Back to Top

 Skip navigation

Maritime

Open in Excel:
  • In 2016, a total of 12,880 trading vessels (of 100 gross tonnes or more) arrived in Irish ports.

  • In total, 50.7 million tonnes of goods were handled by Irish ports, of which, 33.7 million tonnes of goods were unloaded and 17.0 million tonnes were loaded.

  • Dublin port was the busiest port, handling almost half (47.0%) of all goods in 2016.

  • In 2016, the busiest ferry route was the Dublin - Holyhead route, which accounted for 64.0% of all passengers on scheduled ferry services.

Goods receivedGoods forwardedTotal goods
201030.714.445.1
201129.815.245.1
201230.916.247.1
201331.415.346.7
201429.118.447.5
201533.617.050.7
201633.717.050.7
Table 9.1 Total tonnage of goods handled by Irish ports, 2010 - 2016
   '000
 20102011201212013201420152016
Total goods handled 45,07145,07847,08846,72247,48350,66650,712
Goods received30,71229,83830,88731,40329,08333,63833,744
Goods forwarded14,35915,24016,20115,31918,40017,02816,967
Source: CSO
1 Revised
Table 9.2 Tonnage of goods handled by Irish ports classified by region of trade, 2010-2016
         '000
Region of trade20102011201212013201420152016
Goods handled       
 Foreign trade       
  Great Britain & Northern Ireland18,00219,27916,88717,02817,41819,72120,475
  Other E.U.14,94814,11115,41315,94415,49516,37016,714
  Non-E.U.3,3552,0491,5792,7692,3633,6224,014
  Other ports7,0287,5558,9928,1679,2838,6177,832
 Coastal trade1,7382,0854,2172,8142,9242,3361,677
Total goods handled45,07145,07847,08846,72247,48350,66650,712
          
Goods received       
 Foreign trade       
  Great Britain & Northern Ireland11,56412,3029,7259,9639,71711,16611,228
  Other E.U.9,5768,2569,46410,1959,16010,55210,618
  Non-E.U.2,5871,5391,2392,4142,0443,1203,683
  Other ports6,1316,8178,4597,4796,8667,7387,520
 Coastal trade8529242,0001,3521,2961,062694
Total goods received30,71229,83830,88731,40329,08333,63833,744
          
Goods forwarded       
 Foreign trade       
  Great Britain & Northern Ireland6,4386,9777,1627,0647,7018,5559,247
  Other E.U.5,3715,8555,9505,7506,3345,8186,096
  Non E.U.767510340354319502330
  Other ports8977385336882,418879312
 Coastal trade8861,1602,2171,4631,6281,274982
Total goods forwarded14,35915,24016,20115,31918,40017,02816,967
Source: CSO
1 Revised

View Statbank Table

Table 9.3 Number of arrivals to Irish ports and gross tonnage of vessels classified by type of vessel and port, 2016
PortVessel type Total
Liquid bulk Dry bulk Container Specialised General Passenger 
NumberGrossNumberGrossNumberGrossNumberGrossNumberGrossNumberGrossNumberGross
tonnagetonnagetonnagetonnagetonnagetonnagetonnage
 '000  '000  '000  '000  '000  '000  '000
Arklow Port-- -- -- -- -- -- --
Bantry Bay4146----------4146
Castletownbere--1336------171443
Cork3364,5551891,5792583,182773,455174478864,8541,12018,102
Drogheda25663771----317858--379995
Dublin4744,123801,2758827,640722,6476,048151,4971094,3567,665171,539
Dundalk-- -- -- -- 3168 -- 3168
Dun Laoghaire-- -- -- -- -- -- --
Galway11539352144--------167537
Greenore--68485--75156145--131682
Killybegs--2----2193191001327253465
Kilrush--------------
Kinsale--1129--------1129
New Ross--92223--------92223
Rosslare--------1,70132,880--1,70132,880
Shannon Foynes Port1721,3412966,108--12144562,716--93610,179
Sligo--1632--------1632
Tralee Fenit--------20187--20187
Waterford--328100785--2651,01882103762,042
Wicklow--718----107185--114203
Youghal--------5044--5044
Total1,12610,625 86410,030 1,24011,607 1896,260 9,244190,175 2179,700 12,880238,397
Source: CSO

View Statbank Table

Table 9.4 Number of arrivals to Irish ports and gross tonnage of vessels by type of vessel, 2006 - 2016
Year Vessel type Total
Liquid bulk Dry bulk Container Specialised General Passenger 
NumberGross tonnage '000 NumberGross tonnage '000 NumberGross tonnage '000 NumberGross tonnage '000 NumberGross tonnage '000 NumberGross tonnage '000 NumberGross tonnage '000
20061,94911,756 1,2659,269 2,65813,816 3067,524 9,722175,385 1424,508 16,042222,257
20071,71312,448 1,2129,156 2,79514,876 3088,623 9,934176,863 1234,361 16,085226,326
20081,58912,754 1,46513,756 2,24313,642 2436,250 8,992175,496 1977,133 14,729229,031
20091,34410,361 1,0687,033 1,98613,378 1213,961 8,512178,981 1927,469 13,223221,183
20101,34911,062 1,1438,255 1,67812,253 853,449 8,813187,863 2437,395 13,311230,276
20111,13810,456 1,0889,519 1,41810,190 1053,691 8,012180,121 2989,819 12,059223,795
20121,06011,386 1,1449,380 1,40311,976 1133,105 7,897182,102 1937,035 11,810224,983
20131,0279,318 7738,519 1,26210,176 993,279 8,554169,090 2259,438 11,940209,821
20149859,619 5857,071 1,2059,560 1214,080 9,125184,602 1838,082 12,204223,014
20151,0299,986 5888,433 1,2049,417 2007,271 9,018186,140 20310,494 12,242231,741
20161,12610,625 86410,030 1,24011,607 1896,260 9,244190,175 2179,700 12,880238,397
Source: CSO

