Memorial: Niall Dardis

It was with great sadness that Dublin Port Company learned of the death of Niall Dardis on August 27, 2020.

Niall worked as a senior draughtsman in the engineering department of Dublin Port for many decades before his retirement in July 1992, having begun his career as a temporary draughtsman in June 1963. On his retirement, there was a huge turnout for the official Dublin Port Company presentation, so many in fact that they could not all fit into the room to pay their respects to him.

Niall’s involvement with Dublin Port didn’t end when he retired, however. When archivist, Gerry Daly, was retiring, he couldn’t think of anyone better suited to the stewardship of the Dublin Port archive than Niall and approached the former draughtsman with his suggestion. Niall couldn’t resist, and threw himself into the task of honorary archivist with enthusiasm and great skill, managing the extensive archive and helping to ensure its preservation for future generations.

“Archives rely on generations of staff and in the case of our collections, in particular, on Niall Dardis, in protecting and preserving their collections for future generations,” explains Lar Joye, Heritage Director, Dublin Port Company. “Due to Niall, we now have a nationally important collection of 78,000 photographs, 30,000 engineer drawings and 10,000 files telling the 300-year history of Dublin Port.”

Colette Roche was Niall’s friend and colleague within Dublin Port Company for much of his time there. “He was very well known around Dublin Port and very well liked,” she remembers. “Niall was directly involved with so many people in various departments within the Port, who called on his expertise and his great knowledge of the Port. He was meticulous about his work, developing his own unique code for filing, so he could respond to any queries and put his hand on the required document or drawing at speed. Niall was a great storyteller, a great historian and he will be sorely missed for his great knowledge and passion for Dublin Port. He was a mine of information on Dublin Port, its history, and the history of the city.”

Indeed, he regularly gave lectures and talks on the history of Dublin Port, its relationship to our capital city, and the historical characters who helped to shape it, from Captain William Bligh to Bindon Blood Stoney.

Outside of his work and his passion for Dublin Port, Niall was a very caring man, dedicated to his family and friends and his community. He volunteered at Ballyfermot Credit Union for many years and was heavily involved with the Active Retired community in Palmerstown, along with his late wife, June.

Our deepest condolences to Niall’s children, Paul, Colin, Grace, Christine and Christopher, his grandchildren and extended family and friends.

Pandemic Affects Throughput Figures but Port Business is Resilient

Dublin Port’s throughput increased by 76% in the fourth quarter of 2020, but the pandemic had an effect on the year as a whole, with total cargo volumes down by -3.4% for 2020.

2020 was a challenging year for Dublin Port but a year which demonstrated, yet again, the robustness of the Port’s cargo business, with full year volumes of 36.9 million gross tonnes, only -3.4% behind 2019.

Notwithstanding the decline of -3.4%, 2020 was the third busiest year for cargo in the long history of Dublin Port, with higher volumes recorded in only 2018 (38 million gross tonnes) and 2019 (38.1 million gross tonnes).

Imports for the year fell by -5.0% to 21.7 million gross tonnes and exports declined by -0.9% to 15.2 million gross tonnes.

2020 by quarter: • The first quarter of 2020 was slow (-4.9%) by comparison to a strong first quarter in 2019, which had been driven by Brexit stockpiling in advance of the original Brexit date of March 31, 2019;

• The second quarter of 2020 was very difficult (-17.0%) because of the pandemic, with very large reductions in volumes in April (-26.2%) and May (-20.5%);

• However, volumes recovered in the third quarter with growth of +1.1%;

• The year ended with a very strong fourth quarter (+7.6%) driven by the second and final round of

Brexit stockpiling. Within the fourth quarter, volumes in December alone were ahead by +21.7%.

‘000 gross tonnes 2020 2019 Change

Q1 9,219 9,689 -4.9% Q2 7,955 9,587 -17.0% Q3 9,598 9,489 1.1% Q4 10,092 9,380 7.6% Total 36,864 38,145 -3.4%

Trade figures explained Unitised trade for the full year (trailers and containers combined) fell marginally by -0.5% to 1,485,000 units, with Ro-Ro growing by +0.2% to 1,061,000 units and Lo-Lo declining by -2.1% to 758,000 TEU.

