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Up to
the 1950s the Albert Basin was a hive
of activity as Fishers' colliers discharged
on one side of the harbour, whilst at
the "steam packet shed" the
M.V "Dundalk" loaded livestock
for export to Liverpool. On the same side
of the basin coal was also imported by
O'Rourkes of Newry and Lockingtons of
Dundalk. On the colliers gangs of dockers
literally dug out the coal into wooden
tubs, which were hoisted by the ships'
derricks (cranes) into waiting railway
wagons. A gang of dockers could discharge
400 tons of coal in eight hours.
But the restrictions imposed by the ship
canal system meant that there were now
even coasters which the port was unable
to accommodate and a decision was made
in the late 1960s to move ship handling
facilities to the nearby town of Warrenpoint
where a deep water berth was to be built.
Newry's cause was not helped when in January
1968 the Glasgow collier "Saint William"
collided with and wrecked the seaward
gates of the Victoria Lock. As a result
of the collision a number of vessels were
trapped in the canal for several weeks.
M.V."BALMORAL"
ENTERING VICTORIA SEA LOCK, NEWRY (20th
May 1994)
In March 1974 the last
commercial ship, a Dutch tanker sailed
out of Newry and for several years the
future of the canal system was uncertain.
Newry and Mourne District Council subsequently
took control of this historic waterway
and overhauled the Victoria Sea Lock.
Then, in 1994, the residents of Newry
woke up to a sight few thought they would
ever see again. A passenger vessel the
M.V. "Balmoral" was berthed
in the Albert Basin. She had been chartered
as part of the Newry 850 celebrations
and at 203' was one of the longest vessels
to have sailed into the town.
THE SPIRES OF NEWRY
FROM "VERVINE BLOSSOM," (16th
March 1999)
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