The 100 Tonne Crane

Dublin Port's 100 tonne crane on North Wall Quay Extension was erected between 1904 and 1905 to cope with the increase in traffic and ship design into the Port.  Vessels could now carry large, heavy items of cargo.  Prior to 1905 all heavy lifts had to go to Belfast for off loading and then by road to it's destination.  Chief Engineer Purser Griffith convinced the Board of the need for an extra heavy lift crane for the Port.  Purser Griffith, who was just back from Hamburg, had seen new electric cranes at work, and with the Dublin Corporation Electricity Works about to go into production, it was decided to opt for electric powered cranes.

The German firm M.A.N. were awarded the contract to erect the crane and Siemen's Brothers of London designed the motors.  All cross channel companies, requiring the use of the crane for heavy lifts, would have to be pre-booked.  For instance, if the Meath / Kilkenny had a heavy lift on deck, the dockers would have to report at 6am, instead of the normal 8am start.  Once the lifts were completed, the vessel would then go to her designated berth to complete the discharge of the normal cargo.  In 1970, the crane was de-rated to a 50 tonne max lift.  One of her last lifts were the carriages for the new DART line which had just been completed. 

Having stood so proud and mighty, and dominating the Port skyline for over 80 years, she was finally scrapped in the late 1980s to make way for a new RO-RO terminal.

Acknowledgements: Port Log