They say a canny Conamaraman could sell sand to the Arabs, but unfortunately he can’t ship granite to the Gambians.
The Port of Galway was forced to turn down two contracts to export massive quantities of stone internationally in the past year because its docks cannot fit modern bulk carriers.
In a presentation to city councillors this week on plans to redevelop – and ultimately relocate – Galway Port, its chief executive, Conor O’Dowd, said he was forced to decline multi-million euro contracts to handle granite shipments to Africa, and limestone to Europe, because exporters will only use boats too large for Galway due to increasing fuel costs.
Materials buyers in Gambia, in west Africa, import 80 shipments of granite from India, Turkey and Brazil annually, but are looking to source the hard rock somewhere closer - from Conamara. Meanwhile, there is demand for huge quantities of granular limestone fill for the sub-sea trench which will house the new 500km Celtic Interconnector, exchanging 700 MW of electricity between Cork and Brittany.
Other opportunities lost due to capacity issues were big wind turbine towers – despite Galway regularly importing turbine blades – and crew changes for large, off-shore research vessels.
Despite these setbacks, the port reported strong revenues of €5.6m last year, with profits before taxes and other charges standing at a healthy €2.2m. Roughly half of the port’s income came from shipping, with one quarter (more than €1.5m ) from carparking, and the remainder from leasing and special projects.
Galway’s principal imports are oil, bitumen, turbines and project cargos, while exports are mostly Refuse Derived Fuels (RDF ) from recycled plastics, scrap metal, and limestone from Cong.
Less cargo activity in 2024 – 464,000 tonnes - meant revenue was down from a ten-year high in 2023 of almost €6m. O’Dowd said much of this decrease resulted from delays in the planning process for onshore turbines, but that stone exports to Scandinavia, and an expected bumper year for commercial timber exports due to Storm Éowyn, are new cargo opportunities for next year.
A number of visits by cruise ships is also expected, alongside seasonal ferries to the Aran Islands.
Based on a reform of national port legislation in 2015, Galway’s city councillors are effectively shareholders in the Port of Galway, which currently owns more than 30 acres of city centre land, and employs 13 people.
Councillors Donal Lyons (Ind ) and Frank Fahy (FG ) voiced frustration that a planning application for a relocation of Galway Port, including 24 hectares (60 acres ) of land reclamation bounded by Deadman’s Beach and Galway Harbour Enterprise Park, has been held up by planners for 11 years. This relocation will include a freight rail link, a 12m-deep channel for bulk carriers and cruise ships, a marina for 200 yachts, naval and fishing wharves, and a Renmore Promenade.
Councillor Terry O’Flaherty (Ind ) reminded her colleagues that former Fine Gael taoiseach Enda Kenny promised funding for Galway Port 13 years ago.
Fahy, a taxi driver, said the inability of cruise ships to disembark passengers at the port meant he had often seen lines of limos and tour buses sitting idle near the docks because weather made ship-to-shore transfer by launch unpalatable, or impossible, or for passengers.
Councillor Níall McNelis (Lab ) said “it was a myth” that cruise ship tourists do not spend in the local economy, and that these liners discharge sewage in the inner Bay, according to monitoring by the Harbour Master.
A large-scale residential development (LRD ) planning application submitted to Bord Pleanála by the Land Development Agency for 350 apartments on former Port lands by Lough Atalia is expected to be progressed by the end of the year, with Councillor Alan Cheevers (FF ) insisting social and affordable homes should be included in a housing development of the inner docks.
“We don’t want to just see quayside condos for the mega rich,” agreed Councillor Fahy.
City manager, Leonard Cleary, said the port’s priorities aligned with the state’s housing, environmental and transport policies. “The redevelopment of the Port of Galway must be prioritised infrastructure if Galway is to be considered a realistic regional alternative to Dublin as part of national planning strategy” he said.
