Our most important passenger and freight ports

Is there a need for Galway to be developed with Foynes not that far away?

How much actually port activity happens at Galway, apart from small craft and a bit of fishing? To get there, most ships would have to go out of their way. It seems more like an industrial area rather than an operating port. Can't see how that port is worth much to the city, I'd say those lands would be of far greater value as just about anything else.

When you look at Foynes it will have a rail link and a motorway link along with the fact thats a natural deepwater port.

It seams mad galway will try and develop this they will never have a good road link and rail could probably be done but it would cost alot.

I just dont see where they would have an advantage over the likes of foynes with its motorway connections up the center of connacht

Maybe i am missing a key elememnt here i just dont see the advantages here

CSO data on arrivals and gross tonnage of vessels

I taught i read somewhere that sligo may have to close as a comerical port because it has silted up some much and it would cost to much to resolve

Edit: yip below for last april. Not looking good for sligo port

https://m.independent.ie/regionals/sligochampion/news/sligo-harbour-is-full-of-silt-but-dredging-it-is-not-viable-says-new-report-41545200.html

With the Motorway Network from Foynes do you need much more?

Killybegs is a good size port and Derry has a port as well

Derry port has annual tonnage just shy of 2m.

Little need for shipping to Sligo, theres Killybegs the big fishing port in NW, and Derry for freight.

For Galway, Shannon-Foynes is just as close for ships and has far better connectivity than Galway port.

Silted up for years and as a result smaller and smaller ships. Eventually there will be none as the problem is serious.

Now tendering for Resident Engineering Services for this project which suggests it should be happening soon;

The documents can be downloaded without logging in, seems to be a large number of buildings involved

One thing I never see mentioned in relation to developments at Rosslare is rail freight facilities, are these included in the Masterplan at all? The port is owned by Iarnród Eireann, I'm sure they and the port management know whats best for the future of the port and the potential for rail freight but others seems to have decided that rail freight is the future.

That's my point, is the intentiont of any of these major projects to allow it to handle rail freight as apparently the All Island Rail Review suggests reopening the South Wexford line for rail freight to Rosslare.

In fairness the low volumes for freight are likely as a result of an inability to transport it across the country by rail. A proper rail link to the port for freight would see some level of induced demand