Dublin Port | Calafort Bhaile Átha Cliath
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The modern history of Dublin Port begins in the early 1700s, when a bank was constructed to protect the south side of the channel at the mouth of the harbour, enabling ships to reach the city even in high winds. This was replaced by the South Bull Wall in 1753 with the Poolbeg lighthouse added in 1767. During the eighteenth century, extensive land reclamation works transformed the city of Dublin, turning it east and towards the sea, with walls and fortifications built to secure newly reclaimed land from the power of the tide and the surge of water in the Bay. By the end of the eighteenth century, the port was at the centre of Dublin’s maritime identity and the city was part of imperial networks of migration and trade. In 1800, Dublin was the third largest port city in Europe.
At this period, vessels landed at the end of the wall or the Pigeon House, and passengers, mail and other goods were rowed to the city in boats where they were met by local people seeking employment: the scenes are vividly described in Maria Edgeworth’s novel The Absentee (1812): ‘long and loud the battle for trunks and portmanteaus raged!’ In 1800 a North Bull Wall was constructed, following a survey of Dublin harbour by Captain William Bligh (of HMS Bounty fame). The rival developments of Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire) and Howth harbours in the nineteenth century and the growth of rapid growth of competing rail interests in the different ports saw Dublin Port competing for passenger trade, but 2015 saw the final closure of the route from Dún Laoghaire to Holyhead.
Thosaigh stair nua-aimseartha Chalafort Bhaile Átha Cliath sna blianta tosaigh de na 1700í, ar lena linn a tógadh bruach chun an taobh theas den chainéal a chosaint ag béal an chuain, rud lena gcuirfí ar chumas na long an chathair a bhaint amach, fiú sa ghaoth ard. Cuireadh Balla an Bhulla Theas ina ionad sin sa bhliain 1753, agus cuireadh teach solais an Phoill Bhig leis sa bhliain 1767. San ochtú haois déag, bunathraíodh cathair Bhaile Átha Cliath chun feabhais le hoibreacha fairsinge míntíriúcháin talún. Tiontaíodh an chathair soir i dtreo na mara dá mbarr, agus tógadh ballaí agus daingin chun talamh a tugadh chun míntíreachais tamaillín roimhe sin a chosaint ar chumhacht na taoide agus ar an mbrúcht uisce sa Bhá. Faoi dheireadh an ochtú haois déag, bhíodh an calafort ina chuid dhílis d’fhéiniúlacht mhuirí Bhaile Átha Cliath agus bhíodh an chathair mar chuid de líonraí impiriúla imirce agus trádála. Sa bhliain 1800, ba é Baile Átha Cliath an tríú cathair chalafoirt ba mhó san Eoraip.
Sa tréimhse sin, thagadh soithí i dtír ag deireadh an bhalla nó ag Teach Pigeon, agus d’iompraíodh paisinéirí, post agus earraí eile chun na cathrach ar bháid, áit a mbuaileadh muintir na háite a bhí ar lorg fostaíochta leo: déantar cur síos grinn ar na radhairc sin san úrscéal le Maria Edgeworth dar teideal The Absentee (1812): ‘long and loud the battle for trunks and portmanteaus raged!’. Tógadh Balla an Bhulla Theas sa bhliain 1800, ag teacht sna sála ar shuirbhé a rinne an Captaen William Bligh (a bhfuil cáil air mar gheall ar a ról ar HMS Bounty) ar chuan Bhaile Átha Cliath. Mar thoradh ar na forbairtí a bhíodh in iomaíocht le chéile ar chuan Bhaile an Rí (Dún Laoghaire) agus ar chuan Bhinn Éadair sa naoú haois déag agus mar thoradh ar fhás tapa na leasanna iarnróid a bhí ag teacht salach ar a chéile sna calafoirt dhifriúla, bhíodh Calafort Bhaile Átha Cliath in iomaíocht le haghaidh trádáil paisinéirí. Dúnadh an bealach idir Dún Laoghaire agus Holyhead sa deireadh sa bhliain 2015, áfach.