Wreck of the SS Portlairge mud boat from Waterford
The ‘Port Láirge’ is both the name of Waterford city itself in Irish as well as the name of this much-loved steam dredger that served on the Suir from her arrival on the 10th September 1907.
The SS(Screw Steamer) Port Láirge was a significant steam dredger that worked on the River Suir for the Waterford Harbour Commission for 77 years, from 1907 until retirement in 1982, famously known as the "Mud Boat". She was the last working steam dredger in Ireland, (and, perhaps Europe, and perhaps the world!? ;-) ).
Dredging
She played a crucial role in maintaining the navigational channels for shipping. Dredging is a constant and essential activity, it ensures that the River Suir remains open and accessible to modern-day shipping requirements.
Dredging these days in Waterford and indeed Cork and other ports is primarily done today by Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers (TSHDs) to remove sediment and maintain waterway depth for shipping, as seen in recent maintenance campaigns using vessels like the Freeway. These campaigns involve contracting with specialist companies, like the Irish Dredging Company, to carry out the work in the River Barrow estuary. The dredged material is then transported and disposed of at approved marine sites.
https://epawebapp.epa.ie/licences/lic_eDMS/090151b2808bbbe6.pdf waterford port assesment
https://www.portofwaterford.com/the-port/key-information/live-ship-traffic/
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:6868932/mmsi:250006468/imo:0/vessel:WATERFORD_PILOTS
https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/foreshore-notices/fs006684-port-of-waterford-dredging/
https://www.dublinport.ie/information-centre/dredging/
https://epawebapp.epa.ie/licences/lic_eDMS/090151b2807a46b2.pdf Dublin port assessment
Screw Steamer (SS) prefix
Incidentally, the "SS" stands for "Steamship" or, more specifically, "Screw Steamer," referring to a steam-powered ship that uses propellers (screws) for propulsion. This prefix appeared in the 19th century and was used to distinguish newer, steam-powered ships from older sailing vessels and became a symbol of technological advancement in the 19th century.
The SS Great Britain, launched in 1843, was one of the earliest steamships.
The RMS Titanic was a Royal Mail Ship but was also a steamship, which could have been designated SS.
Propeller, commemoration
She was built in Dublin. by the Dublin Dockyard Company.
After a breakdown in 1982, she was sold for scrap but sold again for the same purpose in 1987, final journey made to Saltmills, County Wexford, where she remains beached and derelict.
A propellor was retrieved in more recent years .. and unveiled in Waterford city in 2023 to commemorate its role in the port's history. The press release said “The propeller of the world’s last surviving steam dredger has now found a new home at the Merchant’s Quay roundabout, at the centre of Waterford City quays near the former Port of Waterford Company building.”
https://www.portofwaterford.com/2023/05/19/tribute-to-the-ss-port-lairge-and-it-important-contribution-to-waterfords-maritime-heritage/ 19 May 2023
Tribute to the SS Port Láirge and its important contribution to Waterford’s maritime heritage
The Port of Waterford is honoured to announce the unveiling of an installation paying tribute to one of its most legendary vessels, the SS Port Láirge. The propeller of the world’s last surviving steam dredger has now found a new home at the Merchant’s Quay roundabout, at the centre of Waterford City quays near the former Port of Waterford Company building.
Fondly known as the “Mud Boat,” the SS Port Láirge served on the Suir for more than seven decades until the 1980s, playing a crucial role in maintaining the navigational channels for shipping. Dredging, a constant and essential activity, ensures that the River Suir remains open and accessible to modern-day shipping requirements. This historic installation is a fitting tribute to this vessel and its important contribution to Waterford’s maritime heritage.
There are a few more propellers by the quays in waterford from other ships.
New Pilot boat called Portlairge
https://tidesandtales.ie/arrival-of-the-new-port-lairge/
Port of Waterford Pilot Launch Port Láirge Nov 26, 2021
On the 18th of November, the maritime history was continued when the new pilot launch was named Port Láirge and received by Port of Waterford at Dunmore East.
The new boat cost €1m is an all-weather 15-meter self-righting interceptor was built by Safehaven Marine in Youghal Co Cork which was established in 1998 and employs 30 people.
The Port of Waterford is proud of the rich maritime heritage of the region and how our river will always connect people and trade. As a mark of respect to the iconic dredger “Port Láirge,” in 2021 the port christened its new state-of-the-art pilot launch vessel with the same name. The new ‘Port Láirge’ pilot boat and crew, like the dredger, form is an essential service ensuring the safe and efficient navigation of ships in the River Suir, reflecting a connection to our maritime heritage and the continued importance of dredging and piloting activities in the region.
