dún laoghaire harbour company

Newsletter Contents:

• Harbour Company Profits for 2002 up 94%
• Tom Welby R.I.P
• Redevelopment of the Carlisle Pier
• Golf Society
• New Partnership
• RMS Leinster Commemmoration
• Gerbil and Ross push for Athens Olympics
• European Canoe Polo Championships
• Flying Fifteens in the Harbour
• Dredging Underway
• Special Olympics in the Harbour
• Enjoying the Summer sunshine!
• The Dún Laoghaire Water Wags

Harbour Company profits for 2002 up 94%

The Harbour Company recently announced a 94% increase in profits for the financial year ended 31st December 2002. Total profits before tax rose to €2.47 million compared to €1.27 million in 2001.

Overall turnover in 2002 was €9.47 million, an increase of 8% on the €8.75 million turnover in 2001. The main contributor to the increased turnover is the 37% rise in income from non-ferry activities. This income includes higher revenues from Dún Laoghaire Marina, parking fees and, for the first time, license fee income from the development of the Company's Harbour Yard site.

Shipping turnover rose by 3% in 2002. Dún Laoghaire is Ireland's premier passenger ferry port and 1.015 million passengers travelled through the Harbour in 2002.

The Company continues to focus on the development of its surplus land assets. Planning permission was granted last month for the development of the Harbour Yard site at Crofton Road, Dún Laoghaire and the Company recently announced a tender competition for a major development of the historic Carlisle Pier in the heart of the Harbour (see article on p2).

Caption: Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company
Chairman, Paddy McMahon

Commenting on the results, the Harbour Company Chairman, Paddy McMahon said:
"2002 has been another excellent year for Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company. The Company has grown its revenue from all its major activities and despite considerable cost pressures has continued to improve its operating profit margins. We face major challenges in the years ahead, particularly in the upkeep and ongoing maintenance of our beautiful, historic Harbour and its buildings. Recent conservation analysis suggests that this will costs at least €12 million in the coming years and will have to be funded from the Company's own resources. The Company is also committed to the resurfacing of the East Pier at a cost of approximately €3.0 million".

Chief Executive, Michael Hanahoe added:
"Since its establishment in 1997, the Harbour Company has grown its turnover by 8.5% per annum and its operating profits by 12% per annum compound. Non shipping revenue grew by 38% per annum during the same period.

I am optimistic that further strong revenue and operating growth will be achieved in the current year. For the future we will continue to focus on the development of our ferry terminal business, working with Stena Line to ensure that we offer the best possible facilities for their customers in Dún Laoghaire. We will also continue to focus on the continued growth of non shipping revenues.

The Supreme Court decision in July that port companies are not liable for local authority rates for the period from 1999 to 2002 inclusive will have a significant positive effect on the Company's profits for 2003. €2.4 million had been provided for over the years since 1999 as a contingency against an unfavourable court ruling. Most of this provision will be released into the Profit & Loss Account this year as a consequence of the Supreme Court ruling.

Tom Welby, RIP

The Harbour Company Board members and staff were saddened by the sudden death in June of Tom Welby. Mr. Welby was a prominent business figure in Oughterard, Co. Galway and had been a member of the Harbour Company Board since April 2002. He was a member of Galway County Council from 1974 to 1991 and brought both practical business experience and political wisdom to the Board and its work. We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Bridie and sons Matt, Mike and Thomas. May he rest in peace.

