Port of Belfast
History of the Port of
Belfast
The origins of the port in Belfast
can be traced back to 1613, when, during the reign of James I, the
town was incorporated as a borough by royal charter, with provision
for the establishment of a wharf or quay. As a result, a quay
was constructed at the confluence of the Rivers Fearset (Farset)
and Lagan and the development of the Port of Belfast began.
Records show that by 1663 there
were 29 vessels owned in the town with a total tonnage of 1,100
tonnes. Trade continued to expand throughout the century, to
the extent that the original quay was enlarged, to accommodate the
increasing number of ships.
By the early eighteenth century the
town had replaced Carrickfergus as the most important port in
Ulster. Although at this point the Port was well established
it remained disadvantaged by the natural restrictions of shallow
water, bends in the channel approach and inadequate quays.
Initial work on straightening the river commenced in 1839 and by
1849 the creation of what was to become the Victoria Channel was
completed. From that time the Port Authority have
developed and improved the Port, reclaiming land to accommodate new
quays, new trades and changes in shipping and cargo-handling
technology. The efficient, modern port of today handles 7,570
ships a year carrying a total of over 75 million tonnes.