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Dún Laoghaire Harbour

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Overview





Dún Laoghaire is situated on the east coast of Ireland within the southern end of Dublin Bay. It is a busy town and extensive port that is the primary centre for yachting in Ireland. The harbour offers an 820-berth marina plus the moorings and jetties that belong to the four large local clubs based there. Anchoring is prohibited in the harbour area itself but it is possible to anchor outside.

Dún Laoghaire is situated on the east coast of Ireland within the southern end of Dublin Bay. It is a busy town and extensive port that is the primary centre for yachting in Ireland. The harbour offers an 820-berth marina plus the moorings and jetties that belong to the four large local clubs based there. Anchoring is prohibited in the harbour area itself but it is possible to anchor outside.

The large port offers complete protection from all conditions. An exception to this is the outer yacht club moorings in the eastern harbour that tend to be uncomfortable, if not untenable, in strong northerly to north-easterly conditions that send a swell in through the harbour entrance. The harbour’s deep and wide entrance provides safe access at all stages of tides, night and day, in all reasonable conditions.



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Keyfacts for Dún Laoghaire Harbour
Facilities
Water hosepipe available alongsideWater available via tapDiesel fuel available alongsidePetrol available alongsideGas availableShop with basic provisions availableMini-supermarket or supermarket availableExtensive shopping available in the areaSlipway availableLaundry facilities availableShore power available alongsideShore based toilet facilitiesShowers available in the vicinity or by arrangementHot food available in the localityPublic house or wine bar in the areaCashpoint or bank available in the areaPost Office in the areaInternet café in the areaInternet via a wireless access point availableDoctor or hospital in the areaPharmacy in the areaChandlery available in the areaTrolley or cart available for unloading and loadingMSD (marine sanitation device) pump out facilitiesHaul-out capabilities via arrangementBoatyard with hard-standing available here; covered or uncoveredMarine engineering services available in the areaRigging services available in the areaElectronics or electronic repair available in the areaSail making or sail repair servicesBus service available in the areaTrain or tram service available in the areaRegional or international airport within 25 kilometresCar hire available in the areaTourist Information office availableHandicapped access supportedShore based family recreation in the area


Nature
Approved port for vessels requiring clearance to lawfully enter the countryNo fees for anchoring or berthing in this locationMarina or pontoon berthing facilitiesAnchoring locationBerth alongside a deep water pier or raft up to other vesselsVisitors moorings available, or possibly by club arrangementQuick and easy access from open waterSailing Club baseUrban nature,  anything from a small town of more 5,000 inhabitants  to a large city

Considerations
Note: harbour fees may be charged

Protected sectors

Current wind over the protected quadrants
Minimum depth
3 metres (9.84 feet).

Approaches
5 stars: Safe access; all reasonable conditions.
Shelter
5 stars: Complete protection; all-round shelter in all reasonable conditions.



Last modified
September 25th 2023

Summary

A completely protected location with safe access.

Facilities
Water hosepipe available alongsideWater available via tapDiesel fuel available alongsidePetrol available alongsideGas availableShop with basic provisions availableMini-supermarket or supermarket availableExtensive shopping available in the areaSlipway availableLaundry facilities availableShore power available alongsideShore based toilet facilitiesShowers available in the vicinity or by arrangementHot food available in the localityPublic house or wine bar in the areaCashpoint or bank available in the areaPost Office in the areaInternet café in the areaInternet via a wireless access point availableDoctor or hospital in the areaPharmacy in the areaChandlery available in the areaTrolley or cart available for unloading and loadingMSD (marine sanitation device) pump out facilitiesHaul-out capabilities via arrangementBoatyard with hard-standing available here; covered or uncoveredMarine engineering services available in the areaRigging services available in the areaElectronics or electronic repair available in the areaSail making or sail repair servicesBus service available in the areaTrain or tram service available in the areaRegional or international airport within 25 kilometresCar hire available in the areaTourist Information office availableHandicapped access supportedShore based family recreation in the area


Nature
Approved port for vessels requiring clearance to lawfully enter the countryNo fees for anchoring or berthing in this locationMarina or pontoon berthing facilitiesAnchoring locationBerth alongside a deep water pier or raft up to other vesselsVisitors moorings available, or possibly by club arrangementQuick and easy access from open waterSailing Club baseUrban nature,  anything from a small town of more 5,000 inhabitants  to a large city

Considerations
Note: harbour fees may be charged



HM  +353831443412     Marina +353 1 202 0040      info@dlmarina.com     Marina Web      Ch. 37a (M), 80a (M2), and 16 [Dun Laoghaire Marina]
Position and approaches
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Haven position

53° 17.979' N, 006° 8.368' W

This is set in the marina situated in the west side of the harbour.