Redevelopment of the Carlisle Pier

In July, the Harbour Company announced a tender competition to redevelop the Carlisle Pier in the heart of the Harbour.
The Harbour Company has worked closely with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to define a future role for the Carlisle Pier. At the end of last year the Council adopted a variation of its Development Plan which, recognising the unique importance of the Pier's location, set out its objective for the re-development of the site to result in "an exceptional landmark building of international architectural quality that regenerates and enlivens the waterfront".
The building will house a cultural attraction of national importance. Subject to the above conditions being met, the Council will consider possible other uses of the Pier being included in the development. Interested parties have been invited to submit proposals before 1st October 2003 to design, construct, finance and operate the development. Proposals will be evaluated by an assessment panel, which will shortlist applicants. Following a full public consultation process the preferred developer and development will be chosen in the first quarter of next year.
Announcing the competition, Michael Hanahoe, Chief Executive of the Harbour Company said:
"This is a huge and exciting challenge for Dún Laoghaire as well as the Harbour Company. What we are looking for is a world-class development that will provide the nation as well as Dún Laoghaire with a beautiful waterside landmark building. Once the proposals are shortlisted we will then undertake a process of public consultation to ensure full public participation.".
The Harbour Company and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council jointly want the re-development to become a major attraction for visitors and the people of Dún Laoghaire reflecting its historic significance and maximising its potential to enhance the physical, cultural, economic and social life of Dún Laoghaire.
The Carlisle Pier was built between 1855 and 1859 and a rail line operated onto the Pier until 1980. It was the main pier for the ferries, which travelled, between Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead until 1995 when the high-speed HSS craft came into service and a new dedicated HSS terminal was opened. The Carlisle Pier has a site area of 0.91 hectares (2.25 acres).

Golf Society

The Harbour Company golf team finished in a very creditable fourth place in the Killiney Lions Club Golf Classic, which was held in Delgany Golf Club on June 5th.

The Classic was in aid of the St. John of God Special School at Dúnmore House in Dún Laoghaire and the Harbour Company team was: (left to right) Brendan Barnes, Tony Cuddy, Fergus Cuddy and Michael Connor. 15 teams took part in the competition which included a team from the Holyhead Lions Club which is twinned with Killiney Lions Club.

New Partnership

A new training partnership between the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Police and the Port of Liverpool Police Training Department was firmly cemented in August with the conclusion of a specialised series of courses. In future these courses will form a regular part of the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Police training.

RMS Leinster Commemmoration

October 10th this year will mark the 85th anniversary of the worst maritime disaster to occur in Irish waters - the sinking of the RMS Leinster by a German U-boat in the Irish Sea less than an hour after sailing from the Harbour bound for Holyhead. 501 people drowned of the 771 who were on board. Many were postal workers sorting the mail and troops returning to fight in the final weeks of the First World War. Over the weekend of October 10th to 12th, the towns of Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead will jointly commemorate the loss of the RMS Leinster. A special ceremony in Dún Laoghaire on October 10th will be addressed by Albert Owen, MP for Holyhead, who is a former seaman, and local Cllr. Denis O'Callaghan who is a postal worker.

Gerbil and Ross push for Athens Olympics

The Harbour Company is proud to sponsor two local sailors - Gerbil Owens and Ross Killian in their efforts to qualify in the 470 class for next year's Olympic Games. Last month, exactly one year prior to the Games, they had the unique opportunity to participate in the Athens 2003 Regatta which allowed athletes to familiarise themselves with the weather and sport conditions of the actual Olympic competition venue. Gerbil and Ross finished in an excellent 21st place and now move on to Cadiz in Spain where they will compete between the 18th and 24th September with a view to nailing down their Olympic place.

European Canoe Polo Championships

The Harbour Company is proud to sponsor two local sailors - Gerbil Owens and Ross Killian in their efforts to qualify in the 470 class for next year's Olympic Games. Last month, exactly one year prior to the Games, they had the unique opportunity to participate in the Athens 2003 Regatta which allowed athletes to familiarise themselves with the weather and sport conditions of the actual Olympic competition venue. Gerbil and Ross finished in an excellent 21st place and now move on to Cadiz in Spain where they will compete between the 18th and 24th September with a view to nailing down their Olympic place.

Flying Fifteens in the Harbour

The Flying Fifteen class proved as popular as ever when the 2003 World Championships were hosted by the National Yacht Club in August. The event was won by the husband and wife team of Barry and Sue Parkin from Great Britain in a 5 year old boat - the first time a ladies name has been on the trophy.

Light winds and fog disrupted the race programme considerably and after an unbelievably close five race series the National Yacht Club duo of Justin Burke and Alan Green secured the best ever Irish finish with fifth place overall. No less than seven Irish boats finished in the top 30 with Sean Craig / Stephen Boyle finished a strong 12th place. Gerry Donleavy / Ciaran Crummey finshed 17th , just ahead of Ian Matthews / Ben Mulligan in 18th.

