Rosslare port celebrates 100 years of operating as a trading link for Ireland.
Europort at Rosslare Harbour in County Wexford began when the first ship arrived from Fishguard in August 1906. The centenary of this defining time is being marked by a series of special events. Junior Minister John Browne unveils a bronze plaque at Rosslare, while rail enthusiasts enjoy a vintage train journey from the harbour station.
From its inception in 1898 the site was developed as a trading link between Wales and Ireland, creating a new route across the Irish Sea. The completion of a rail link to the harbour from Waterford established a fast shipping and mailing route.
Iarnród Éireann heritage officer Greg Ryan explains that when the port at Rosslare opened the railway and fishing companies had to build a village. Many of the people residing in Rosslare are descended from the early harbour workers. These include chairman of the local port committee Terry Fortune whose father worked on the railway in 1918.
As a local I mean to me it's absolutely everything and it’s a great community to live in.
From its origins as a small harbour for pleasure boats, decades of development has seen Rosslare Port transform into one of the largest tourist hubs in Ireland, with two million passengers passing through each year. Rosslare is also the country’s second largest commercial port.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 12 August 2006. The reporter is Niamh Nolan.