Vital statistics
Key details about the SS Port Láirge
Built:
1907 by the Dublin Dockyard Company.
Purpose:
To dredge the mud banks of the River Suir and Waterford Harbour, keeping the quays open for ships.
Service:
Operated from 1907 until its breakdown in December 1982, serving the port for over 75 years.
Characteristics:
A steam-powered vessel.
Could carry 500 tons of silt.
Was the last working steam dredger in Ireland.
Legacy:
Known affectionately as the "Mud Boat," it was an important part of Waterford's maritime heritage.
Final years and legacy
Retirement:
The dredger suffered a breakdown in 1982, leading to its sale for scrap.
Sale & Final Journey:
Despite local opposition to the initial scrap sale, it was eventually sold again and sailed under its own steam for the last time on August 26, 1987.
Current Status:
It was taken to Saltmills, County Wexford, where it is now broken on the shoreline, derelict but remembered as an iconic part of Waterford's history.
Commemoration:
In May 2023, a propeller from the SS Port Láirge was installed at Merchant's Quay in Waterford to mark the vessel's contribution to the city's maritime history.
FROM https://dredgepoint.org/dredging-database/equipment/portlairge
Portlairge
Image courtesy of : Tug Talk Forum
General properties
Vessel type: GHD
Built in: 1907
Shipyard: Dublin Dockyard Company
Yard number: 57
Physical properties
Length (OA): 42.76 m
Width: 8.87 m
Depth: 3.51 m
Engine specs: Muir & Houston Ltd - C2cyl (16 & 33 x 22ins)
speed: 9 knts
Bucket capacity (standard): 1.08 m³
Hopper volume: 255 m³
Dredging depth: 12.19 m
About this page
Status: Historical
Timeframe: 1907
Review: Scrapped
Last Updated
1 year 34 weeks ago
About this equipment
Built for the Waterford Harbour Commissioners. 401 grt / 165 nrt /62nhp ON.: 102006
Portlairge worked on the River Suir from September 1907 until late 1982, has since then sat abandoned on slobland near Saltmills, County Wexford for over 35 years. She was deleted from Lloyd's Register in 1958 as hulked. Efforts to preserve the dredger, being the last working steam dredger in Ireland failed, so she is was still lying abandoned and derelict in Bannow Bay near Saltmills, County Wexford in 2017.
Sources: : https://waterford-news.ie and https://shippingandshipbuilding.uk
Book cover Andrew Doherty’s Waterford Harbour Tides and Tales portlarge_abandoned_at_wrexham
https://m.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/new-ross-news/historic-maritime-monument-from-wexford-shipwreck-to-be-unveiled/a1337875579.html
Local lads would shout "bring us back a parrot" to the crew as it pull out from the quayside to make the run to the mouth of the estuary to dump it's load of mud. The mud would be back where it started before the boat. 😀
The name “Port Láirge”
The name “Port Láirge” is one of the earliest names for the city, and it has a number of interesting origin theories. According to Cian Manning, one of our foremost young historians, the name means “Port of a Thigh” in English.
One story behind the name is that a young prince named Rot was lured to the sea by the Merrow, or Selkies, mythical female creatures, in search of an intellectual conversation. Unfortunately, his conversation must not have been up to scratch as he was torn limb from limb, and his thigh bone washed ashore at Port Láirge.
A perhaps more likely theory suggests that Láirge may have been a person, a Viking leader, thus "Lárag's Port" or "Port of a thigh” .. Athy? which also suggests the shape of the River Suir at the city.
https://gowildmagazine.com/mythical-creatures-of-ireland-folklore-history-and-mystical-locations/ The Merrow, Kelpies, Each uisce, … Selkie seal/human
Special assignments for the mud boat
https://m.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/new-ross-news/historic-maritime-monument-from-wexford-shipwreck-to-be-unveiled/a1337875579.html Built in 1907 by the Dublin Dockyard Company for the Waterford Harbour Commissioners, the SS Portláirge served for 77 years as a channel-clearing steam dredger. After sea trials on the Clyde, she operated mainly in Waterford, with assignments in New Ross and Liverpool. By its final year, the mud boat was regarded as Europe’s last working steam dredger. In 1921, it famously transported two officers of the Irish Provisional Government to Youghal. The boat’s last journey, in August 1987, ended in Bannow Bay, where it ran aground during a storm and has been its resting place ever since.
Perhaps the selkies were involved!
