Indeed, the port of Rosslare celebrates a significant milestone this year . . . 2006 sees the centenary celebrations for this crucial piece of Ireland's shipping infrastructure. The first mention of a port in this part of Wexford came about in 1846, when an Act of Parliament proposed a railway which would eventually link Dublin with Waterford, with a branch to Greencore, south of Rosslare Bay. By 1882 the railway was complete, and while activity was constantly taking place around the port, it was not until June of 1906 that works were completed at Rosslare Harbour, and traffic was allowed to use the new port.

Over the years, the Port has grown in importance. The 1960s saw a significant increase in passenger traffic, while in 1965, the St David made history as the first drive-on car ferry to operate from the Republic. The car ferry boom continued throughout the 1970s, coinciding with further infrastructural development, while in the late 1980s, some major redevelopments took place (including a deepening of the harbour and the building of new berths and a terminal). Indeed, over the past 15 years, more than 50m has been invested in the port.

Improvements in the road network, coupled with the fact that Rosslare is the only RoRo port in Ireland with direct continental access, will mean that Rosslare's future is secure as a crucial element in Ireland's port network. It is expected that its RoRo tonnage will increase by an estimated 3.8% per annum to reach about 3 million tonnes by 2014 . . . but where those figures will be in another 100 years remains to be seen.