View Statbank table

Table 9.5 Total tonnage of goods handled by Irish ports classified by port and region of trade, 2016
‘000
PortRegion of tradeTotal
Great Britain &Other EUNon-EU1Other ports2Coastal trade
Northern Ireland
Arklow Port------
Bantry Bay113--14638298
Castletownbere--46--46
Cork1,6582,7752,8841,0915708,977
Drogheda267899262281,223
Dublin15,3487,27334667520823,849
Dundalk535--443
Dun Laoghaire------
Galway46129--413588
Greenore4235633182-613
Killybegs632 -038
Kilrush------
Kinsale-21--324
New Ross102242583270
Rosslare1,725454---2,179
Shannon Foynes Port1,1013,3745235,58136910,949
Sligo526---31
Tralee Fenit08-9623
Waterford53993107118541,325
Wicklow9260---152
Youghal55724--85
Total20,47516,7144,0147,8321,67750,712
Source: CSO
1 Trade with ports in European countries that are not members of the E.U.
2 Trade with ports in Non-European countries

View Statbank Table

Table 9.6 Total tonnage of goods handled by Irish ports classified by port and category of traffic, 2016
      ‘000
PortCategory of trafficTotal
Liquid bulkDry bulkLift-on/lift-offRoll-on/roll-offBreak bulk & other goods
Arklow Port------
Bantry Bay298----298
Castletownbere----4646
Cork5,4301,4351,889841398,977
Drogheda33891--2991,223
Dublin4,0172,0535,06212,6675023,849
Dundalk-43---43
Dun Laoghaire------
Galway43890--60588
Greenore-412--201613
Killybegs----3838
Kilrush------
Kinsale-24---24
New Ross8262---270
Rosslare---2,133462,179
Shannon Foynes Port1,0509,714--18410,949
Sligo-21--1031
Tralee Fenit----2323
Waterford-970279-761,325
Wicklow-21--131152
Youghal----8585
Total11,27415,9377,23014,8841,38750,712
Source: CSO

View Statbank Table

Table 9.7 Details of roll-on/roll-off traffic handled by Irish ports, 2006-2016
YearPassenger cars, motorcycles and accompanying trailers/caravans  Passenger buses Trade vehicles1 Freight vehicles/trailers2
Number Number NumberTonnes '000 Loaded Empty
   NumberTonnes '000 Number
2006792,365 57,165 235,783329 720,28311,525 144,238
2007820,208 68,347 248,020347 768,86312,149 151,022
2008759,139 59,763 166,209257 742,91211,823 133,166
2009779,237 57,555 52,17877 781,03710,854 96,375
2010796,127 60,532 108,810158 742,37712,099 111,319
2011776,443 59,761 101,586148 747,52811,914 100,220
2012740,835 12,971 94,484120 834,15911,489 94,741
2013752,240 13,685 100,104109 882,78112,036 103,896
2014774,438 13,946 131,779140 942,37612,965 104,169
2015782,530 14,468 175,295187 994,95713,719 107,501
2016786,853 14,400 180,085192 1,075,20914,692 121,870
Source: CSO
1 Vehicles imported or exported
2 Includes data on (a) road goods vehicles and accompanying trailers (b) unaccompanied road goods trailers and semi-trailers and (c) unaccompanied caravans and other road, agricultural and industrial trailers

View Statbank Table

Table 9.8 Number of cruise ships and passengers by port, 2016
PortsNumber of cruise shipsNumber of passengers
Bantry2174
Castletownbere1134
Cork5789,686
Dublin1109109,884
Dún Laoghaire86,268
Galway41,567
Killybegs136,226
Rosslare1780
Shannon Foynes00
Waterford147,498
Total209222,217
Source: CSO
1 Includes passengers embarking in Dublin port

View Statbank Table

Table 9.9 Number of cruise ships by month of arrival and passengers, 2016
MonthNumber of cruise shipsNumber of passengers
January1252
February--
March21,671
April42,990
May4153,441
June4236,890
July3134,239
August5460,829
September2524,063
October21,417
November--
December76,335
Total209222,217
Source: CSO

View Statbank Table

Table 9.10 Passengers on scheduled international ferry services disembarking/embarking classified by port and route, 2016
'000
PortCountryTotal
Great Britain France Other1
FishguardHolyheadLiverpool CherbourgRoscoff 
Disembarking    
Cork--- -41 -41
Dublin-86928 1- 1898
Dun Laoghaire--- -- --
Rosslare285-- 10332 -421
Total disembarking28586928 10473 11,360
          
Embarking         
Cork--- -39 -39
Dublin-86824 0- 2894
Dun Laoghaire--- -- --
Rosslare279-- 10536 -420
Total embarking27986824 10574 21,352
          
All Passengers         
Cork--- -79 -79
Dublin-1,73752 1- 31,792
Dun Laoghaire--- -- --
Rosslare565-- 20868 -840
Total passengers5651,73752 208147 32,712
Source: CSO
1 Not precluding British and French ports

                                         

Go to next chapter >>>   Small public service vehicle transport

Go to top>>