What are the initial fixes?

The following waypoints will set up a final approach:

(i) Dún Laoghaire initial fix

53° 18.280' N, 006° 7.390' W

This waypoint is 400 metres northeast of the East Pier head Fl (2) R 10s 16m 17M.

(ii) Dún Laoghaire initial fix

53° 18.280' N, 006° 7.390' W

This waypoint is 400 metres northeast of the East Pier head Fl (2) R 10s 16m 17M.
Please note

Initial fixes only set up their listed targets. Do not plan to sail directly between initial fixes as a routing sequence.




What are the key points of the approach?

Offshore details are available in eastern Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Strangford Lough to Dublin Bay Route location. Details for vessels approaching from the south are available in eastern Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Dublin Bay to Rosslare Harbour Route location. Vessels approaching from the south may find a useful set of waypoints and directions for Dalkey Sound in the routes entry Dublin to Killiney Bay via Dalkey Sound Route location.


Not what you need?
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Below are the ten nearest havens to Dún Laoghaire Harbour for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
  1. Sorrento Point - 2.4 nautical miles SE
  2. Dalkey Island - 2.5 nautical miles SE
  3. Dublin Port - 3.9 nautical miles NW
  4. Bray Harbour - 5.6 nautical miles SSE
  5. Balscadden Bay - 6 nautical miles NNE
  6. Howth - 6.2 nautical miles NNE
  7. Carrigeen Bay - 6.7 nautical miles NNE
  8. Greystones - 9.3 nautical miles SSE
  9. Malahide - 9.3 nautical miles N
  10. Talbot’s Bay - 11.8 nautical miles NNE
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
  1. Sorrento Point - 2.4 miles SE
  2. Dalkey Island - 2.5 miles SE
  3. Dublin Port - 3.9 miles NW
  4. Bray Harbour - 5.6 miles SSE
  5. Balscadden Bay - 6 miles NNE
  6. Howth - 6.2 miles NNE
  7. Carrigeen Bay - 6.7 miles NNE
  8. Greystones - 9.3 miles SSE
  9. Malahide - 9.3 miles N
  10. Talbot’s Bay - 11.8 miles NNE
To find locations with the specific attributes you need try:

Resources search

Chart
Please use our integrated Navionics chart to appraise the haven and its approaches. Navionics charts feature in premier plotters from B&G, Raymarine, Magellan and are also available on tablets. Open the chart in a larger viewing area by clicking the expand to 'new tab' or the 'full screen' option.

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What's the story here?
Dún Laoghaire Harbour
Image: Paul ODonnell via CC BY 2.0


Dún Laoghaire is a large commercial port that caters for ferries and fishing vessels and is the largest centre for yachting in the country. It is situated on the south side of Dublin Bay and entered between Sorrento Point and the Ben of Howth peninsula 5.8 miles north by northeast, with the harbour being situated 2 miles to the northwest of Sorrento Point. The harbour area is enclosed by two magnificent granite piers that extend like arms from the shore in the direction of the Ben. Within these arms are four harbours in all; the main outer harbour, the marina harbour that is protected by its own breakwater and within its walls are the two small harbours of the Coal Harbour, with 2 metres at LW in the Inner Harbour, and, within this, the Old Harbour which partially dries.


Dún Laoghaire
Image: Fáilte Ireland


Dún Laoghaire Harbour Master is available on Mobile+353 (0)83 1443412 but you will most likely be staying in the 820 berth Dún Laoghaire Marina or be hosted by one of the four major clubs based here.


The extensive Dún Laoghaire Marina
Image: Tourism Ireland


The marina is located behind two breakwaters in the southwest corner of the harbour and caters for yachts of up to 25 metres LOA carrying draughts of up to 4 metres. The marina can be contacted in advance via [VHF] 37a (M), 80a (M2), and 16 [Dun Laoghaire Marina], Landline+353 (0)1 2020040, E-mailinfo@dlmarina.com and their web site External link. Berthing fees for Dún Laoghaire Marina are available online on their rate calculator External link website page.

