We successfully completed a two-phase floating platform project for Dublin City Council, designed to improve access and visitor experience around the Jeanie Johnston, one of Dublin’s most recognisable maritime landmarks.
Working alongside Purcell Construction, consultant engineers RPS and architects Urban Agency, the team designed, fabricated and installed a series of pontoons that blend modern engineering with sensitivity to a site of deep historical significance.
Honouring Ireland’s maritime story
The Jeanie Johnston is a full-scale replica of the original 1847 famine ship that carried more than 2,500 emigrants to North America during the Great Famine. Moored permanently at Custom House Quay, it serves as both a visitor attraction and a memorial to Ireland’s emigrant history.
The new pontoons enhance public access to the ship and ensure the vessel remains a safe and sustainable part of Dublin’s Docklands story for years to come.
“Working on a project that honours such a significant piece of Irish heritage was both a privilege and a technical challenge,” says Ollie Shortall, Inland and Coastal’s Managing Director.
Technical innovation on the water
In Phase 1, we fabricated and installed a breakwater pontoon system comprising six units (two 20m x 5m and four 20m x 2.5m), creating a 40m x 10m floating platform. A separate 20m x 4m pontoon was added to provide additional stability and versatility.
A key challenge lay in integrating the new pontoons with existing infrastructure and achieving consistent freeboard levels. Close collaboration between ourselves and engineers at RPS ensured precise alignment and safe installation in a tight inner-city site.
Working with Inland and Coastal on the Jeanie Johnston project was a pleasure
Brian Looney, Contracts Manager, Purcell Construction
The platform also supports a 30-ton Glulam structure, demanding meticulous planning and engineering to guarantee balance, load-bearing capacity and controlled towage through Dublin’s waterways.
Phase 2 saw the installation of a second Glulam-supported platform – weighing 15 tons – alongside two additional 20m x 4m pontoons and a new gangway to improve access and usability for visitors and operational teams.
Supporting tourism and First Responders
Beyond its cultural and educational value, the project strengthens local infrastructure. The upgraded platform enhances the operational base for Dublin City Fire Brigade and improves access for smaller leisure craft, ensuring the space supports both community and emergency needs.
The installation also forms part of the new Jeanie Johnston Experience, a redeveloped visitor attraction that connects the historic tall ship with the surrounding Docklands landscape.
“Working with Inland and Coastal on the Jeanie Johnston project was a pleasure,” says Brian Looney, Contracts Manager, Purcell Construction. “Their team delivered on the technical complexity with professionalism, attention to detail, and a real can-do attitude. They were collaborative from start to finish and instrumental in bringing the vision to life on what was a tight urban site with big logistical challenges.”
