The Bay: Episode 3

May 18th, 2005, 7:30 PM, RTÉ One

Port of Call

Episode Three moves into the port and docklands, the beating heart not only of Dublin city, but also of the national economy. The volume of traffic passing through the port has trebled in recent years, forcing a fundamental reevaluation of how it operates, and the nature of its relationship with the city around it.

Further information:

Dublin city grew up around its trading port - in many ways, the port is responsible for the existence of the city. But the rest of Ireland relies heavily on this place too - much of the country's trade passes through here, increasing with each year.

The port is owned and managed by Dublin Port Company, a self-financing and profitable company that in turn is wholly owned by the state. In 1992, just over six million tonnes of goods passed through this port. Today, it handles 25 million.

Up to seven kilometers of trucks come through the port every morning and moves down the city quays. With the opening of the Dublin Port tunnel, however, much of this heavy traffic will be redirected away from the city centre, taking 9,000 trucks per day off the inner city streets and greatly stengthening the case for retaining the port on its current site. The tunnel will finally allow the docklands to breathe.

But the business at the port has left it with a problem - there just simply isn't enough room to handle the extra cargo into the future. As a result, Dublin Port has proposed to reclaim 52 acres from the inner bay - a proposal which has met with still opposition from residents groups.

Over 150 ships call to this port every week, and all traffic is controlled and monitored by Dublin port control. Much of this traffic is guided into the busy Dublin Port by its company pilot, and Episode Three brings viewers out on a port pilot boat to follow the work.

For ships approaching Dublin, the first sign that the Bay is within reach is the light from one of the three lighthouses that guard its entrance. The Bailey, Kish and Muglins lights are visible 12 miles out, announcing to all sailors that their journey is almost over.

If visiting sailors were to move a little further up the Liffey from the port, they would soon find themselves in one of the city's most exciting areas - the Docklands. After decades of neglect, the Docklands is now riding high, with a major new apartment development on the site of the old gasworks site and many thousands of new residents moving into the area.

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