Irish Port and Shipping News

Irish Ferries vessel MV Isle of Inishmore, aboard which a crewman died during loading operations at Rosslare Europort in March 2019

Shipping Management Company Fined €200,000 After Death of Crewman in 2019

12th November 2026 Ports & Shipping

A Cypriot shipping management company has been fined €200,000 after pleading guilty to a breach of workplace safety legislation following the death of a crew member aboard an Irish Ferries ship at Rosslare Europort in 2019. The Health and Safety…

The flagship Manxman, which only entered service in the summer of 2024, has been out of action since July, missing the entire peak season on the Island’s main Douglas-Heysham route.

Lloyd's Register Join Investigation as Repairs Continue With Isle of Man Flagship

11th November 2026 Ports & Shipping

Last week, investigations intensified into the problems plaguing the Isle of Man Steam Packets flagship ferry, Manxman, as specialist teams worked to identify the cause of issues affecting the propulsion system. Assisting the company’s project team are experts from Lloyd's…

Whisky Galore! BG Orange, during dusk at Dublin Port’s (MTL Terminal) in recent weeks, operates for BG Freight Line, which last week launched another new Scotland-Netherlands route. This adds to existing calls to the Irish capital, Belfast, Liverpool and Rotterdam, where rostered on the new link to continental Europe on a rotating basis are the Ireland-Max class containerships BG Emerald and BG Jade

New 'Sales' Route to Boost Scottish Whisky Served by BG Freight Line

11th November 2026 Ports & Shipping

A new weekly shipping service serving Scotland with mainland Europe will also assist in boosting the country's whisky industry, port bosses claim, writes Jehan Ashmore. BG Freight Line’s Greenock-Rotterdam route will deliver in supporting such trade exports to the major…

At ESPO’s General Assembly were Gerardo Landaluce, Isabelle Ryckbost (ESPO’s Secretary General), Gunnar Tryggvason (CEO of Ports of Faxaflói and Board Member of the Icelandic Ports Association), Ansis Zeltiņš and Cedric Virciglio.

Icelandic Ports Become Full Member of European Sea Ports Organisation

11th November 2026 Ports & Shipping

The Icelandic Association of Ports has become a full member of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), following the formal approval of its membership by ESPO’s General Assembly, which was welcomed by organisation. Previously an observer member of ESPO,…

Boluda Shipping is to acquire the container company Samskip, consolidating lo-lo services in Northern Europe and beyond. Both companies have existing operations in Ireland, as Afloat also adds the Boluda Corporación Marítima group, which has a giant global tug subsidiary, including those based in Belfast and Britain.

Spanish Shipping Group Boluda Acquires Dutch Container Company Samskip

10th November 2026 Ports & Shipping

A Spanish shipping group and a Dutch container company have signed an agreement under which Boluda Shipping will acquire Samskip, with both having existing operations in Ireland. The acquisition will pave the way for Europe’s most comprehensive short-sea shipping network,…

Conor Mowlds, Minister Seán Canney and IRI President Bill Gallagher at the announcement of the new Cork office

Conor Mowlds Leads World's Second-Largest Ship Registry to Cork

29th October 2026 Ports & Shipping

Former Port of Cork chief commercial officer Conor Mowlds is heading a new Cork office for International Registries, Inc. (IRI), the US-based company providing administrative and technical support to the Republic of the Marshall Islands ship registry, currently the world's…

Container ship underway as worldwide survey examines marine navigation aids, GPS jamming and spoofing

Worldwide Navigation Survey to Examine GPS Jamming

16th October 2026 Ports & Shipping

The International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouses (IALA) has asked the Nautical Institute, the worldwide professional mariners’ organisation, to carry out a new survey of user feedback on how mariners “use and value” AtoN (Aids to Navigation)…

ESPO and the European Federation of Inland Ports (EFIP) have launched the Green Innovation Compass, a new knowledge platform to bring together European expertise and practical experience on port innovations, through both organisations' websites.

New 'Green Innovation Compass' Launched on European & Inland Port Organisations' Websites

16th October 2026 Ports & Shipping

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) and the European Federation of Inland Ports (EFIP) are pleased to announce the new Green Innovation Compass. The knowledge platform brings together European expertise and practical experience on port innovations is now available through…

At the recent Connecting Europe Days, Isabelle Ryckbost, Secretary General of ESPO (second from left) had a valuable exchange with EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas. EU leaders from today are meeting in Brussels for a summit to discuss, among other priorities, the EU’s long-term Transport budget for 2028-2034.

Joint Letter Calls on EU Member States Not to Cut Long-Term Transport Budget

16th October 2026 Ports & Shipping

European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels for a two-day summit to discuss, among other priorities, the EU’s long-term budget for 2028-2034. In the run-up to the discussions, the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), together with Europe’s transport sector, is…

CEO Change: Claudio Veritiero, is standing down from Peel Ports Group which aside its UK portfolio has its Irish operation of MTL (Terminals) Dublin Port. The LoLo facility has a throughput of 250,000 TEU’s per year, with direct container connections (among them Group subsidiary BG Freight Line) to the UK, the Netherlands, France, Iberia and onwards worldwide.

Peel Ports Group Sees Change of Leadership with Chief Executive Officer

12th October 2026 Ports & Shipping

In a statement issued by Peel Port Group today, its Chief Executive Officer, Claudio Veritiero, is standing down from his position at the UK's second-largest ports group. Mr. Veritiero has served nearly five years as CEO and six years within the business,…

Isabelle Ryckbost, Gen. Sec. of ESPO, unveiled its Environmental Report 2026 at the GreenPort Congress, hosted by Portsmouth International Port in the UK. The report sees ports increasingly translating environmental commitments into tangible results. She focused in particular on EU Port Strategy, revision of EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), and the expected revision of Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR). Afloat adds the next ESPO annual Port Conference, is to be hosted by the Port of Cork, 13-14 May, 2027.

ESPO’s Environmental Report 2026 Unveiled at GreenPort Conference Hosted by UK Ferryport

9th October 2026 Ports & Shipping

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) has unveiled its annual ESPO Environmental Report 2026 – EcoPortsinSights 2026 during the GreenPort Congress, hosted by Portsmouth International Port in the UK. The unveiling yesterday of ESPO’s Environmental Report is a cornerstone of…

Peel Ports Group (Afloat adds operator of the MTL Terminal, Dublin Port), has appointed Nigel Kent as its first Head of Project Cargo, bringing the UK's second largest port operator's project cargo work under one team with a single point of contact across its network.

Appointment of Peel Port Group’s First Head of Project Cargo

6th October 2026 Ports & Shipping

The UK's second largest port group, Peel Ports Group, has appointed Nigel Kent as its first Head of Project Cargo as it strengthens its offering to meet rising demand across this sector. Nigel's appointment (follows another at Clydeport, Greenock) is…

National Maritime College of Ireland at Ringaskiddy, Cork

New Challenges Facing Seafarers to be Examined at Cork Maritime Conference

5th October 2026 Ports & Shipping

The increasing number of new risks and challenges facing seafarers is causing considerable concern. Earlier this year, the World Maritime University published a new report, In Search of a Sea-Life Balance in an Adverse Environment. It shed light on the…