The view towards the entrance from the Royal St George Yacht Club pontoon
Image: Michael Harpur


The harbour is home to four major clubs and each club has a pontoon, mini-marina and/or moorings that may be used by arrangement. They have permanent secretaries who may be contacted regarding the use of their moorings and facilities in advance.

Royal St George Yacht Club, Carlisle Pier, Landline+353 (0)1 280 1811, E-mailreception@rsgyc.ie, www.rsgyc.ie External link.

Royal Irish Yacht Club, Landline+353 (0)1 280 9452, E-mailsecretary@riyc.ie, www.riyc.ie External link.

The National Yacht Club, Landline+353 (0)1 280 5725, Boat House Landline+353 (0)1 284 1483, E-mailmanager@nyc.ie, www.nyc.ie External link.

Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, Landline+353 (0)1 280 1371, Boat House Mobile+353 (0)87 949 8697, E-mailoffice@dmyc.ie, www.dmyc.ie External link.


Dún Laoghaire Harbour moorings
Image: Tourism Ireland


Those who have visited in the past will find that the moorings in the western and eastern bights of the harbour have been removed progressively to allow the development of Cruise Liner activity.


Scotsman’s Bay off Dún Laoghaire's East Pier
Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0


In fine weather, a vessel may also anchor outside the harbour in Scotsman’s Bay in about 7 metres. It is a good anchorage tucked in under Dún Laoghaire's East Pier where protection can be found from west by northwest round through west to south by southeast. It has excellent holding of stiff marl with a covering of sand.


How to get in?
Dún Laoghaire Harbour situated on the south side of Dublin Bay
Image: Tab59 via CC BY-SA 2.0


Convergance Point Offshore details are available in eastern Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Dublin Bay to Rosslare Harbour Route location. The town spires of St. Michael’s Church and Mariner’s Church along with the slightly higher Dún Laoghaire pierhead light of the East Breakwater, will make the port unmistakable from anywhere in Dublin Bay area.

East Breakwater light tower
Image: Ian Patterson via CC BY-SA 2.0


Vessels approaching inshore from the south may use Dalkey Sound in fair weather with a favourable tide which is covered in the route Dublin to Killiney Bay via Dalkey Sound Route location. The more open Muglins Sound may be used in adverse tides and this is covered in the Muglins Sound Route location route. Once in Dublin Bay vessels should find no dangers in the approaches into Dún Laoghaire.


West Pier Head
Image: Benjamin Nagel via ASA 3.0


On closer approaches, from April to October, expect numerous yacht racing marker buoys to be moored throughout the south side of the bay.

Initial fix location From the initial fix, set outside the entrance, the harbour and its piers will have been readily apparent for many miles. A lighthouse stands on the end of each pier head and the entrance is 232 metres wide with depths of between 6 to 8 metres.

East Pier Head is a 12m Granite Tower, Red Lantern, Fl (2) R 8s 16m 17M.

West Pier Head, 9m Granite Tower, Green Lantern Fl (3)G 8s 11m 7M.

Yachts arriving into Dún Laoghaire Harbour
Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0


Entering the harbour is straightforward but allowances should be made for some tidal streams across the mouth of the entrance. There are no off-lying dangers outside the harbour although it is advisable to keep at least 15 metres off the pier heads. This is particularly the case with the East Pier which has drying boulders that extend out about eight metres westward of its foot.


Local anglers use the East Pier so it is advisable to keep clear of their lines
Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0


The West Pier should likewise be avoided as it is the usual favourite spot for anglers with long lines. They have been known to throw stones in order to ward off a vessel that might come too close to their lines.


Large yacht inside the entrance
Image: Tourism Ireland


Immediately inside the entrance of Fairway No.1 are the private moorings belonging to the yacht clubs to the east of the entrance. This area of the harbour has a maintained depth of 5 metres and leads to the ferry terminal at St. Michael’s Pier in the southeastern section of the harbour.


Dún Laoghaire Marina as seen from Traders Wharf
Image: Michael Harpur


Haven location Those intending on berthing in Dún Laoghaire Marina will find it behind two breakwaters in the southwest corner of the harbour. The marina entrance is marked by port and starboard lateral marks. From there pass between the Western and Eastern Marina Breakwater heads to round back into the marina.


Yacht approaching Dún Laoghaire Marina
Image: Michael Harpur


The marina has two areas. The main marina joined to the shore and a floating marina with no shore access. The floating marina is in the northeast corner of the harbour behind the Western Marina Breakwater and it is served by a ferry service. Not having direct shore access these berths usually cost about 40% less than those of the walk-ashore pontoons. In any case, berth as arranged with the marina office.

