#1860dockExcavation! - Arklow Fame (2006/2,998grt) the last ever ship to be dry-docked in Dublin Port that closed a month ago, was back in the port today at the Boliden Tara mines facility, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Dublin Graving Docks (DGD) Ltd closed with the loss of 26 full-time employees as the shiprepair, maintenance and conversion facility operated under license of the Dublin Port Company expired at the end of April. The site of the 220m long Graving Dock No. 2 (built 1957) was the largest in the state and is to be in-filled as part of DPC plans to increase space capacity as part of the €227m Alexandra Basin Redevelopment (ABR) project to cater for increasingly larger cargoships.

Given the name of the former dock yard company, what about the other dock? That was Graving Dock No. 1 (dating to 1860) which was in-filled less than a decade ago to increase hard-standing area for ro-ro freight operations of an expanding terminal next to the DPC’s headquarters of the Port Centre building.

The final vessel to use Graving Dock No.1 took place in May 2006 but not for standard repairs but most surprisingly was for scrapping! This involved a 1954 built Tonga flagged converted cargoship used for livestock service between Dover-Dunkerque and possibly from Dublin too from where the 836 tonnes vessel was impounded by Irish authorities in 2003.

The veteran vessel was left to languish in port and Alda K having had four names over a career spanning almost half a century would never see service again. The final chapter of this small ship ended when DGD Ltd began breaking up the the vessel in Graving Dock No. 1. The sight of this activity in the capital was most surreal to observe and something one would expect overseas.

Ironically as part of the ABR project, Graving Dock No. 1 which is a listed structure is to be excavated, despite it been in filled less than a decade ago in late 2008. The site is to be developed into a new arts and industrial heritage visitor attraction centre, located next to the port’s first dedicated cruise terminal along the North Quay Wall Extension. Currently this is where P&O Ferries operate from ro-ro terminal no. 3.

The double berth €30m terminal is to accommodate some of the world’s largest cruiseships and as well to been located closer to the city-centre. Currently the largest cruiseships can only be handled at berths alongside Ocean Pier which have deeper berths than those upriver at the North Wall Extension next to the Tom Clarke Bridge, until recently known as the East-Link toll-bridge.