#FrenchFrigate - FS Primauguet (D644), a French Navy 70 class anti-submarine frigate which last month undertook exercises in the Norwegian fjords, docked in Dublin Port for a four-day visit and is understood to be the first foreign caller this year, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The 139metres long vessel commissioned in 1986, has a crew of more than 500 who were deployed in Norwegian waters to operate with corvette Ravera as part of 'Operation Mangoose' .The 30-knot capable frigate's primary arsenal are excocet missiles and she carries up to 2 Lynx helicopters.

She berthed this morning at Ocean Pier, where the frigate is visible to motorists using the East-Link toll-lift bridge and notably can be seen from the Poolbeg Yacht Boat Club with its marina facilities facing the main channel of Dublin Port.

#DublinPort - Significant growth in all categories of Dublin Port business was recorded during 2013. Up until last year, the port had experienced three flat years from 2010 and this is the first year in which there has been organic growth.

The headline figures are as follows:

Total volume is up 3.0% for the year at 28.8m gross tonnes
• Imports (17.3m gross tonnes) performed strongly with 4.4% growth
• Exports (11.5m gross tonnes) grew at the lower rate of 1.1%
• Port volumes are now at 93.2% of pre-recession (2007) levels.

Specific sectorial performance was as follows:
• Unitised trade (Ro-Ro and Lo-Lo) increased by 2.7%
• Bulk commodities increased by 4.3%. This included an increase in bulk liquids (mainly petroleum products) of 2.5% and an increase in bulk solids (with animal feed and cereals the largest commodities) of 9.0%
• Trade vehicle imports increased by 15.3% to 53,000

On the tourism and passenger side, the port also recorded growth:
Ferry passengers increased by 0.3% to 1.6m
• Tourist vehicles on ferries increased by 3.5% to 0.4m
• Cruise business hit a new record of 100 ships with 152,000 visitors

#Docklands - Local business interests and marine authorities are mooting ambitious new plan to construct a dozen pontoons along the River Liffey in Dublin's Docklands in 2014.

The Sunday Times last weekend reported that the €4 million scheme, put forward by the Docklands Business Forum, has the backing of the Dublin Port Company and Waterways Ireland as well as Dublin City Council.

It forms part of the port's 30-year 'masterplan' and is intended to revive the Royal and Grand Canals that feed into the Liffey on the north and south sides respectively, and encourage visiting yachts to moor closer to the city centre.

"The Docklands has a huge resource for boats which we just need to improve," said the forum's chief executive Alan Robinson.

Among those suggested improvements is the refurbishing of Camden Lock on the Grand Canal Basin - but first in line are the pontoons, which were a temporary feature of the capital during last year's Tall Ships Festival.

The intention is to make these pontoons a permanent fixture between the East Link Bridge and the Samuel Beckett Bridge, to "generate a new type of activity in the city" in an area that recently hosted its first annual Riverfest, not to mention the once-in-a-lifetime FlightFest.

#DublinPortQ3 – Dublin Port Company have published statistics detailing the volumes handled through the port for the third quarter of 2013.

Today's publication is the start of a regular series of statistics which Dublin Port Company will publish every three months.

These statistics will be published within ten days of the end of each quarter and will provide an early indication of trends in imports and exports and trends in tourism volumes at Ireland's biggest port.

The statistics for the third quarter of 2013 show cargo volumes ahead as follows:
• Imports +5.9%
• Exports +4.1%
• Total volume +5.2%

Having seen a slow first quarter (with tonnage behind -2.5% by comparison to 2012), Dublin Port has now had six months of continuous growth in both imports and exports. Cargo volumes after nine months are +3.1% ahead of 2012.

Commenting on today's publication, Eamonn O'Reilly, Chief Executive said:

"Dublin Port is the largest port in the country and handles goods in all cargo modes. Dublin is also the country's largest port for passengers both on ferries and on cruise ships. In a time when there is so much attention to economic trends, we hope that this new series of quarterly statistics will give an early indication of trends across a range of sectors in the economy.