There were 77 entries for the Worlds. The UK and Irish dominated the entries but there were 9 boats from Australia, 7 from New Zealand and representation from France, Hong Kong and Spain.

There was a separate Championship for Classic/Silver boats with 23 entries. The next World Championships will be held in Auckland, New Zealand in March 2005.

Dredging Underway

Pier walkers will have seen two dredgers hard at work in the Harbour recently - the "UKD Dolphin" and "UKD Sea Lion". The Dolphin trails a suction arm along the sea bed and takes approximately one hour to load its 1,000 cubic metres capacity. The spoil is then taken out to the authorised spoil ground, four miles out in Dublin Bay, and deposited in a blanket action as the ship slowly moves along. The Sea Lion's task is to haul spoil out from alongside the berths into the path of the suction dredger. It also acts as a bed leveller to ensure that any remaining "high spots" from the main works are removed so as to leave a level, dredged area.

Special Olympics in the Harbour

It was a perfect week for sailing at the Royal St. George Yacht Club when the Special Olympics sailing events took place in June. The sun shone, the wind blew, and the rescue boats were idle.

From athletes to volunteers, from coaches to family members, the feeling of friendship, camaraderie and sport were shared by all. The competition was praised by the head coach of the Great Britain delegation, Charlie Falconer: "The standard of sailing has been excellent and hats off to the athletes who showed amazing ability on the water", he said. "I'm also very impressed with the way the event was run - very slick".

Greek athlete Katerina Kaprini won every race she competed in. The gold medal winner, who has only been sailing for one year, was delighted with her unexpected win. "I like Ireland very much and I am very happy", she declared. The largest delegation, USA, won 13 medals - six gold, four silver and three bronze - a tremendous achievement for all involved.

The atmosphere at Dún Laoghaire was enhanced by various extra events, including a VIP race in which Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver took to the seas to race the competition course.

There were also tours of the RNLI Lifeboat station, the naval vessel LE Niamh, and tall ship Asgard which provided excitement for the athletes between races.

Enjoying the Summer sunshine....

The Dún Laoghaire Water Wags

The Water Wag is the oldest one design sailing boat in the world. First designed in 1887 this clinker built wooden dinghy is still sailed in Dún Laoghaire, Colombo in Sri Lanka and Madras in India.

A member of the Shankill Corinthian Sailing Club while in Scotland saw a boat which employed a boiler plate instead of the stones which had been the norm for ballast in small boats in the mid nineteenth century and in 1878 he built a boat called 'Cemiostomia' using this new technology which was found to sail very efficiently to windward.

In response to this development, Thomas Middleton a member of the Club, decided that it would be a wonderful idea to build a number of punts of the same design and specification as this would test the skill of the yachtsmen and not that of their designers or boatbuilders. In 1886, he circulated flyers among the yachtsmen in the Royal Yacht Clubs in Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire).

A meeting in October 1886 agreed the specifications for the proposed new boat which was to be based on the Shankill boiler plate design. Thirteen of these new ' One Design' boats were built in 1887 at a cost of £13.00 each.

The new Club, managed by a King, Queen, King's Bishop, Queen's Bishop, Knights and Rooks, was called "The Water Wags". Entry fees for races were paid to the Officer of the Day in his launch, and racing was started on the stroke of the Kingstown Town Hall clock. The entry 'takings' were then presented to the winner of the race.

The boats started between the lamp-post to the right of the large crane on the Victoria Wharf, and the Hauling Buoy off the wharf, and raced around three permanent buoys moored within the Harbour, The Melampus Buoy, The Navy Buoy and the Coal Harbour Mark. Within a few years, dozens of Water Wags were racing in the Harbour.

The Water Wags still maintain most of the traditions of their earlier members and sail these lovely old boats in the Harbour every Wednesday evening from 6.30pm to 8.00pm from May to September.

The oldest boats racing today are about 97 years old and the newest boats were launched this season.

The Water Wags are easily recognised with their distinctive silver spruce planking, straight stem and raked transom. The Water Wag sails consist of a low centre of effort gaff rig, with the main boom extending the sail aft of the hull. The spinnaker is a colourful flat triangular sail which is only to be flown on its long pole when the wind is astern.

By kind permission- Vincent Delaney 2003.