“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.

#EnvironmentAward - A Port Environment Review System (PERS) certificate was presented to Dublin Port yesterday during a dedicated ceremony at the ESPO annual conference in Athens.

Mr Santiago Garcia Mila, ESPO Chairman, handed over the PERS certificate to Eamonn O'Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company.

"We congratulate Dublin Port for achieving the PERS certification, in particular since it has been a long-time supporter of the EcoPort tools and approach. Dublin Port is a good example to follow as it achieves a PERS certification for the fourth time in a row", said ESPO's Chairman Santiago Garcia Mila.

"We are very pleased to receive this PERS certificate for the fourth time in a row. Receiving this PERS Certification at the ESPO Conference is a great honour for us especially as we will be hosting the ESPO Conference in Dublin next year" said Eamonn O'Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company.

PERS is the only port sector specific environmental management standard. It is the flagship product of the EcoPorts network and is offered as part of the ESPO services to its members through the EcoPorts website.

Compliance with the PERS standard is independently assessed by Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance and the certificate has a validity of two years.

ESPO is delighted to observe the increased interest shown to PERS by European port authorities and encourages all ports within its membership to implement the scheme and to get certified.

#cruiselinersdublin – Dublin Port Company and Dublin City Council will jointly host the Cruise Europe Conference in Dublin in 2016. The three day event attracts over 200 delegates from leading cruise destinations throughout Europe (including the Mediterranean, Spain and Portugal, the Baltic region and Northern Europe), from all the major cruise lines and service suppliers to the cruise industry worldwide. This is the first time that the event will take place in Dublin, providing a high profile opportunity to showcase the city as a leading cruise tourism destination.

Dublin is now considered a marquee destination for cruise lines and a popular call for passengers on cruise ship itineraries. The importance of cruise tourism was recognised in Dublin City Council's Cruise Tourism Urban Regeneration Local Action Plan published in June 2011 and subsequently in Dublin Port Company's Masterplan 2012 to 2040 published in February 2012.

Based on this, Dublin Port Company has developed the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project which is intended to transform the port to allow larger ships of all types, including the world's largest cruise ships, to routinely call to Dublin Port. The Port recently showed off these plans at the Miami cruise exhibition.

In the case of cruise ships, they will berth upriver at the East Link Bridge and ships greater than 300m in length will be able to turn in the expanded Alexandra Basin West. The project, once complete, will mean that Dublin Port will be able to handle the world's top ten largest cruise liners, including the 360m long Allure of the Seas.

#cruiselinerdublin – Dublin Port Company today cruised into the history books with the arrival of the 333m long MSC Splendida cruise liner, the longest ship to ever call at Dublin Port.

She is one of 83 cruise calls confirmed for Dublin Port this year, which will see a total of 140,000 passengers arriving to sample the sights of Dublin. Currently ranked as the 11th longest cruise ship in the world, accommodating her arrival has pushed the boundaries of the port's operational limits.

As Afloat reported previously, the MSC Cruises ship built in 2009 has 4,600 passengers and crew that were greeted this morning by a Celtic-inspired welcome on the quayside. This featured a live ceili band, Irish drummers, dancers and entertainment before passengers departed for the city's shops and attractions.

On board, the MSC Splendida boasts a VIP section with 24 hour butler service and features more than a dozen bars and lounges, spa and Turkish baths, four swimming pools, squash courts and a Formula 1 simulator, all spread over 18 decks.

In a further boost for cruise tourism to the city, Dublin Port Company has also announced that Dublin Port will become the first Irish port to welcome Disney Cruise Line following confirmation that "Disney Magic" will call to Dublin in 2016.

The 300m long Disney Magic will make her maiden call to Dublin Port on 26th May 2016 as part of a transatlantic cruise starting in Port Canaveral, Florida and finishing in Dover, England. Disney Magic will visit Dublin again on 13th June 2016 as part of a 12 night cruise around Britain with Dublin selected as the only destination in Ireland. She will bring 2,700 passengers and a complement of 950 cast and crew to the city each time. The selection by Disney Cruise Line of Dublin as its chosen destination in Ireland highlights the strength of Dublin as an attraction for cruise tourism. Disney Cruise Line now joins a long list of the world's largest cruise lines choosing to call to Dublin Port.

Dublin Port Pilots guide MSC Splendida into her river Liffey berth this morning having sailed from Greenock, Scotland. Photo: Jehan Ashmore

In preparation for the arrival of MSC Splendida, the port's Harbour Master, Capt. David Dignam, and the port's pilots have carried out a detailed analysis of the manoeuvres required to bring ships with lengths greater than 300m into the port. This has involved simulation exercises in the National Maritime College of Ireland with captains from the major cruise lines actively involved.

