and from there make a land-bridge across the UK. Afloat adds that according to the Welsh Cabinet Secretary, 70% of Ireland's trade with the rest of the EU passes through the port.
#ExportersBrexit - Exporters from Ireland that go through Britain to get their produce to mainland Europe or further afield should still be able to do so after Brexit, the Revenue Commissioners expect, writes The Independent.ie Michael Colgan, head of Revenue's…
Niamh Carroll (age 12) from Ringsend College with her image of yachts and boats at Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club marina from the exhibition
Students from Ringsend College reveal their take on Dublin as part of an exciting new photo exhibition entitled ‘My Port, River, City’ which opens to the public today at the CHQ Building. The exhibition which runs until Sunday 10th of…
#Clipper/Seatruck - A trio of ships from the Clipper Group have used Dublin Port this afternoon, however one of them is not a port regular given the vessel is a bulker and not a routine ro-ro freight ferry trading under…
Cathma in heavy seas, is currently in the sheltered waters of Dublin Port. The 6,000dwt cargoship is been loaded with concentrates from Bolidan Tara Mines in Co. Meath.
#Concentrates – It is pleasing to concentrate on an Irish based ship management company that otherwise is not widely documented in mainstream media, writes Jehan Ashmore. Cathma, a multipurpose dry-cargo carrier with an Ice Class (1A) certification was tracked by…
Stena, which has entered into a contract with another party to provide the services at Dublin Port (as above), has, in its proceedings against DSG, sought a declaration its termination notice is valid.
#dispute - A dispute between ferry operator Stena Line and Doyle Shipping Group writes The Irish Times over the provision of services for docking at Dublin Port has come before the Commercial Court. Doyle Shipping Group (DSG) had operated a…
#dublinport - The brand new Celine, the world's largest short-sea ro-ro freight ferry departed Dublin Port last night having made use of a new ramp linkspan to facilitate such ships, writes Jehan Ashmore. As previously reported in Afloat's coverage prior…
#TheB+ILine - Following Afloat's focus on the former City of Dublin Steam Packet, the series continues with other Dublin based Irish Sea 'steamer-packet' companies and their legacy of architectural heritage and ferries, writes Jehan Ashmore. The ornate crest of the…
The Celebrity Reflection
2019 is set to be an exciting year in the Irish cruise calendar as Celebrity Cruises confirms that Dublin Port will become a regular fixture. With five turnarounds in the port, Celebrity Refection will call Dublin home from May to…

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.