The Commissioners for Improving the Port and Harbour of Waterford' were established in 1816 and since then have played a vital role in the development of the port and the city. While much of the Harbour Board's records were transferred to the National Archives in the 1980s (in the absence of a suitable local repository at the time), much remained in the Board's headquarters on George's Street. This included Minute Books, Account Books and other high quality archival material.
Following consultation with the General Manager of the Port, Mr. Stan McIlvenny and the Chairman of the Harbour Board, Mr. Ben Gavin, approximately 300 volumes have now been been transferred to the Archives. Some of this material is damaged and remedial conservation work will be necessary before the material can be made available to the public. It is also hoped to "repatriate" the remainder of the huge Harbour Board collection to the city at some stage in the future.