Dublin Port's current operational limit on ship length is 300m. At 300m, ships that enter the River Liffey are able to turn in Alexandra Basin West prior to departure. The MSC Splendida and other large ships cannot turn within the Liffey and must, therefore, either reverse in or reverse out.

Eamonn O'Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company, said: "2015 is an extraordinary year for our cruise business which we have been patiently building over the past decade. We started this year with 82 cruise ships booked to call to Dublin Port with a further 18 ships longer than we normally handle going to anchor in the bay, including the MSC Splendida. We are delighted that the MSC Splendida has now opted to call into Dublin Port.

"So great is the attraction for cruise passengers to disembark in the heart of Dublin City, we were asked by the major cruise lines to see if we could accommodate their largest ships and we are delighted to be able to. Bringing ships larger than we routinely handle demonstrates the strong demand in the market for enhanced infrastructure in Dublin Port and also gives us an opportunity to showcase to the people of Dublin what they can expect to see in future years as we develop the port.

"The cruise market is very dynamic and fast changing. We handled 86 ships last year and welcomed 141,000 visitors. We now expect that we will exceed these figures this year as many of the 18 ships which had originally planned to anchor in the bay may now opt to come into Dublin Port.

"All the signs from the cruise lines point to Dublin as the port of choice for their passengers, and we are confident that this demand will heighten further next year. The latest confirmation from Disney Cruise Line and securing the Cruise Europe Conference for Dublin in 2016 are testament to that."

Commenting on the challenge of bringing the MSC Splendida into Dublin Port, Dublin Port's Harbour Master, Capt. Dignam, explained: "When asked whether we could accommodate these larger ships our first challenge was to see how we could safely bring a ship into and out of the port, especially when the river is too narrow to allow it to turn within the port.

"The result of our many simulation exercises has convinced me and the cruise lines that, weather permitting, we can safely enter the port bow first and then manoeuvre stern first out (or vice versa).

"Due credit must be given to the skills of our pilots and the masters of our tugs "Shackleton" and "Beaufort", combined with the expertise of the cruise ships' Masters and their ships' enormous manoeuvring capabilities. "

#GrandClassCaller - Princess Cruises 'Grand' class Caribbean Princess of 112,894 tonnes docked in Dublin Port this morning as one of the largest ever ships to call and at a deck higher than the historic call next week of the mighty MSC Spendida set to break all records, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Despite the record-breaking visit next Monday of MSC Splendida 137,396 tonnes one should not easily dismiss today's call of the higher 19-deck Caribbean Princess with 3,142 passengers and 1,200 crew. Noting a sister, Ventura of P&O Cruises is understood to hold the current Dublin Port record at 116,017 tonnes as the largest ever ship of any type to visit the capital.

MSC Splendida is however the longest cruiseship at 333m long to visit Dublin Port. Due to the confines of quayside layout this is why the 3,247 passenger / 1,370 crew vessel is to enter stern first i.e. in 'reverse'. As currently Alexandra Basin's turning circle is too restricted to swing the vessel within port.

It was however more than a decade ago that the 100,000 tonnes milestone of any ship to enter Dublin Port was surpassed. The honour went to 'Grand' class leadship, Grand Princess of 108,806 tonnes to set that historic first in 2004. As for the sheer size of the ship, I vividly recall the scene as she glided past the Poolbeg Lighthouse under a brilliant welcoming blue sky over the port and city alike.

Then that record-breaking 'Grand' call was also particularly notable given that the owners of Princess Cruises, Miami based Carnival Corporation had a contract with Dublin Port Company to bring 26,000 passengers and 14,000 crew alone throughout the following year. At the time these cruise tourism figures were the equivalent to 10 normal cruises generating an estimated €23m to the capital's economy.

Also notable during the 'Grand's class inaugural call was the vessel's distinctive signature 'Skywalker's Nightclub'. Having boarded for a port visit,  this structure seemingly perched precariously in a cradle suspended above the stern was at 18-decks high!  On the 'Caribbean' this feature remains on deck 19, affording even more amazing views over the sea and port destinations visited.

Ironically, the structure of the Italian 1998 built Grand Princess was removed in recent years as previously reported on Afloat.ie. This was to improve efficiencies on operational fuel costs.

The Grand Princess current tonnage is still an impressive 107,517 and given that the class remain the most frequent and largest callers to the island for more than a decade, calling not just to Dublin Port but also Belfast and to Cork. Princess Cruises celebrates 50 years of service noting a sister brand, Cunard Line have their 175th anniversary also in 2015. 

Next week's call to Dublin Port of MSC Splendida on Monday (11 May) will certainly elevate the position of the port status to accommodate much larger cruiseships given the proposed €30 cruise terminal at Alexandra Basin.

The proposed double-berth facility near the East-Link bridge would allow for even larger cruiseships to berth those been Royal Caribbean Lines 360m long mega 'Quantum' class with almost a 5,000 passenger capacity.

