Business continues to thrive at Northern Ireland’s second largest Port
30/10/2024
Originally constructed in the late 1770s, Warrenpoint Port today stands as the second largest Port in Northern Ireland by tonnage. Here Irish Trucker profiles the continued success of this vital gateway to the UK and Europe and the work that goes on away from the port which saw £30,000 distributed to more than 70 different community clubs and organisations and charities across the area earlier this year.
Business is good these days at Warrenpoint Port and it has been the way for some time for the Co Down port which has origins dating back close to 250 years.
A port which employs roughly 70 people directly and indirectly contributes to more than 400 local jobs through customers and supply chain, as its handles over three million tonnes of cargo on an annual basis.
Today, Warrenpoint Port is managed by a senior team under the expert guidance of its CEO David Holmes and overseen by a Board appointed by the Infrastructure Minister and Chaired by Dr Gerard O’Hare CBE DL FRICS, who is also Managing Director of property business Parker Green Group.
The area of Warrenpoint, Newry, and the south of Down in general, boasts a rich maritime history of which Warrenpoint Port has played a massive role in.
Originally built in the late 1770s, Warrenpoint Harbour Authority was created as a Trust Port in 1971 and the 25th anniversary of this was celebrated in 1996.
The modern port was completed in 1974, meaning this year marks the 50th anniversary of its proud completion.
Based on a 60-acre site which is adjacent to the town of Warrenpoint (and also less than 500m across the Lough from the Republic of Ireland), Warrenpoint Port also boasts a good list of tenants and has a strong demand for space.
It generates income via charges for provision of port facilities to commercial, fishing and recreational vessels.
As well as this, it charges for handling of goods being transported through the port and also bring in income through the storage of goods on port, along with taking in rent from the provision of offices and other accommodation to port customers.
Of course, there’s more to the port than commercial freight and imports and exports, as it also caters for cruise ship visitors that are coming to explore the beautiful Mourne Mountains and Cooley Peninsula. It also has a small marina with yachts and a fishing harbour, which is used mainly for mussel dredging for export.
In his annual report for last year, Warrenpoint Port CEO David Holmes was pleased to report that turnover at £7,341,470 was up by 12.5% on 2022, with a Pre-Tax Profit of £593,859 for 2023 reflecting a 17.1% increase on the previous year. This was despite tonnage being slightly down by 3% in 2023.
Through its geographic position at the centre of Ireland’s economic corridor between Belfast and Dublin, Warrenpoint Port has a vast strategic advantage.
Its objective is to be the preferred location for the import and export of goods and thus continue to be a major economic driver within its locality.
Another string to Warrenpoint Port’s bow is the fact that it is a Trust Port, meaning that it isn’t owned by the government but operates autonomously instead, with a degree of public accountability.
The Port is required to operate in a commercial manner and is an independent statutory body governed by its own legislation.
There aren’t any shareholders, with all profits generated from the business being put back into the operation, maintenance, and development of the Port for the benefit of the local economy.
Indeed, the importance of Warrenpoint Port to the local economy cannot be emphasised enough.
There are some 200 people working at the port on a daily basis between stevedores and hauliers etc., with around 70 of those being direct employees of Warrenpoint Harbour Authority.
Giving back to the local community is also a common practice for Warrenpoint Port, with this past Spring demonstrating another prime example of its continued work for organisations and charities.
In March, Warrenpoint Harbour Authority (Warrenpoint Port) announced that its annual Community Fund raised £30,000, which was distributed to more than 70 different local organisations.
It brought the fund figure to a total of £90,762 donated to local causes over the last four years.
2024 has had the highest number of requests to date with an average donation of £500. Recipients from Kilkeel to the far side of Newry included charities such as Head Injury Support, Mourne Stimulus, Women’s Aid Armagh Down and Newry & Mourne MS Therapy Centre.
The fund supported seven local Men’s Sheds, Women’s groups including Warrenpoint Women’s Group and the Hiking Hens. Several Counselling organisations, Green Spaces, and Warrenpoint Art Group were supported while schools, playgroups, sports clubs, youth clubs and groups such as the Point Camera Club also benefitted.
On the donation which was announced in March, David Holmes, CEO Warrenpoint Port, stated: “We are grateful for the generosity of our donors which included CLdN RoRo, tenants at the Port, agents, stakeholders, and team members. With the Port rounding up the donation to £30,000 we have been able to support so many organisations that have limited access to funding.”
Warrenpoint Port
Warrenpoint Harbour Authority
Town Dock Office,
Warrenpoint
Newry,
BT34 3JR
Tel: 028 / 048 41773381
Email: [email protected]
Web: warrenpointport.com
First published in Irish Trucker magazine September/October 2024, Vol 27-5
