Dún Laoghaire
Encyclopedia
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire (d̪ˠuːn̪ˠ ˈɫeːrʲə), sometimes anglicised
as "Dunleary" (dʌnˈlɪəri), is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin
, Ireland
, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town
of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County
and a major port of entry from Great Britain
. From 1821 to 1921 it was officially called Kingstown.
, a 5th century High King of Ireland
, who chose the site as a sea base from which to carry out raids on Britain
and Gaul
. Dún is an Irish word meaning fort, and traces of fortifications from that period have been found on the coast. Some stone from that fort is preserved in the Maritime Museum
.
The original Irish spelling is now almost always used in preference to its anglicised forms, although most Irish people pronounce it "Dunleary."
The present town of Dún Laoghaire dates from the 1820s. An earlier Dun Laoghaire village was located around the area where "The Purty Kitchen" pub is now located (sometimes mapped as "Old Dun Laoghaire"). Dun Laoghaire had a coffee house, and a small cove, both of which are shown on a number of old maps, and it may have had a salt mine (Salthill is close by). At that time, the area on which the town is currently located was a craggy, rocky pasture area with some quarries.
The events of the night of November 18/19, 1807 were to lead eventually to the transformation of the area. On that night, the troopships, the Prince of Wales, and the Rochdale
, both of which had departed from Dublin, were driven on the rocks between Blackrock and Dun Laoghaire with the combined loss of over 400 lives. This disaster gave new impetus to an existing campaign for a new harbour to be constructed near Dublin. By 1816, the legislation was passed authorising the construction of what is now called the "West Pier". When King George IV came to visit the new port under construction in 1821, the name Dunleary was dropped in favour of the name "Kingstown"; the town returned to its former name with the creation of the Irish Free State
in 1921.
Some maps show the commencement of a small town centre along what is now Cumberland St, close to the junction with York Road, but from the 1820s the harbour brought new business to the area, and a new town centre began to form along Georges St. That street may originally have been laid out as a military road connecting the Dún Laoghaire Martello Towers—one at the "Peoples Park
", the other near the end of the West Pier—both of which have long disappeared.
Ireland's first railway from Dublin to Kingstown, opened for business in 1834, terminated near the West Pier. It established Kingstown as a preferred suburb of Dublin, and led to the construction of elegant residential terraces. By 1844 the "Atmospheric Train
" (designed by Robert Mallet
) connected Kingstown to Dalkey, leading to further development. The Atmospheric Train ceased in 1854, but was replaced by the extension of the railway, which was subsequently extended to the ferryport of Rosslare
.
The main road to Dublin, through Monkstown village and Blackrock, was the sole road connection to the city of Dublin until 1932. In that year, the Eucharistic Congress, held in Dublin brought thousands of visitors to Dublin, and plans indicated that most of them would come through Dún Laoghaire. The road was considered inadequate, and a new coast road was created by connecting some short segments of road and closing some gardens. This road is now Seapoint Avenue. An agreement with the local residents to restore the area to pre-congress condition was never fulfilled.
The British 59th (2nd North Midland) Division disembarked at Kingstown in April 1916 and marched up the road to Dublin, in order to crush the Easter Rising
. Adjacent to the Carlisle Pier
and overlooked by the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, there is an anchor, recovered from the wreck of the mailboat which was torpedoed over the Kish Bank
in 1918, with the loss of over 500 lives.
Dún Laoghaire was hit by a stray German bomb during World War II
, the bomb landing near the People's Park at Rosmeen Gardens. Damage from the bomb was limited to buildings.
, and remains the only town in Ireland to have its own Vocational Education Committee
. It is considered part of the Greater Dublin Area
.
The area is governed locally by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
which is responsible for the provision of local services and amenities. For elections the town is part of the Dún Laoghaire local electoral area
which elects six councillors. Following the 2009 local elections there are two councillors each from the Labour Party
(centre left) and Fine Gael
(centre right) and one each from Fianna Fáil
(centrist) and PBPA
(left wing).
For elections to Dáil Éireann
the town is part of the Dún Laoghaire
constituency which is currently represented by four TD
s; two from Fine Gael
and one from the Labour Party
and PBPA
. The most high profile TD from the constituency is current Tánaiste
Eamonn Gilmore, who resides in Shankill
to the south.