"The growth in port volumes in the last six months is the first significant positive trend we have seen in over three years.

"At 3.1% for the first nine months of 2013, we are running ahead of the 2.5% long-term growth rate we assumed in our Masterplan 2012 to 2040. This performance underpins the necessity for us to plan the provision of additional port capacity in Dublin to support the country's return to economic growth."

Click this link to consult the full Q3 figures for 2013

#DublinPortCENTRE – Open House Dublin (4-6 October) is to feature the Port Centre, the headquarters of Dublin Port Company which is among 100 buildings celebrating opening its doors to the public next weekend.

The Port Centre designed by Architects Niall Scott, Scott Tallon Walker will be open on both Saturday 5 (10am-5pm) and Sunday 6 (12noon-5pm).

The building was actually commissioned for the predecessor of Dublin Port Company, the Dublin Port and Docks Board (DP&DB) which intended the building with a strong visual presence in the port.

The six-storey building dating from 1981 sits on a raised podium with the top floor dedicated to plant and ancillary accommodation, while four floors provide office space with spectacular views over the city.

At the time of construction the Board undertook extensive consultation on modern office configurations and the building was designed to embrace change and innovation. The structure is expressed externally in pre-cast concrete columns and beams.

Last tour of the Port Centre is 30 minutes prior to closing. Tours based on a first-come basis, so just turn up and look out for Open House Dublin volunteers.

Location: Alexandra Road East Wall, (approximately mid-way between the East-Link Bridge and Port Tunnel).

Public Transport: Dublin Bus Route(s): 53/151 to East Wall Road or take the LUAS (Red Line) to the Point from city centre location stops at Connolly Station and Busaras.

As previously reported last week, the headquarters of the Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) in Dun Laoghaire Harbour is also open to viewing next weekend.

#CruiseLiners - Dublin Port welcomed its millionth cruise liner passenger to the capital this morning (Friday 27 September) since numbers were kept 20 years ago.

As Business & Leadership reports, Diane Taylor from Newfoundland in Canada disembarked from the Carnival Legend - the 100th cruise liner to berth in Dublin Bay this season - to much fanfare on shore.

Greeted by Dublin's Lord Mayor and tourism and port officials, Taylor was presented with flowers and provided with a chauffeur-driven VIP tour of the city and €1,000 spending money for her and her husband Doug.

Lord Mayor Oisín Quinn declared: "Today, Dublin has become the cruise capital of Ireland."

The 2013 season has been a bumper year for the Irish cruise industry nationwide, now worth €200 million annually to the economy, with a 50% hike in passenger numbers in some ports. Indeed, cruise passenger numbers are expected to quadruple over the next 10 years.

#DublinPORT - Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar has announced Dublin Port Company will pay an additional dividend of €8m to the State during 2013, bringing the company's total dividend to €15m.

The decision to pay the second special dividend was taken by the Board at its meeting of 1st July 2013 and followed on from a request from the shareholders at the Company's Annual General Meeting that it consider making an additional contribution in line with requests made generally of the State commercial sector.

Responding to this announcement, the Minister said: "I am delighted that Dublin Port is in a position to make this special additional dividend of €8m, on top of the normal dividend payments of €7m already made this year.

"As part of the National Ports Policy which I launched earlier this year, all of our State commercial port companies were asked to set up a clear dividend policy. Arising from this, Dublin Port has set out to the Department its dividend policy for the coming years.

Today's special dividend payment forms part of that. In future years, Dublin Port has committed to making a dividend payment of 30% of distributable profits.

"The fact that Dublin Port is capable of making such a significant return to the Exchequer is testament to the Board, management and employees of this vitally important State asset and I thank the Company for this special dividend contribution."

Lucy McCaffrey, the Company's Chairperson said: "I am delighted that it is possible this year for Dublin Port Company to be in a position to look after the interests of our shareholder to the extent that we have".