Dún Laoghaire Marina's floating pontoons
Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0


Those who have made arrangements with the permanent secretaries of the various clubs will find them distributed throughout the harbour area. Boats can generally drop in for short periods on club pontoons.


The Coal Harbour's Inner and Old Harbour area as seen from Traders Wharf
Image: Michael Harpur


'Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club' is located in the extreme west end of the harbour. It is accessed by continuing past the marina, then inside Traders Wharf and continuing through to the Inner Harbour to the shallow inner Old Harbour that lies within Old Quay. The 'Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club' pontoon can be found inside the Old Quay. It may, generally, be accessed from half tide and has a floating pontoon to land upon. The club provides an excellent slipway for running repairs or antifouling for which a charge of €50 can be expected.


Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club pontoon and clubhouse
Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0



Traders Wharf has, incidentally, an excellent fish shop. There are no facilities for visitors here but it is used by small yachts and fishing boats.


Royal Irish Yacht Club pontoon opposite the marina
Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0


The Royal Irish Yacht Club pontoon is on the southwest central part of the harbour about midway between Traders Wharf and the Ferry Terminal overlooking the maria.


The Royal St George Yacht Club pontoon
Image: Michael Harpur


Royal St. George Yacht Club has its pontoon on the south end of the harbour between St Michael's Pier and Carlisle Pier with its pontoon fronting the shore.

Likewise, The National Yacht Club is located on the opposite side of Carlisle Pier between it and the root of the East Pier.

As already mentioned in fine weather, a vessel may also anchor outside in Scotsman’s Bay in about 7 metres. Land, with permission, at one of the club pontoons.


One of the public slips in the Coal Harbour
Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0


Alternatively at the Coal Harbour which is set aside for members of the public who do not have access to Yacht Clubs or storage facilities. Its two public slipways provide popular access to the water and are a hive of activity in the summer months.


Why visit here?
Depiction of Lóegaire
Image: CC01
Dún Laoghaire derives its name from the 5th-century High King of Ireland Lóegaire mac Néill. Dún' being the Irish word for a 'fort', the town's name means the 'fort of Laoghaire'.

Lóegaire is said to have been either the son or nephew of the legendary king Niall of the Nine Hostages who was succeeded by Lóegaire. It is said that he chose this location to be his sea base from which he would carry out raids upon Britain and France. Traces of fortifications from that time have been found on the coast, and some of the stone is kept in the Maritime Museum. When he came to the Throne of Tara, in 461 AD, Ireland was on the precipice of becoming a small unified nation under his control. Save that is for one major problem and that was Ireland was at the time going through its own version of the 'War of the Roses' with Leinster battling it out with Tara for control. It was this endless war that would be the central concern of Lóegaire's reign.

That reign would coincide with the arrival of St Patrick and it is variously recorded in the writings about the saint that Lóegaire was an advisory. It is most likely, however, that he allowed Saint Patrick to travel the country and preach Christianity, and it is said he even assisted Patrich when he needed to be smuggled out to Wales. Lóegaire was nothing if a solid administrator, always deftly balancing conflict with holding the nation together. It is believed that it was he that erected the Ogham stones in the locations he ruled to keep accounts. Holding the nation together was his main focus so when St Patrick arrived he would have been just another unstabling element to contend with. As much as Lóegaire was annoyed with his presence, he figured it would be wise not to cause any additional conflicts as he had more than enough to concern him with the Leinstermen.


The Lia Fáil at the Hill of Tara, sacred site of inauguration for the Gaelic
High King

Image: John J Duncan via ASA 4.0


The earliest village in Dún Laoghaire was located around the area where 'The Purty Kitchen' pub is now situated, which is sometimes now known as 'Old Dunleary'. At that time, the area on which the town was situated was a craggy, rocky pasture area with some salt quarries. A small fishing pier was established here in 1767, now the Old Harbour set into the area presently known as the 'Coal Harbour', but it rapidly silted up and amounted to little. From these humble origins, the present magnificent harbour and town of Dún Laoghaire was to be born in the 1820s. It was all triggered by a horrendous double sea tragedy that enfolded close offshore in Dublin Bay.