The harbour, one of the largest in the country, and base for a now limited car ferry route to the United Kingdom
, is notable for its two granite piers. The East Pier is particularly popular with walkers, and was featured in the 1996 movie Michael Collins
, where Liam Neeson
(as Collins) and two of his co-stars are seen walking along a seaside promenade
, which is actually the Dún Laoghaire East Pier. A band is seen playing on a bandstand
in this movie scene, and this is the actual bandstand on the East Pier. The bandstand was restored to its original condition in 2010 by the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company.
It took 42 years to construct the harbour, from 1817 to 1859. The obelisk near the old ferryport terminal at the harbour commemorates the construction of this harbour.
A lighthouse
was located at the end of the East Pier, while the new headquarters of the Commissioners of Irish Lights
(the General Lighthouse Authority for Ireland) is located on Harbour Road.
South of the harbour is Scotsman's Bay, where there was a Victorian seaside amusement area, with walks, shelters and baths. The walks and shelters are largely intact but the Dún Laoghaire Baths have been derelict for many years. Plans for restoration of this area are much debated, and some of the more ambitious ideas have been highly controversial.
A traditional Victorian-style park, the People's Park
, is located at the eastern end of George's Street, and including still-functioning tea rooms.
At least one traditional "cabman's shelter" survives – these were small buildings built for the drivers of horse-drawn taxis.
Community facilities include the Boylan Community Centre, the Dún Laoghaire Scout Den, and a community information service in the tower building of St. Michael's Church.
suburban railway, and is also a stop on the mainline rail service from Dublin to Wexford and Rosslare. The town is also served by a frequent bus service e.g. 7, 45a, 46a, 59, 111, and 75. Beside the railway station
is the terminus of the 75 and the 46a, the most frequent and heavily used bus route in Dublin. The 746 bus route from the station terminus to Dublin Airport
was discontinued in October 2010. Sandycove and Glasthule
and Salthill and Monkstown
also serve the area.
An Aircoach
service links the area with Dublin Airport 24 hours a day with stops at County Hall and the Royal Marine Hotel.
, constructed and opened in 1834, was the first ever railway in Ireland, built to standard gauge
. This was followed by the Dalkey Atmospheric Railway
, an extension of the D&K that opened in 1843 (also built to standard gauge), the first railway to have practical application of pneumatic
power. In 1854, the Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway
took over both lines, converting both to Irish gauge
and the latter to steam
power, extending further south to Bray
, Wicklow
, and eventually Wexford
and Waterford
as the Dublin and South Eastern Railway
. In 1925, the DSER was amalgamated into the Great Southern Railways
company, which lasted until 1944 when the railway was merged into CIÉ
. Electrification arrived in 1984, and the suburban service was re-branded as DART
.
connection to Holyhead
in Anglesey, Wales
, one of Ireland's main sea links to Great Britain
.
One sailing each way links Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead
served by two Stena Line
high speed ferries, the Stena Explorer
and the Stena Lynx III
.
Dún Laoghaire harbour is home to six yacht club
s. From north (West Pier) to south (East Pier) they are the Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, the Sailing in Dublin Club
, the Royal Irish Yacht Club
, the Royal St. George Yacht Club
, the Royal Alfred Yacht Club, and the National Yacht Club
. The Irish National Sailing School & Club, Ireland's largest sail training provider for adults and children alike is based at the foot of the West Pier.
The area to the north of the West Pier at Salthill Beach sees much windsurfing activity over the twelve months of the year.
St. Michael's Rowing Club, one of the longest-established members of the East Coast Rowing Council
, has its roots in Dún Laoghaire harbour since the hobblers of the 18th and 19th centuries. The club itself has existed since the early 1920s and still resides in the Coal Harbour boat yard today. Members can regularly be seen rowing their traditional, clinker built skiffs around the harbour and Scotsman's Bay throughout the year.
, the maritime historian. Following his death in April 2006, a 240-berth extension, involving an investment of €3 million, was approved in June 2006 by An Bord Pleanála
; the project was completed in April 2007.
in County Wicklow
. The move occurred on 1 August 2007, to a purpose-built 96 acres (388,498.6 m²) site, with spectacular views over the Wicklow countryside including the Sugarloaf mountain. The new course is one of the finest in the Dublin area, with some people dubbing the course "The D Club", in reference to Kildare
's spectacular K Club.
