Irish port traffic accounts for over 90% of imports and exports moved in and out of Ireland and facilitate an annual average of 4.5 million foot and car passengers. Due to the heavy reliance on maritime routes in and out of Ireland, an efficient national port infrastructure plays a vital and important role in the day to day functioning of trade and travel for people and commodities in and out of the island of Ireland.
Irish ports offer transport services, facilities and maritime supply chain solutions to a number of industry sectors. A list of ports both in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are available below:
Republic Of Ireland Port Companies
Bantry Bay Port Company
Bantry Bay is the country’s dedicated transhipment port. Bantry Bay as a port facility offers fuel processing services, Tanker and Cruise ship anchorage and marine leisure services. For more information on Bantry Bay Port Company visit www.bantrybayport.com
Drogheda Port
Drogheda Port one of Ireland’s multi modal ports strategically located on the east coast with direct motorway access to the country’s key industrial and commercial centres. Drogheda Port provides facilities for both general freight and container services and can handle virtually any type of cargo ranging from Containers, Paper, Steel, Timber, Fertilizer, Grains, Petroleum and Liquefied Petroleum Gas. The port's position on the east coast of Ireland provides a major geographical advantage for transport links in to and out of Ireland. Drogheda Port has very strong short-sea trade links with Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltic states. For more information on Drogheda Port Company visit www.droghedaport.ie
Dublin Port Company
Dublin Port Company provides world-class facilities, services, accommodation and lands in the harbour for ships, goods and passengers. Located in Dublin city centre. Dublin Port handles almost 50% of the Republic of Ireland’s trade, two thirds of all containerised trade and is the largest of the three base ports on the island of Ireland, the others being Belfast and Cork. Dublin Port also handles over 1.76 million tourists through the ferry companies operating at the port and through the cruise vessels calling to the port. For more information on Dublin Port Company visit www.dublinport.ie
Dun Laoghaire Port Company
Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company (DLHC) is the statutory commercial body charged with developing Dún Laoghaire Harbour as a marine tourism gateway to Ireland. Dún Laoghaire Harbour offers both commercial development opportunities and passenger ferry and cruise ship facilities. For more information on Dun Laoghaire Port Company visit www.dlharbour.ie
Dundalk Port Company
Dundalk Port Company offers general break bulk cargo handling facilities. The port is currently under the management of Dublin Port Company, however the enactment of the 2015 Harbours Bill made the future transfer of management of the port to Louth County Council possible. For more information on Dundalk Port, visit http://www.dublinport.ie
Greenore Port
Greenore Port is Ireland's only privately owned commercial port. Greenore Port offers facilities to handle commodities including bulk animal feed, fertiliser, coal, steel, timber and general cargo. Greenore Port is owned by Doyle Shipping Group. For more information on Greenore Port visit www.greenoreport.ie
New Ross Port
The Port of New Ross in the south east of Ireland is the country’s only inland port. Located on both sides of the River Barrow, the port offers a range of facilities and is experienced in handling petroleum products, animal feedstuffs and fertiliser, cement, coal, timber, ore, steel and general cargo. The shipping channel on the river was increased to handle vessels sized up to 6,000 tonnes.
Shannon Foynes Port Company
Shannon Foynes Port is Ireland’s second largest port operation, The port company provides a variety of cargo handling services over six port terminals, and also provides warehousing and logistics support. Shannon Foynes Port has the capacity to handle the largest vessels entering Irish waters up to 200,000 dwt. SFPC specialises in bulk cargoes and accounts for more than 35% of all bulk cargoes in the Republic. Typical cargoes include liquid fuels and chemicals, ores, coal and other energy products, animal feedstuffs and fertilisers, recyclable materials and project cargoes, including wind turbines for wind energy projects. For more information on Shannon Foynes Port Company visit www.sfpc.ie
Port of Cork
The Port of Cork is a key seaport in the south of Ireland. The port services the requirements of all six shipping modes ranging from Lift-on Lift-off, Roll-on Roll-off, Liquid Bulk, Dry Bulk, Break Bulk to Cruise vessels. Port of Cork is currently undertaking a planned €80 Million redevelopment of the port facilities in Ringaskiddy . The project aims to play a catalytic role in the achievement of the strategy for the sustainable development of the Cork Region and Hinterland. For more information on the Port of Cork, visit www.portofcork.ie
Port of Galway
Galway Harbour is located in the area of Galway City. Port of Galway offers facilities general break bulk cargo, offshore and unitized cargo handling facilities. Galway Harbour also has discharge underground pipeline facilities for Petroleum Products and for Bitumen. For more information on Galway Harbour visit www.galwayharbour.com
Port Of Waterford
Port Of Waterford is geographically the closest Irish multi-modal port to continental Europe, while also being within 2 hours of the major cities in Ireland. Port Of Waterford offers facilities to handle unitized, liquid and break bulk, renewable and gas energy cargoes for the off-shore industry and also provides terminal access for the cruise ship sector. For more information on Port Of Waterford visit www.portofwaterford.com
Rosslare Europort
Rosslare Europort is the closest point from the southern part of Ireland to the UK and the European Mainland. The Port is a hub of all the major Ro/Ro Passenger and Freight services operating the southern Irish Sea and Continental routes. Rosslare Europort offers scheduled passenger ferry services to Wales and the French mainland, unaccompanied unitized cargo services to France and also offers rail terminal facilities quay side. For more information on Rosslare Europort visit www.rosslareeuroport.irishrail.ie
Wicklow Harbour
Wicklow Harbour is a tidal port at the mouth of the Leitrim River. Cargo operations are carried out at the packet pier and river berths on the North & South Quays. Wicklow Port specialises in handling bundled timber, paper, lead, plasterboard, steel and dry bulk cargoes, principally coal. Other general and heavy lift cargoes can be accommodated. For more information on Wicklow Harbour visit www.wicklowport.ie
Northern Ireland Port Companies
Belfast Harbour Company
Belfast Harbour is Northern Ireland's principal maritime gateway and logistics hub, Belfast Harbour is Northern Ireland's leading dry bulk maritime terminal and the port has made significant capital investment in purpose built storage accommodation for major break bulk commodities. Break bulk goods handled by the port include printing paper, timber and steel products. For more information on Belfast Harbour Company visit www.belfast-harbour.co.uk
Port of Larne
The Port of Larne offers facilities for both passenger and freight customers to and from the island of Ireland and Scotland. The Port of Larne provides cargo handling facilities for driver accompanied freight cargo traffic, unaccompanied freight cargo traffic, hazardous cargo and heavy haulage project cargo. For more information on Port Of Larne visit www.portoflarne.co.uk
Warrenpoint Harbour Authority
Warrenpoint Port is is Northern Ireland's second maritime gateway in terms of cargo volumes and offers facilities for Ro/Ro, Dry Bulk and Break Bulk cargoes. For more information on Warrenpoint Harbour Authority visit www.warrenpointharbour.co.uk