Project record

Killybegs Smooth Point breasting dolphins and shore power

Marine piling platform and crawler crane working on the four Smooth Point breasting dolphins beside fishing vessels at Killybegs

Government Construction Contracts Committee; exact Smooth Point breasting-dolphin construction image

Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine awarded Sorensen Civil Engineering a EUR 7.613438 million contract for four breasting dolphins at Smooth Point, connecting walkways, quayside low-voltage power outlets and a transformer building. Sorensen named Murphy Ground Engineering and Ocean Crest Marine as specialist subcontractors for the 24 tubular piles and reported all piles installed by August 2025.

Project signal

Construction in Ireland

Current status Sorensen reported all 24 dolphin piles installed in August 2025; the government project page published the following month still described the works as ongoing with substantial completion due in Q3 2025, and DAFM has not published a later handover record Source confidence Confirmed

Location

Ireland / Europe

Segment

Fishery harbour berthing, marine piling and shore power

Status

Sorensen reported all 24 dolphin piles installed in August 2025; the government project page published the following month still described the works as ongoing with substantial completion due in Q3 2025, and DAFM has not published a later handover record / Confirmed

Last checked

2 August 2026

Coverage

Related sectors

Fishery harbour berthing, marine piling and shore power is the primary work classification. Related sectors connect this record to adjacent marine delivery and market coverage.

Subject index

Related subjects

These subject pages bring together related projects, technical articles, reports, and evidence methods.

Project anatomy

Contract scope and delivery roles

Client / authority
Ireland Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, operator of Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre
Delivery parties
Sorensen Civil Engineering Ltd. - main works contractor for the four dolphins, walkways, quayside power and transformer-building package, Murphy Ground Engineering - specialist subcontractor named by Sorensen for installation of 24 tubular dolphin piles, Ocean Crest Marine - specialist marine subcontractor named by Sorensen for installation of 24 tubular dolphin piles, The electrical, transformer, switchgear, walkway, fender, bollard and final-testing subcontractors remain publicly unidentified
Contract route
DAFM used an open EU works procedure. The tender estimated EUR 6.5 million excluding VAT; eTenders records a EUR 7,613,438.12 awarded value, a 21-month duration and contract award and contractor acceptance on 17 October 2024. Sorensen announced the award and mobilisation in November 2024. A separate DAFM competition sought marine quantity-surveying support for construction and handover; its appointed firm remains publicly unidentified.
Execution window
The 21-month contract was accepted on 17 October 2024. Sorensen announced mobilisation in November 2024, reported 12 of 24 piles installed in April 2025 and all 24 installed by 19 August 2025. A Government Construction Contracts Committee project page dated 5 September 2025 still described the project as ongoing with substantial completion due in Q3 2025. DAFM had not published owner acceptance, electrical energisation or handover by 2 August 2026.
Works package
Construct four breasting dolphins perpendicular to the Smooth Point quay for vessel guidance and secure stern-on mooring; connect them to the quay with access walkways; provide quayside low-voltage outlets using existing ducts and chambers; and construct a transformer building with transformers, switchgear, metering and associated electrical works. Sorensen's construction updates identify 24 tubular piles of 915 millimetres diameter as the dolphin foundations.
Marine interfaces
The dolphins extend into an operating fishery harbour beside the completed Smooth Point quay. Marine piling, temporary access and lifting had to be coordinated with live berthing and mooring activity before dolphin caps, walkways and shore-side electrical systems could be completed. Installed foundations do not establish structural acceptance, electrical energisation or readiness for vessel use.
Commercial evidence boundary
The exact main-contract award is EUR 7.613438 million, above the EUR 6.5 million tender estimate. The visible lower-tier chain reaches Murphy Ground Engineering and Ocean Crest Marine for all 24 tubular piles. The electrical, transformer, switchgear, walkway and mooring-equipment supply chain remains unpublished. The latest owner-side status leaves substantial completion and operational acceptance unresolved after pile completion.

Project timeline

Material developments

Dated events that changed scope, counterparties, delivery, commissioning or operating status.

Open this project in the Change Log

Government project page kept the works open

The owner-side case study still described the contract as ongoing and set a Q3 2025 substantial-completion target, leaving handover and electrical acceptance unconfirmed.

Source

All 24 tubular dolphin piles were installed

Sorensen named Murphy Ground Engineering and Ocean Crest Marine as specialist subcontractors and placed the foundation package at pile completion, not whole-project handover.

Source

Dolphin piling reached 12 of 24 piles

The contractor's intermediate update identified both specialist piling subcontractors, quantified the halfway foundation milestone and showed the marine construction sequence underway.

Source

Sorensen accepted the EUR 7.61 million works contract

The official procurement workspace fixes the main contractor, awarded value and 21-month delivery duration for the integrated marine and electrical package.

Source

Evidence gap

What remains unverified

Outstanding evidence

  • Structural completion of four breasting dolphins
  • Walkway installation and safe mooring access
  • Quayside low-voltage outlet completion
  • Transformer building, switchgear, metering and energisation
  • Piling records for 24 tubular piles
  • Substantial completion and defects close-out
  • DAFM operational acceptance for stern-on berthing

Related records 2

Reporting status

Construction, confirmed confidence

Last checked 2 August 2026 across 7 cited sources. The dated timeline above carries the project events.

Last checked 2 August 2026 Cited sources 7

Sources and related records

Read featured analysis Methodology Submit a correction Project tracker
Source collections

Project sources 7