Calls made to restore and illuminate historic crane on Waterford quay
After years of discussion about the potential of the North Quays and the wider quay side, we are finally seeing substantial change taking shape on both sides of the River Suir.
The sustainable transport bridge, new clock tower plaza, and plans to revigorated the Millenium Plaza are all positive strides.
Meanwhile, councillor Donal Barry has said the next step is to renovate the historic quayside crane.
He described the structure as one of the few remaining reminders of the quays’ "remarkable working past."
“Thousands of people probably pass it without giving it a second thought. Yet the crane, dating from around 1910, is one of the last physical reminders of an era when Waterford’s city quays were working quays, busy with ships, cargo and generations of local people whose livelihoods depended upon the river and port. For decades this was a working waterfront" he said.
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage recognises the crane for its social, historical, technical and engineering significance, describing it as a relic of the maritime industry which traditionally supported Waterford’s economy.
Cllr Barry said that with cooperation between Waterford City and County Council and the Port of Waterford, the crane could be sensitively restored and illuminated at night, transforming an overlooked piece of our industrial heritage into a distinctive feature of the regenerated Quays.
“Imagine its industrial outline illuminated against the River Suir as people cross the new bridge, arrive at the new railway station or walk along the waterfront. Appropriate lighting, together with discreet interpretation telling the story of the crane, the port and those who worked there, could turn it into a genuine talking point for locals and tourists” he added.
“Ahead of the Tall Ships Race in 2005, the crane was refurbished and repainted. More than twenty years later, with such significant change taking place around our waterfront, surely the time is right to recognise its potential again. The new bridge and North Quays can represent where Waterford is going. The old crane can remind us where we came from."
Cllr Barry said: "If such a historic crane survived prominently on the waterfront of many other port cities, it would be preserved, interpreted, illuminated and incorporated into the visitor experience. Waterford should have the ambition to do the same."
(Funded by the Local Democracy Scheme)
