Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council and Eamonn O’Reilly, CEO of the Dublin Port Company on Wednesday (31st August) established a partnership between the Arts Council and DPC with the intention to deliver workspace for artists practicing in all areas of the arts at the port's Flour Mills Master Plan site located in Alexandra Basin.

Artists across Ireland struggle to find suitable workspace but research finds this problem to be most pronounced in Dublin. Dublin City Council undertook research on the provision of Artists Workspaces and infrastructure in the city in 2020 to gain a fuller understanding of the challenges facing artists. This research showed that workshop space is scarce for the 2,500 professional artists working in the city. Artists have worked collaboratively and creatively to address this challenge through ‘artist’ collectives’ but frequently find their efforts hampered by short term and insecure tenancy agreements.

To address the urgent need for more artists' space in Dublin, the Arts Council and Dublin Port Company have been working together since early 2022 to explore options within the Flour Mills Masterplan site. Dublin Port has contracted international award-winning architects, Grafton Architects to undertake a Feasibility Study on the Flour Mill Artists’ Campus on the agreed site. The project is underpinned by the policy objectives of the Arts Council’s 10-year strategy Making Great Art Work, the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 and the Dublin Port Masterplan 2040.

The artists’ campus intends to provide artists’ studios, experimental performing and visual arts spaces, sound proofed rehearsal rooms, workshops, co-working spaces, conference and meeting spaces across 5,000 square meters in the old Odlums Flour Mills area at Dublin Port.

The Arts Council and Dublin Port Company look forward to sharing more details as this exciting project progresses and welcome the official start of a fruitful partnership. The Flour Mill Artists’ Campus has the potential to establish a significant secure and sustainable workspace dedicated to artists within Dublin city. Officials from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media have visited the Flour Mills site and recognise the potential of this to be a transformational development for artists. The Arts Council continues to engage closely with Department on the realisation of this remarkable opportunity.

Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council, commented: “Dublin Port has shown remarkable vision in its support for the arts in recent years and today’s announcement is a further signal of their commitment to the development of a vibrant artistic community in our city. Dublin Port’s vision for a Port City aligns perfectly with the Arts Council’s ambition to create a sustainable and exciting infrastructure for artists to make work. The dynamic promotion of artistic expression in this historic and evolving part of the city will have a profound and positive impact. I would like to particularly salute Eamonn O’Reilly for his immense support of the arts during his time as CEO.”

Prof. Kevin Rafter, Chair of the Arts Council, said: ‘There are huge opportunities in Dublin and other areas around the country to develop new workspaces for artists to address a growing problem. The ambition of Dublin Port to work with the Arts Council is very exciting. This is the start of significant relationship to provide workspaces for artists in the old Flour Mill site in the port and will hopefully provide a model for other organisations to follow.’

Lar Joye, Port Heritage Director, said: “The 15 storey Odlum Flour Mill dominates the skyline of Dublin Port and the study being undertaken by Grafton Architects will create a wonderful space for artists. We are very keen for visitors and now artists to see how the busy Port operates and this project follows on from the very successful development of the Diving Bell museum in 2015, the Pumphouse heritage area in 2020 and Redbrick Sub Station which opens next year”.

Jerry Grant, Chairperson of Dublin Port Company, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Arts Council on this project which further highlights the importance of connecting Dublin Port to the City. Since the launch of the 2040 Masterplan in 2012 we are focused not only on improving port capacity but on furthering Port City Integration. The Board sees this project as an integral part of completing the Dublin Port Masterplan 2040”.

Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals. 

Read more articles by Jehan Ashmore >

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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 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.

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.

Source: Dublin Port Company ©Afloat 2020. 

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