Add to the mix are Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company plans for a proposed €18m single cruise-berth.

MSC Splendida will make another Dublin Bay appearance albeit at anchorage off Dun Laoghaire Harbour on 21st May. Before she calls, the opening Dun Laoghaire season caller as previously reported will be Royal Princess (not 'Grand' class) on 12th May. Again this visit offshore is where tenders will cater for the 3,600 passenger capacity vessel of 141,000 tonnes completed in 2013 and which has a 1,346 crew.

Only the Port of Cork will be able to claim the ability to accommodate the Quantum class trio, when phase two of a €1.5m upgrade is completed later this year at Cobh.

As previously reported, Cobh expects to handle these massive cruiseships but not until 2017.

As Afloat.ie previously reported, MSC Splendida becomes largest ship ever to visit Dublin Port - one of 83 cruise liner calls confirmed for 2015 cruise season. Dublin Port Company is celebrating the official launch of its 2015 cruise season this week with the arrival of two leading luxury liners, followed by the inaugural visit of MSC Splendida, the longest ship to ever call at Dublin Port. They are among 83 cruise calls confirmed for Dublin Port this year, which will see a total of 140,000 passengers arriving to sample the sights of Dublin.

Dublin Port's cruise season springs into life tomorrow with the arrival of the 290m long Caribbean Princess carrying over 4,200 passengers and crew. She is followed on Friday, 8th May by the 294m long Queen Victoria with 2,914 people on board. On Monday, 11th May Dublin Port will make maritime history, welcoming the largest ship to ever call at the port with the arrival of the 333m long MSC Splendida. She currently ranks as the 11th longest cruise ship in the world and accommodating her is pushing the limits of the port's operational limits.
Carrying 1,370 crew and 3,247 passengers primarily from mainland Europe, the MSC Splendida boasts a VIP section with 24 hour butler service and features more than a dozen bars and lounges, spa and Turkish baths, four swimming pools, squash courts and a Formula 1 simulator, all spread over 18 decks.
In preparation for her arrival, the port's Harbour Master, Capt. David Dignam, and the port's pilots have carried out a detailed analysis of the manoeuvres required to bring ships with lengths greater than 300m into the port. This has involved simulation exercises in the National Maritime College of Ireland with captains from the major cruise lines actively involved.
Dublin Port's current operational limit on ship length is 300m. At 300m, ships that enter the River Liffey are able to turn in Alexandra Basin West prior to departure. The MSC Splendida and other large ships cannot turn within the Liffey and must, therefore, either reverse in or reverse out.
Dublin Port Company's Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project is intended to transform the port and allow larger ships of all types, including the world's largest cruise ships, to routinely call to Dublin Port. In the case of cruise ships, they will berth upriver at the East Link Bridge and will be able to turn in the expanded Alexandra Basin West. The project, once complete, will mean that Dublin Port can handle the world's top ten largest cruise liners, including the 360m long Allure of the Seas.
Commenting on this year's cruise season and on the arrival of the MSC Splendida, Eamonn O'Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company, said:
"2015 is an extraordinary year for our cruise business which we have been patiently building over the past decade. We started this year with 82 cruise ships booked to call to Dublin Port with a further 18 ships longer than we normally handle going to anchor in the bay, including the MSC Splendida. We are delighted that the MSC Splendida has now opted to call into Dublin Port.
"So great is the attraction for cruise passengers to disembark in the heart of Dublin City, we were asked by the major cruise lines to see if we could accommodate their largest ships and we are delighted to be able to. Bringing ships larger than we routinely handle demonstrates the strong demand in the market for enhanced infrastructure in Dublin Port and also gives us an opportunity to showcase to the people of Dublin what they can expect to see in future years as we develop the port.
"The cruise market is very dynamic and fast changing. We handled 86 ships last year and welcomed 141,000 visitors. We now expect that we will exceed these figures this year as many of the 18 ships which had originally planned to anchor in the bay may now opt to come into Dublin Port. All the signs from the cruise lines point to Dublin as the port of choice for their passengers, and we are confident that this demand will heighten further next year."
Commenting on the challenge of bringing the MSC Splendida into Dublin Port, Dublin Port's Harbour Master, Capt. Dignam, explained:
"When asked whether we could accommodate these larger ships our first challenge was to see how we could safely bring a ship into and out of the port, especially when the river is too narrow to allow it to turn within the port.
"The result of our many simulation exercises has convinced me and the cruise lines that, weather permitting, we can safely enter the port bow first and then manoeuvre stern first out (or vice versa).
"Due credit must be given to the skills of our pilots and the masters of our tugs "Shackleton" and "Beaufort", combined with the expertise of the cruise ships' Masters and their ships' enormous manoeuvring capabilities. "