Dun Laoghaire Golf Club’s 27-hole championship course has been designed by Hawtree to allow different combinations of the three nine-hole courses to be played. The championship courses played from the blue tees range from 6543 to 6281 metres, although with five sets of tees, the course provides an exhilarating challenge to both professional and club golfers alike.
The magnificent 5-star Clubhouse which incorporates a spectacular terrace with stunning panoramic views of the Wicklow Mountains has spacious locker, dining and bar facilities, meeting rooms and offices and is perfectly equipped to cater for any function.
It’s golf performance academy is one of Ireland’s leading teaching facilities and includes indoor swing studio, indoor putting studio, 13-bay driving range, dedicated pitching and chipping area, bunker area and gym. Dun Laoghaire Golf Club’s 27-hole championship course has been designed by Hawtree to allow different combinations of the three nine-hole courses to be played. The championship courses played from the blue tees range from 6543 to 6281 metres, although with five sets of tees, the course provides an exhilarating challenge to both professional and club golfers alike.
The magnificent 5-star Clubhouse which incorporates a spectacular terrace with stunning panoramic views of the Wicklow Mountains has spacious locker, dining and bar facilities, meeting rooms and offices and is perfectly equipped to cater for any function. It’s golf performance academy is one of Ireland’s leading teaching facilities and includes indoor swing studio, indoor putting studio, 13-bay driving range, dedicated pitching and chipping area, bunker area and gym.
http://www.dunlaoghairegolfclub.ie/
, Dún Laoghaire College of Further Education on Cumberland Street and Sallynoggin College of Further Education.
The main Primary School in Dún Laoghaire is Dominican Primary School Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire has seen several of its secondary schools close in the past two decades, due to population shifts to outlying areas. Three schools which closed are, CBS Eblana Avenue
, founded in 1856 and closed in 1992 (although the fee paying school C.B.C. Monkstown
which relocated from Eblana continues to this day), the Dominican Convent girls' school, which closed a year earlier in 1991 and Presentation College Glasthule founded in 1902, closed in 2007.
Located in Monkstown Farm, Holy Family National School is a primary school in the area.
Also METNS (Monkstown Educate Together National School) located on Kill Avenue, Dún Laoghaire.
Dún Laoghaire has one main shopping street, George's Street, as well as two shopping centres: the Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre and Bloomfields, the former dating from 1977. Recent years have seen some commercial development of the land around the George's Street area, including, notably, the old Pavilion Cinema and Theatre site opposite the town hall. There is a regular antiques fair held bi-monthly, on Sundays in the Royal Marine Hotel, near the harbour, and a weekly farmers market held in the People's Park on Sundays.
The town has a wide range of eating places and public houses, as well as more than one hundred other retail businesses, including famous high street shops such as Marks and Spencer, Penneys and Dunnes Stores
.
The town is home to the head office of Ireland's largest supermarket operator, Tesco Ireland
, whose stores previously anchored both major shopping centres in the town. But the one in Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre which had been in operation since 1977, closed in May 2011 leaving only the one in Bloomfields.
Dún Laoghaire also holds other company headquarters, such as those of Bord Iascaigh Mhara
and Lionbridge
Ireland.
There is an active Business Association, and a local Chamber of Commerce.
and Samuel Beckett
.
Joyce's stay with Oliver St. John Gogarty
in a Martello tower
in nearby Sandycove
he later immortalised in the opening chapter of Ulysses
. This tower, known as the James Joyce Tower, is in nearby Sandycove
. It contains a small museum.
Samuel Beckett
came from nearby Foxrock and 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.
The famed black equestrian and circus owner, Pablo Fanque
, immortalized in The Beatles
' song Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
performed here for one week during a long engagement in Dublin, in 1850.
In August 1991, Seattle grunge band Nirvana
played at the The Top Hat.
Dún Laoghaire was previously home to the Festival Of World Cultures, a three day festival dedicated to music from all corners of the globe. It was one of the largest music festivals in Ireland attracting over a quarter of a million visitors to the town over a weekend in August. For nine years (2001-2010), the festival was a huge success, but unfortunately it was decided by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to stop hosting the festival as in 2010 there was large losses.. Acording to the DLR Festival Website "Panning will begin shortly for a Festival of World Cultures in 2012" meaning a return of the World cultures festival is promanant.