Kingstown Harbour circa. 1895
Image: Public Domain


On November 19th, 1807, several troopships left the quays in Dublin carrying troops bound for the Napoleonic war. On departure, the sea began to swell. Then immediately, out at sea, the wind speed increased to storm force and was so thick with sleet and snow that the visibility was reduced to almost zero. Then the wind blew hard from the east driving the ships back towards Dublin Bay. In the melee, the crews may not have realised how close they were to the shore and the next day two ships, the brig Rochdale and H.M. Packetship Prince of Wales, were driven onto the rocks between Blackrock and Dún Laoghaire. The combined loss of lives from both these troopships was more than 400. Afterwards tales of the troops being deliberately locked below deck while the ship's captain and crew escaped emerged and there was despicable looting along the shoreline.


Kingstown Harbour between 1890 and 1900
Image: Public Domain


Prior to this tragedy Dublin Bay had been seen as notoriously treacherous for ships. Frequent and violent eastern gales led to many shipwrecks in Dublin Bay up until the 18th-century, as there was no safe place for ships seeking protection from inclement weather. The remains of at least 600 vessels are said to rest at the bottom of the bay. Although Dublin port provided complete protection, it was hampered then by a sandbar. Entering and exiting ships could only access the port at high tide and many were lost whilst waiting for the tide. A long-standing issue campaign to bring about the construction of an ‘Asylum Harbour’ for sailing ships in trouble within Dublin Bay had been to date largely ignored. The double catastrophe of the Rochdale and the Prince of Wales and the impact of having 400 bodies washing up on an urban shore had an immediate effect on public and official opinion. The cry for an asylum harbour could not be ignored any more.


The Kingstown Special today
Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0


With the new impetus the existing campaign received requisite support and the construction of what was initially called Dunleary, then Kingstown, and now Dún Laoghaire Harbour was the result. The legislation authorising the construction of what is now called the 'West Pier' was passed in 1816. It took more than 600 men 42 years to complete the harbour as a whole, 1817 to 1859, and cost over one million pounds to build at the time. The biggest man-made harbour of Western Europe of its time was the end result. Arriving at Howth, King George IV visited in 1821 and when departing from Dún Laoghaire gave it the name of Kingstown.


Victorian Bandstand on the East Pier
Image: Tourism Ireland


The lines of the current town centre stemmed from the development of the harbour. In 1834 Ireland's first railway, from Dublin to Kingstown, terminated near the West Pier. It established Kingstown as a preferred suburb of Dublin, and this led to the construction of its elegant residential terraces. The railway changed Kingstown into a Victorian-era seaside resort of which many vestiges remain today. The town returned to its former name in 1921, in the lead-up to the creation of the Irish Free State.


The Queen Victoria Fountain was erected in 1901 to commemorate her last visit to
Ireland

Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0


With its magnificent granite piers at the entrance it remains one of the largest harbours in the country to this day. The East Pier is one mile long and the West Pier is even longer. It encloses a space of 250 acres and the two arms have protected ships in the most adverse of weather conditions except occasionally when northeasterly gales strike.


Fine detail on the Queen Victoria Fountain
Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0


Today Dún Laoghaire is a major ferry port and commuter town for Dublin but it has much to offer a visitor. The magnificent harbour is its centrepiece with its rich array of fine Victorian, Edwardian, and contemporary buildings. Walking the East Pier is the most popular tourist activity here; the west pier is longer but the surface of the pier is less suitable for walking.


Captured Crimean War cannon on the East Pier
Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0


Many objects that today encircle the harbour are a reminder of its colonial and Victorian seaside past. The East Pier bandstand was restored to its original condition in 2010 and still-functioning tea rooms can be enjoyed in the traditional Victorian-style People's Park. The Queen Victoria Fountain, erected in Dun Laoghaire in 1901 to commemorate her last visit to Ireland via Dun Laoghaire harbour, was restored in 2003.The town also has a deep literary history. James Joyce stayed with Oliver St John Gogarty in the nearby Sandycove Martello tower. This tower, now known as the James Joyce Tower and containing a small museum, was immortalised in the opening chapter of Joyce's Ulysses. Samuel Beckett is said to have experienced an artistic epiphany, alluded to in his play Krapp's Last Tape, while sitting on the end of one of Dún Laoghaire's piers. A bronze plaque marks the spot today. Likewise, Nobel Prize Winner George Bernard Shaw of Pygmalion fame lived nearby in Dalkey.


