The Bell Lines cargo ship ‘Bell Racer’ loading at Waterford’s Frank Cassin Wharf in the early 1980s. The vessel, which was built at Kagoshima Dock in Japan in 1977, spent 14 years in service, mainly on the Harwich-Rozenburg route.

It was one of the few registered to Bell Lines Ltd, the Europe-wide container shipping company liquidated in 1997. The firm was already under pressure financially when it suffered devastating storm damage to two cranes at the new Belview terminal the previous year.

After 35 years in operation, and having employed around sixty vessels (mostly chartered) during that time, the group folded with the loss of 100 jobs locally alone.

The ‘Racer’, which was 92 metres long with a gross tonnage of 2,213 and a speed of 13 Knots, was sold by Bell in 1991 and had various Chinese owners before being scrapped in 2012.

Frank Cassin Wharf opened in November 1968, with a capacity of 80,000 TEU per annum, and was the main container terminal here for 25 years.

By 1991 it was working well over capacity. Concerns were also raised about the structural integrity of the quayside given the extra burden.

Belview was developed downstream and opened by Waterford Harbour Commissioners in 1994. Thirty years later, there are plans to extend it.