Dun Laoghaire Harbour, whose sole commercial customer is Stena Line’s HSS fast craft from Holyhead, welcomed its first cargo ship in more than two decades when Myrte (2008/6,120gt) docked on 17 February. Two more cargo ships arrived later, the largest being the Dutch-flagged Keizersborg (2006/6,142gt). The 130m vessel discharged the second of three fermentation tanks from Rotterdam for the world-famous Guinness brewery in central Dublin.
The cargo was unloaded onto the former mail boat Carlisle Pier, from where it was taken by road to St James’s Gate brewery by night-time police-escorted truck convoys. Dun Laoghaire was chosen instead of Dublin to transfer the tanks, each weighing up to 30 tonnes, because of road bridge height restrictions. The final caller, Blue Tune (2010/3,845gt), called at Dublin before heading for Dun Laoghaire. JA