Dún Laoghaire is a safe harbour to run to and take shelter
Image: Tourism Ireland


The new Heritage Centre, in the Goat Castle on Dalkey’s Castle Street, is the best way to explore the town’s history as well as hosting art exhibitions, and programmes of music and drama. Likewise the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, housed in 'Mariners' Church' directly inland from the East Pier, is a 'must see' for a coastal cruiser. In addition to this, the town features a wide array of restaurants, pubs, shops, and seaside activities. Ten or fifteen minutes’ drive from the harbour will be enough to enjoy excellent golfing, hill-walking on the ‘Wicklow Way’ and a host of other outdoor activities in the spectacular countryside.


Dusk at Dún Laoghaire
Image: CC0


From a boating perspective, Dún Laoghaire is one of the largest harbours in the country that does exactly what it is designed to do, be a safe place to run to in bad weather. Once inside, a hub for all yachting activity will be found where every possible boating need may be addressed. Being a large town south of the capital, Dún Laoghaire also has everything a cruising vessel could need within a short walk from the marina. Add quick and efficient public transport access to Dublin and all its resources and tourist attractions and it is hard to beat as a safe base from which to explore. It is also designated a port of entry that may be used for 'clearing in' purposes by vessels arriving entering territorial waters of the Republic of Ireland from outside of the EU & UK territories. All of these elements make Dún Laoghaire a premier boating location.


What facilities are available?
From a boating perspective Dún Laoghaire is a major yachting centre and it has virtually everything you could need including lift out, repairs, fuel, chandlery, reprovisions and general shopping.

Any boat repair or service a vessel may require can be handled in Dún Laoghaire
Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0


Full Club details are as follows:

Royal St George Yacht Club
Carlisle Pier
Dun Laoghaire Harbour
Co. Dublin A96 AY77
Landline+353 (0)1 280 1811, E-mailreception@rsgyc.ie, www.rsgyc.ie External link.

Royal Irish Yacht Club.
Dun Laoghaire
Co. Dublin A96 RC84
Landline+353 (0)1 280 9452, E-mailsecretary@riyc.ie, www.riyc.ie External link.

The National Yacht Club
East Pier
Dun Laoghaire
Co Dublin A96 AX98,
Landline+353 (0)1 280 5725, Boat House Landline+353 (0)1 284 1483, E-mailmanager@nyc.ie, www.nyc.ie External link.

Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club
West Pier
Dun Laoghaire
Co. Dublin A96 KT25
Landline+353 (0)1 280 1371, Boat House Mobile+353 (0)87 949 8697, E-mail, www.dmyc.ie External link.

In addition Dublin is nearby via the DART suburban railway or the frequent bus service, and it also has a ferry connection to Holyhead on Anglesey, Wales. Beside the railway station is the terminus of the 46A bus (Dún Laoghaire — City Centre (An Lár)), the most frequent and heavily used bus route in Dublin.

Dublin international airport is at the opposite side of the city but accessible via Blue Aircoach every 30 minutes from the harbour area.


Any security concerns?
The Marina facility is secured with swipe card activated locked gates and CCTV surveillance.


With thanks to:
Francis Butler & Burke Corbett local sailors. Photography with thanks to Sabrina Manfield, Eric Jones, Benjamin Nagel, William Murphy, jwd, wilcon 247, jaquin, isol, Donal Mountain, Michael Harpur, Christine Matthews and John Coxon.
































The HSS approaching St Michael’s Pier
Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0




Drone harbour view Part 1.




Drone harbour view Part 2.




Dun Laoghaire - A Day in the Life by filmmaker Ian Thuillier


About Dún Laoghaire Harbour

Depiction of Lóegaire
Image: CC01
Dún Laoghaire derives its name from the 5th-century High King of Ireland Lóegaire mac Néill. Dún' being the Irish word for a 'fort', the town's name means the 'fort of Laoghaire'.

Lóegaire is said to have been either the son or nephew of the legendary king Niall of the Nine Hostages who was succeeded by Lóegaire. It is said that he chose this location to be his sea base from which he would carry out raids upon Britain and France. Traces of fortifications from that time have been found on the coast, and some of the stone is kept in the Maritime Museum. When he came to the Throne of Tara, in 461 AD, Ireland was on the precipice of becoming a small unified nation under his control. Save that is for one major problem and that was Ireland was at the time going through its own version of the 'War of the Roses' with Leinster battling it out with Tara for control. It was this endless war that would be the central concern of Lóegaire's reign.