In contrast to the unitised cargo modes, imports of new trade vehicles declined substantially by -29.3% to 53,000 units.

Due to much reduced transport demand in the economy, Bulk Liquid imports of petroleum products were back by -17.0% to 3.9 million tonnes.

Bulk Solids (including agri-feed products, ore concentrates and cement products) finished the year +7.6% ahead at 2 million tonnes.

In contrast to the cargo side of Dublin Port’s business, the pandemic drove passenger and tourism volumes down significantly. Passenger numbers on ferries (including HGV drivers) declined by -57.3% to 833,000. Tourist vehicles declined by -61.6% to 215,000.

On the cruise side, there was a single small cruise ship early in the year compared to 158 in 2019.

Strong second half to 2020 Commenting on the 2020 figures, Dublin Port’s Chief Executive, Eamonn O’Reilly, said: “In the first half of 2020, Dublin Port’s cargo volumes were weak and were hit particularly badly in April and May because of the pandemic. However, in the second half of the year, volumes strengthened from month to month and we finished the year with extraordinary Brexit-driven growth of 21.7% in December. This is normally a quiet month, but December 2020 ended up being the fifth busiest month ever.

“Against the background of so much Brexit stock-piling, both on the import side and on the export side, the slow start we are seeing in 2021 was inevitable. The gradual return to more normal volumes gives an opportunity for cargo owners to adapt to the re-introduction of nontariff barriers to trade with Great Britain 28 years after the Single Market did away with them.”

Whereas the cargo side of the Port’s business was resilient in a difficult year, the passenger side has been badly affected by the Covid-19 travel restrictions, with a 60% reduction in passenger numbers and tourist vehicles, the CEO noted. “However, with the roll-out of vaccines, we are hoping to see this business returning to normal levels later in the year,” he said. “On the cruise side, however, the outlook is altogether bleaker, and it is unlikely we will see any cruise ships during 2021.

“Dublin Port ended the year in a financially strong position and, although there was some slowdown in our capital investment programme last year, we will be progressing with €400 million of capital works over the next five years, with investment of €84 million in 2021 alone,” Eamonn concluded. “We will complete construction of the new T4 Ro-Ro terminal this year to bring an additional annual capacity of 400,000 Ro-Ro units on-line. Outside the port estate, construction of a new empty container depot facility will be completed at Dublin Inland Port. Notwithstanding the challenges of Covid-19 and Brexit, we remain focused on our plans to deliver additional capacity for long-term growth.” Gross Tonnage by Import/Export

‘000 Gross Tonnes 2020 YTD 2019 YTD % Var

Imports 21,714 22,862 -5.0% Exports 15,150 15,283 -0.9% Total 36,864 38,145 -3.4%

Gross Tonnage by Cargo Mode

‘000 Gross Tonnes 2020 YTD 2019 YTD % Var

Ro-Ro 23,877 24,351 -1.9% Lo-Lo 7,126 7,291 -2.3% Bulk Liquid 3,871 4,666 -17.0% Bulk Solid 1,957 1,820 7.6% Break Bulk 33 17 91.3% Total 36,864 38,145 -3.4% Unitised 31,003 31,642 -2.0% Non-Unitised 5,861 6,503 -9.9% Total 36,864 38,145 -3.4% Ro-Ro Freight (Units)

Units 2020 YTD 2019 YTD % Var

Ro-Ro Freight 1,060,979 1,059,103 0.2%

Lo-Lo Freight

TEUs 2020 YTD 2019 YTD % Var

Lo-Lo TEU 758,013 774,197 -2.1%

Trade Vehicles

Units 2020 YTD 2019 YTD % Var

Trade Vehicles 74,373 98,897 -24.8%

Tourism

Units 2020 YTD 2019 YTD % Var

Passengers 832,816 1,949,353 -57.3% Vehicles 214,700 559,540 -61.6%

Cruise Liners

2020 YTD 2019 YTD % Var

Cruise Visits 1 158 -99.4% Visiting Passengers 544 208,149 -99.7% Disembarking Passengers - 20,969 -100.0% Embarking Passengers - 20,883 -100.0% Crew 412 94,202 -99.6% Total 956 323,234 -99.7%

+0.2% +76% 36.9 Million +21.7% +7.6%