ROSSLARE HARBOUR 1906

Contract to build pier was won by Charles Brand and Co. of Glasgow.

The contract to build the pier was won by Charles Brand and Co. of Glasgow. and work on the reconstructing the old pier began in May 1902. In the construction of the new 500 yards long pier, 4 ton concrete blocks were used. Steam gantry cranes were used to place the 4 ton blocks in position for the new pier. To keep the blocks in position a v shape was made in the side of the block to locked it with another block, when the blocks were laid in position fresh cement would be poured into the v shape bonding the blocks together, this made the back wall very strong, it had to be because the pier would be hit by very big waves with a storm from the east. The pier is 80 yards wide and the area between the inner and outer walls was filled with sand, taken from sandbanks outside of the harbour, by a dredger. The concrete blocks used to build the new pier were made over on the mainland, and was brought to the pier by steam train engins. Stone to make the big blocks for the new pier was quarried at Ballygillane, a narrow guage railway line was used to bring the stone to the harbour, this railway line was known as the Tram Lane. The Tram Lane emerged out from the harbour where the new St Patrick`s Church was built later, and it went down a mile where the new Wexford road is today, it turn`s left then and on to Ballygillane, part of this old Tram Lane can be seen to this day on the back road to Kilarne village.

Four new ships were built for the new service from Rosslare Harbour to Fishguard route. The Saint David which was 2,456 tons was built in Scotland, and was launched in February 1906. The saint Andrew was also built in Scotland, and was launched in April 1908. The Saint George was built in Birkenhead, and was launched in January 1906. The fourth ship for this new servive was the St Patrick which was 2,531 tons, it was built in Scotland, and was launched in Ferbruary 1906. The first commercial sailings on the new Roslare Harbour route was on August 30, 1906.

1 JUNE 1906 Harbour Works completed

The building of the pier was completed on 1, June 1906, contractors Charles Bran & Co., was issued a certificate of completion for the Rosslare Harbour works, and on the 13, July 1906 the Board of Trade gave permission for the opening of the new pier to traffic.