Technological transformations at Boatstrand Harbour

The late nineteenth century was a revolutionary period for harbour construction in Ireland, principally due to the efforts of one man, Bindon Blood Stoney [1828-1909] the Chief Engineer to Dublin Port [1862-98]. Although portland cement, the primary ingredient of concrete, had been developed as early as 1820 it was not until Stoney’s audacious use of large scale precast concrete blocks to build the North Wall extension and Alexandra Basin [1871-84]1 at Dublin Port that the material gained sufficient credibility to engineers to wholly supplant the use of stone in maritime engineering works.