The decision to declare the additional €8m special dividend was taken after consideration of the other calls on the Port's cash, particularly our need to invest for the future.

Dublin Port Company is profitable and has a relatively low debt burden and remains in a position in the coming years to fund major infrastructural investment.

"Our commitment to our shareholder and to investing for the future parallels our ongoing commitment to control and reduce expenditure and keep Dublin Port competitively priced for our customers."

The Irish Nautical Trust has announced plans for the creation of a 'Cargo Maritime Village' on Charlotte Quay, Grand Canal Basin in Dublin 4.

The Irish Nautical Trust (established in 1986) has a dual mandate of preserving our national nautical heritage and the creation and support of employment and enterprise in the South Inner City.

Cargo Maritime Village in Dublin is both a response and solution to the economic downturn with its low cost, low risk ethos and will create new opportunities for local businesses say promoters. The idea is to turn old shipping containers into functioning spaces on short term leases providing incubator units for small marine related businnesses and should act as a catalyst to the wider community.

Designed by Ciaran Adamson Design, this unique development will be a collection of brightly coloured shipping containers with glass frontages and circular windows set on the quayside of Dublin's iconic Grand Canal Basin.

As part of this multipurpose development there will be:

• An Educational Training Center aimed at teaching Sea & Shore Safety and maritime skills to local youth.
• Workshops.
• Small Business Incubator and Retail Units.
• Maritime Gallery.
• Aqua Sports such as Surf Dock, Wakedock and Flagship Scuba.
• Café / bistro.

Cargo Maritime Village aims to become part of the fabric of local life by adding colour, creativity and life to Charlotte Quay.

The facility is expected to be up and running by summer of 2014 subject to planning permission and when complete it is expected to create thirty new jobs in the local community.

For further information contact: Jimmy Murray [email protected]

Tel: 01 668 9802

#CruiseLiners - The 'floating university' MV Explorer is due to dock at Dublin Port tonight 20 September, according to The Irish Times.

Last year the cruise liner, which operates as part of the University of Virginia's Semester at Sea study programme, visited the west coast and Galway - though it had to drop anchor in Galway Bay as the 590ft long vessel was too large to enter Galway Harbour. 

As previously reported, the Explorer during that same visit to Ireland had also paid a visit to Dublin Port.

Due to arrive tonight around 11pm, the Explorer is bringing 575 students from 20 different countries to Dublin Bay for a three-day stay before heading off to Morocco, Ghana, Argentina, Brazil - and even Cuba in a first for the programme, pending US approval.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

#CarnivalCruises- The 293m long Carnival Legend docked in Dublin Port this morning prior to making a repositioning trans-Atlantic cruise next week, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Carnival Legend arrived overnight from the Greenock, the cruise port for Glasgow which too welcomed the US owned Carnival Cruise Lines vessel which set off on a 12 day round-trip cruise from Dover. She has been operating cruises from the Kent ferryport which was her UK 'homeport' during this season.

On her visit to Dublin Port, the 2,100 passenger vessel berthed at Ocean Pier. She represents one of the more than 100 cruiseships visiting the capital, this compares to last year's total of around 90 such vessels.

Carnival Legend with her customary winged funnel design, pays tribute to some of the world's greatest legends throughout the ages.

Take a dip in the Camelot and Avalon pools, wish for magic at Club Merlin Casino, and taste something savoury at the Truffles Restaurant. There's more than one way to dine at Lido Deck's Unicorn Café, and at The Golden Fleece Steakhouse, the great multi-course meal is not a myth.

This evening she departs Irish shores to coninue her cruise which ends back in the UK. On the repositioning cruise to the US passengers are to disembark in New York.

The 'Big Apple' is one of her US homeports as are Tampa, Florida and on the west coast in Los Angeles, California. Her cruising grounds are to the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Tahiti and Fiji Islands.