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Dublin Port News
An image of how the proposed relocated crane would look alongside Dublin Port headquarters.
#PortReOrder – Frank McDonald of the Irish Times writes about plans by Dublin Port to ‘soften the hard edge’ between its Port Centre and the still-developing north Docklands. Dublin Port, for long a nearly enclosed semi-industrial estate at the eastern…
Ro-Ro freight trailers and Lo-Lo containers are the mainstay of Dublin Port’s business
Dublin Port has announced new figures showing a 6.8% increase in trade volumes for the first nine months of the year. The current pace of growth puts Dublin Port on course for a record year for the third year in…
Dublin Port’s sustainability report for 2015 highlights a 97% reduction in both water consumption and its recycling rate
#DublinPort - Dublin Port achieved a 97% recycling rate in 2015, according to its latest sustainability report. Published over the summer, the report also highlights a 97% reduction in water consumption and a successful surveillance audit for the ISO 14001…
Eamonn O Reilly, CEO, Dublin Port Company and Andrew Hetherington, CEO, Business to Arts launch ‘Port Perspectives’, a landmark art commissioning series to create new public artworks in the Dublin Port area. Open Call to National and International Artists
Dublin Port today announced the launch of an open call to artists and arts projects to create site-specific works in Dublin Port as part of Port Perspectives, its latest soft values project. Dublin Port is commissioning a series of original…
Norwegian tallship, Statsraad Lehmkuhl is docked in Dublin Port as part of Heritage Week, and will be open for visitors today, Saturday, 20 August (2-4pm)
#HeritageWeek – As part of Heritage Week events, Norwegian tallship, Statsraad Lehmkuhl will be open today, Saturday, 20 August at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin, with 'shanty' singing sailors between 2 and 4pm. No booking required nor admission fee. In…
Trade statistics at Dublin Port Company show a half-year growth of 8.0%, the strongest six-month performance ever.
#Trade8%Up - Trade statistics at Dublin Port Company show a half-year growth of 8.0%, the strongest six-month performance ever. The extraordinary growth trend for the first half of the year builds on last year’s record throughput of 32.8 million gross…
The Irish Underwater Council wrote to the EPA in March, seeking an appropriate assessment of the impact of dumping spoil on the Burford Bank, 5km southeast of Howth.
#DiversOnDumping – Lorna Siggins of The Irish Times writes that divers’ groups have decided to seek a judicial review over the licensing by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of dredge spoil dumping in Dublin Bay. Legal representatives for the Irish…
State-owned firm Dublin Port Company is looking at 40 hectares of motorway-connected land adjacent to the capital to support its future growth
#Landbank - The State-owned commercial company that operates Dublin Port, reports The Irish Independent is poised to buy 40 hectares of motorway-connected land adjacent to the capital to support its future growth. The Dublin Port Company which is enjoying a…
Seal near Dalkey Island in Dublin bay. Previous dumping has already had an impact on the integrity of the area.
#DumpingRecordResponse - A record number of submissions to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been received in response to Dublin Port’s most recent application to dump spoil in Dublin Bay, reports Lorna Siggins of The Irish Times.  A total of…
Applications Invited for the Position of Harbour Master Dublin Port
Applications are invited for the position of Harbour Master The Company Dublin Port Company is a self-financing, private limited company, wholly owned by the State and reporting to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. It is the largest port…
#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…
Six Tall Ships & Four Schooners for Dublin Port Riverfest to Attract 65,000 Visitors
Dublin Port Company today announced the launch of Dublin Port Riverfest 2016. Now in its fourth year, Riverfest is Ireland’s premier sailing and maritime festival and a highlight of the city’s June bank holiday weekend calendar.Taking place on North Wall…
Dublin Port Company has invested €500,000 in a new Seafarers’ Centre at Dublin Port. Housed in the former Odlums workers’ canteen, the Centre provides vital services to sailors docking at the port under the care of the Mission to Seafarers (The Flying Angel) and the Catholic Apostleship of the Sea (Stella Maris)
Dublin Port Company has opened a new state-of-the-art Seafarers’ Centre at Dublin Port following a €500,000 investment in the facility. The new Seafarers’ Centre was unveiled today at an official opening attended by guest of honour, the Lord Mayor of…
Leadship of the 'Horizon' class, Höegh Target, the world's largest PCTC that called again to Dublin Port today
#WorldsLargest – The World's largest pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) vessel, Höegh Target, with a 14 deck capacity for 8,500 car equivalent units, made another call to Dublin Port today along with a giant cruiseship, writes Jehan Ashmore. The…
Nicolas Delmas (2,207 TEU) is one of the largest ever containerships to dock in Dublin and is seen departing Peel Port's operated MTL Terminal, Ringsend
#LargeContainership - One of the largest ever containerships in recent years docked in Dublin Port on the same day of the longest cruiseship to call to the capital, writes Jehan Ashmore. Afloat.ie has in recent weeks been monitoring CMA CGM…
President Michael D Higgins today unveiled a plaque to ‘Tom Clarke Bridge’ officially the name of Dublin’s East-Link toll-lift bridge, the last bridge before the sea
#1916bridge - President Michael D Higgins unveiled a plaque to ‘Tom Clarke Bridge’ officially now the name to Dublin’s East-Link toll-lift bridge which is the last road crossing over the Liffey before meeting the sea, writes Jehan Ashmore. The bridge…

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.