Water Transport and Access
Overview
 
As an island, water transport and access are vital elements of an integrated communications network. From an economic perspective water transport is a very valuable contributor to the national economy as most goods imported and exported are ship borne. Passenger ferries are also of social benefit as they provide links both at a national and international level. Ports, piers and jetties are key elements of the access infrastructure, while for the growing marine leisure community marinas, pontoons and associated berthing infrastructure is indispensable and also benefits local coastal communities.
Details
Commercial Ports • Fishing Ports • Ferry Ports • Berthing Structures
Commercial Ports

Rosslare
Rosslare Europort in Co. Wexford is the nearest port to mainland Europe.
Commercial ports are vital to the success of the Irish economy. An estimated 99% of Ireland’s trade by weight is carried by sea (IMDO). In 2003 approximately €130bn worth of goods entered or exited the country via ports, compared to €7-10bn through the airports (CSO). Almost 90% of Northern Ireland’s total trade passes through its five commercial ports, while 50% of the Republic’s freight traffic uses these ports.

The most important ports are located on the East and South coasts and provide connections to our main trading partners in Britain and mainland Europe. Eleven of the commercial ports in the Republic are state owned and directly employ almost 700 people (Marine Times).
Click here to view the location of commercial ports.
All of the major ports are currently modernising and putting major expansion plans in place. The biggest challenges to the sector over the coming years include rising demand for space close to urban centres, capacity constraints and finding investment capital. The Irish Maritime Development Office, which is part of the Marine Institute helps to develop, promote and market Ireland’s shipping service industry including its port facilities.
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Fishing Ports

Kilmore Quay
Fishing vessels moored at Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford.
Fishing is an important economic activity in many coastal areas, however the prosperity of the industry has fluctuated greatly over recent decades. Fishing activity is governed by the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), and adapting to its regulatory regime has been an ongoing challenge. One of the major changes in terms of fishing infrastructure has been the phasing out of smaller vessels, therefore port facilities have had to be expanded in order to handle larger vessels and fish volumes.

Killybegs, Co. Donegal and Castletownbere, Co. Cork are the main fishing ports by tonnage of demersal (bottom feeding species such as plaice) and pelagic (surface feeding species such as cod) fish landed in the Republic of Ireland. However Dunmore East, Co. Waterford and Rathmullan, Co. Donegal are also important for pelagic landings. In Northern Ireland, Kilkeel in Co. Down is one of the busiest fishing ports.

Click here to view the location of fishing ports.
The National Development Plan (2000-2006) has seen significant development in fishing ports. With a contraction in the fishing industry, there is a need to diversify into other areas. Fifty million Euro were invested to improve facilities at Killybegs. It now services companies involved in offshore gas and oil exploration. Rossaveal has also seen investment as it caters to the needs of almost a quarter of a million passengers who visit the Aran islands every year. Improvements to Castletownbere, Co. Cork, Clogherhead, Co. Louth and Dunmore East, Co. Waterford are also underway.

Up to 15,000 people are employed in the fishing industry in the Republic of Ireland, taking part in activities such as fishing, fish farming and fish processing while about 1600 people are employed in the industry in Northern Ireland.
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Ferry Ports

International Ferry Ports
There are six international ferry ports providing transport from Belfast, Dublin, Larne, Rosslare, Cork and Dun Laoghaire. Over four million vehicle and foot passengers use these services annually, although numbers have been dropping slowly over the last 5 years, partly due to increased competition from low-fares airlines. Ferry traffic is greatest during the peak summer holiday season from June to September. The MV Ulysses, which operates on the Dublin to Holyhead route is one of the largest passenger ferries in the world.
Local Ferry Ports
Portaferry
This ferry links Portaferry with Strangford in Co. Down.
Within the country, over thirty ferries provide local transport to offshore islands and across rivers and lakes. These services are not only of benefit to local residents but are also an important element of tourist infrastructure. Landing facilities range from slipways which are needed to accommodate vehicular traffic, to piers, where access is provided for foot passengers only.

Click here to view the location of international and local ferry ports.
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Berthing Structures

Piers & Jetties
Pier
A pier in Bellmullet, Co. Mayo.
Jetties and Piers can be major structures extending into deep water for berthing large vessels at all states of the tide. Small jetties for leisure are normally provided alongside a slipway facility. These jetties can be constructed of timber, steel or concrete. Jetties allow boats to be brought alongside to suit variation in tide level and provide dry-foot access. As at the slipway itself, access at low water is usually restricted.
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Boarding Pontoons
Boarding pontoons are normally provided in areas of deeper water so that boats may berth alongside throughout the tidal cycle. They may be located alongside harbour walls where these have been constructed in deep water and where they provide shelter from prevailing winds.
Where sites have adequate shelter, pontoons may be located independently from harbour walls or quay structures where they can extend into deeper water and provide additional boarding space. Boarding pontoons may be located by fixed piles or moored by chain and anchor.

Berthing Pontoons
Unrestricted berthing is offered by full-scale marinas, which can provide the necessary shelter under all conditions. They are commonly sited in rivers and estuaries, or other naturally sheltered locations or else within the confines of harbours breakwaters, or piers. Sites may be dredged to ensure adequate water depth for berths at all times. Standard pontoon structures are usually adequate for such situations.

 In some cases pontoons only provide safe berthing between spring and autumn when conditions are favourable. Typically, the berthing arrangements may consist of a floating breakwater, pontoon walkways and finger berths. Because shelter is usually limited and wave attenuation only partial, long-term unattended berthing is not normally possible.
Click here to view marina locations.

Cranes and Motorised Hoists

Hoist, Crosshaven
A hoist in operation at Crosshaven, Co. Cork..
Cranes and motorised hoists are usually operated in association with the larger marina complexes for general vessel launch and recovery purposes. They are most heavily employed during the spring and autumn lifts which mark the start and end of the typical sailing season. However it can be a cost-effective alternative where there is neither the funding nor the space to construct additional 'on the water' facilities.
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Spatial Data Sources
 
The following are suggested sources for geospatial data related to the topic:

MIDA: Commercial ports
  Fishing ports
  International and local ferry ports
  Marinas

National Coastal Infrastructure Service: GIS maps of coastal access points in Counties Donegal, Mayo and Galway.
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Links
 
Use the following links to find more information from various organisations and online documents:

Department of Transport: This department is responsible for all areas of transport including marine.

Department of Marine: This department is responsible for licensing coastal development work and the fisheries sector.

Irish Maritime Development Office: This website provides information about shipping services in Ireland and provides interactive maps of commercial ports.

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: This site provides statistics on port business in Northern Ireland.

NIFHA: The Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority provides basic information on fishing ports in Northern Ireland.

NI Seafood: Information on Northern Ireland's seafood industry.

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Page References
 
The following references were used to create the atlas pages on this topic:

Central Statistics Office Port traffic Statistics, [site visited 22/11/2006].

Irish Maritime Development Office

Irish Independent Friday 11 March 2005. Pages 28 - 31

Marine Times
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