That reign would coincide with the arrival of St Patrick and it is variously recorded in the writings about the saint that Lóegaire was an advisory. It is most likely, however, that he allowed Saint Patrick to travel the country and preach Christianity, and it is said he even assisted Patrich when he needed to be smuggled out to Wales. Lóegaire was nothing if a solid administrator, always deftly balancing conflict with holding the nation together. It is believed that it was he that erected the Ogham stones in the locations he ruled to keep accounts. Holding the nation together was his main focus so when St Patrick arrived he would have been just another unstabling element to contend with. As much as Lóegaire was annoyed with his presence, he figured it would be wise not to cause any additional conflicts as he had more than enough to concern him with the Leinstermen.


The Lia Fáil at the Hill of Tara, sacred site of inauguration for the Gaelic
High King

Image: John J Duncan via ASA 4.0


The earliest village in Dún Laoghaire was located around the area where 'The Purty Kitchen' pub is now situated, which is sometimes now known as 'Old Dunleary'. At that time, the area on which the town was situated was a craggy, rocky pasture area with some salt quarries. A small fishing pier was established here in 1767, now the Old Harbour set into the area presently known as the 'Coal Harbour', but it rapidly silted up and amounted to little. From these humble origins, the present magnificent harbour and town of Dún Laoghaire was to be born in the 1820s. It was all triggered by a horrendous double sea tragedy that enfolded close offshore in Dublin Bay.


Kingstown Harbour circa. 1895
Image: Public Domain


On November 19th, 1807, several troopships left the quays in Dublin carrying troops bound for the Napoleonic war. On departure, the sea began to swell. Then immediately, out at sea, the wind speed increased to storm force and was so thick with sleet and snow that the visibility was reduced to almost zero. Then the wind blew hard from the east driving the ships back towards Dublin Bay. In the melee, the crews may not have realised how close they were to the shore and the next day two ships, the brig Rochdale and H.M. Packetship Prince of Wales, were driven onto the rocks between Blackrock and Dún Laoghaire. The combined loss of lives from both these troopships was more than 400. Afterwards tales of the troops being deliberately locked below deck while the ship's captain and crew escaped emerged and there was despicable looting along the shoreline.


Kingstown Harbour between 1890 and 1900
Image: Public Domain


Prior to this tragedy Dublin Bay had been seen as notoriously treacherous for ships. Frequent and violent eastern gales led to many shipwrecks in Dublin Bay up until the 18th-century, as there was no safe place for ships seeking protection from inclement weather. The remains of at least 600 vessels are said to rest at the bottom of the bay. Although Dublin port provided complete protection, it was hampered then by a sandbar. Entering and exiting ships could only access the port at high tide and many were lost whilst waiting for the tide. A long-standing issue campaign to bring about the construction of an ‘Asylum Harbour’ for sailing ships in trouble within Dublin Bay had been to date largely ignored. The double catastrophe of the Rochdale and the Prince of Wales and the impact of having 400 bodies washing up on an urban shore had an immediate effect on public and official opinion. The cry for an asylum harbour could not be ignored any more.


The Kingstown Special today
Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0


With the new impetus the existing campaign received requisite support and the construction of what was initially called Dunleary, then Kingstown, and now Dún Laoghaire Harbour was the result. The legislation authorising the construction of what is now called the 'West Pier' was passed in 1816. It took more than 600 men 42 years to complete the harbour as a whole, 1817 to 1859, and cost over one million pounds to build at the time. The biggest man-made harbour of Western Europe of its time was the end result. Arriving at Howth, King George IV visited in 1821 and when departing from Dún Laoghaire gave it the name of Kingstown.


Victorian Bandstand on the East Pier
Image: Tourism Ireland


The lines of the current town centre stemmed from the development of the harbour. In 1834 Ireland's first railway, from Dublin to Kingstown, terminated near the West Pier. It established Kingstown as a preferred suburb of Dublin, and this led to the construction of its elegant residential terraces. The railway changed Kingstown into a Victorian-era seaside resort of which many vestiges remain today. The town returned to its former name in 1921, in the lead-up to the creation of the Irish Free State.


The Queen Victoria Fountain was erected in 1901 to commemorate her last visit to
Ireland

Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0


With its magnificent granite piers at the entrance it remains one of the largest harbours in the country to this day. The East Pier is one mile long and the West Pier is even longer. It encloses a space of 250 acres and the two arms have protected ships in the most adverse of weather conditions except occasionally when northeasterly gales strike.


Fine detail on the Queen Victoria Fountain
Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0


Today Dún Laoghaire is a major ferry port and commuter town for Dublin but it has much to offer a visitor. The magnificent harbour is its centrepiece with its rich array of fine Victorian, Edwardian, and contemporary buildings. Walking the East Pier is the most popular tourist activity here; the west pier is longer but the surface of the pier is less suitable for walking.


Captured Crimean War cannon on the East Pier
Image: William Murphy via CC BY SA 2.0


Many objects that today encircle the harbour are a reminder of its colonial and Victorian seaside past. The East Pier bandstand was restored to its original condition in 2010 and still-functioning tea rooms can be enjoyed in the traditional Victorian-style People's Park. The Queen Victoria Fountain, erected in Dun Laoghaire in 1901 to commemorate her last visit to Ireland via Dun Laoghaire harbour, was restored in 2003.The town also has a deep literary history. James Joyce stayed with Oliver St John Gogarty in the nearby Sandycove Martello tower. This tower, now known as the James Joyce Tower and containing a small museum, was immortalised in the opening chapter of Joyce's Ulysses. Samuel Beckett is said to have experienced an artistic epiphany, alluded to in his play Krapp's Last Tape, while sitting on the end of one of Dún Laoghaire's piers. A bronze plaque marks the spot today. Likewise, Nobel Prize Winner George Bernard Shaw of Pygmalion fame lived nearby in Dalkey.


Dún Laoghaire is a safe harbour to run to and take shelter
Image: Tourism Ireland


The new Heritage Centre, in the Goat Castle on Dalkey’s Castle Street, is the best way to explore the town’s history as well as hosting art exhibitions, and programmes of music and drama. Likewise the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, housed in 'Mariners' Church' directly inland from the East Pier, is a 'must see' for a coastal cruiser. In addition to this, the town features a wide array of restaurants, pubs, shops, and seaside activities. Ten or fifteen minutes’ drive from the harbour will be enough to enjoy excellent golfing, hill-walking on the ‘Wicklow Way’ and a host of other outdoor activities in the spectacular countryside.


Dusk at Dún Laoghaire
Image: CC0


From a boating perspective, Dún Laoghaire is one of the largest harbours in the country that does exactly what it is designed to do, be a safe place to run to in bad weather. Once inside, a hub for all yachting activity will be found where every possible boating need may be addressed. Being a large town south of the capital, Dún Laoghaire also has everything a cruising vessel could need within a short walk from the marina. Add quick and efficient public transport access to Dublin and all its resources and tourist attractions and it is hard to beat as a safe base from which to explore. It is also designated a port of entry that may be used for 'clearing in' purposes by vessels arriving entering territorial waters of the Republic of Ireland from outside of the EU & UK territories. All of these elements make Dún Laoghaire a premier boating location.

Other options in this area


Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Alternatively here are the ten nearest havens available in picture view:
Coastal clockwise:
Dalkey Island - 1.5 miles SE
Sorrento Point - 1.5 miles SE
Bray Harbour - 3.5 miles SSE
Greystones - 5.8 miles SSE
Wicklow Harbour - 12 miles SSE
Coastal anti-clockwise:
Dublin Port - 2.4 miles NW
Balscadden Bay - 3.7 miles NNE
Howth - 3.9 miles NNE
Carrigeen Bay - 4.2 miles NNE
Malahide - 5.8 miles N

Navigational pictures


These additional images feature in the 'How to get in' section of our detailed view for Dún Laoghaire Harbour.






































































Drone harbour view Part 1.




Drone harbour view Part 2.




Dun Laoghaire - A Day in the Life by filmmaker Ian Thuillier



A photograph is worth a thousand words. We are always looking for bright sunny photographs that show this haven and its identifiable features at its best. If you have some images that we could use please upload them here. All we need to know is how you would like to be credited for your work and a brief description of the image if it is not readily apparent. If you would like us to add a hyperlink from the image that goes back to your site please include the desired link and we will be delighted to that for you.


Add your review or comment:


Rodolphe Thimonier wrote this review on Jun 22nd 2016:

Excellent shelter in all conditions. A big and modern marina with most of services available (and the price that comes with it), but charmless and feeling more like a police station than a hotel. Being in the city center where you can find all sorts of shops, including a fairly decent chandlery, it is however a good place for a technical pit stop. NB: They claim that they have the cheapest diesel of the East coast.

Average Rating: Unrated

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