A new purpose built theatre, the Pavilion, opened its doors in 2000. Built on the site of the 1903 'Kingstown Pavilion', it serves as the Municipal Theatre for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, and is a host venue for a number of important festivals including the International Puppet Festival, and, recently, the Dublin Theatre Festival
.
St Michael's Church is home to the longest-running series of organ concerts in Ireland, featuring the famous 1974 organ by Rieger Orgelbau which is the only organ of its type in Ireland.
The National Maritime Museum of Ireland
is housed in "Mariners' Church"
, which formerly served the British Navy, and is situated in the town centre, alongside a spiral walk, pond and public bowling ground. The museum is currently undergoing major refurbishment and is due to reopen in 2011.
A Carnegie library
, with a modern extension, is located on Library Road, and hosts the county library headquarters. A new central library will be built alongside the maritime museum.
There is a tiny oratory (4m x 6m). described as a "gem of Celtic Renaissance Art".
Anglicisation
Anglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...
as "Dunleary" (dʌnˈlɪəri), is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. Located to the south-east of Dublin city, its county seat is the town of Dún Laoghaire. It is one of the four constituent parts of the Dublin Region...
and a major port of entry from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. From 1821 to 1921 it was officially called Kingstown.
Etymology
The town's name derives from Lóegaire mac NéillLóegaire mac Néill
Lóegaire , also Lóeguire, is said to have been a son of Niall of the Nine Hostages. The Irish annals and king lists include him as a King of Tara or High King of Ireland. He appears as an adversary of Saint Patrick in several hagiographies...
, a 5th century High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland
The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
, who chose the site as a sea base from which to carry out raids on Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
. Dún is an Irish word meaning fort, and traces of fortifications from that period have been found on the coast. Some stone from that fort is preserved in the Maritime Museum
National Maritime Museum of Ireland
The National Maritime Museum of Ireland opened in 1978 in the former Mariners' Church in Haigh Terrace, near the centre of Dún Laoghaire town, southeast of Dublin city.The church was built in 1837 for seafarers and remained open until 1971...
.
The original Irish spelling is now almost always used in preference to its anglicised forms, although most Irish people pronounce it "Dunleary."
History
The events of the night of November 18/19, 1807 were to lead eventually to the transformation of the area. On that night, the troopships, the Prince of Wales, and the Rochdale
The Sinking of the Rochdale and the Prince of Wales
The Rochdale and the Prince of Wales were two troop ships that sank in Dublin Bay in 1807.Dublin Port had long been dangerous because it was accessible only at high tide and was subject to sudden storms. Many ships were lost while waiting for the tide, but little was done until this disaster...
, both of which had departed from Dublin, were driven on the rocks between Blackrock and Dun Laoghaire with the combined loss of over 400 lives. This disaster gave new impetus to an existing campaign for a new harbour to be constructed near Dublin. By 1816, the legislation was passed authorising the construction of what is now called the "West Pier". When King George IV came to visit the new port under construction in 1821, the name Dunleary was dropped in favour of the name "Kingstown"; the town returned to its former name with the creation of the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
in 1921.
Some maps show the commencement of a small town centre along what is now Cumberland St, close to the junction with York Road, but from the 1820s the harbour brought new business to the area, and a new town centre began to form along Georges St. That street may originally have been laid out as a military road connecting the Dún Laoghaire Martello Towers—one at the "Peoples Park
People's Park, Dún Laoghaire
-History:A Martello Tower was previously built on the site in 1805, as can be seen from maps from 1817 and 1821.The park was officially opened on 29 September 1890. The land had been acquired by the Kingstown town commissioners in 1889 and the park had been designed by J. L...
", the other near the end of the West Pier—both of which have long disappeared.
Ireland's first railway from Dublin to Kingstown, opened for business in 1834, terminated near the West Pier. It established Kingstown as a preferred suburb of Dublin, and led to the construction of elegant residential terraces. By 1844 the "Atmospheric Train
Dalkey Atmospheric Railway
The Dalkey Atmospheric Railway was an extension of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway to Atmospheric Road in Dalkey, Co. Dublin, Ireland. It used part of the Dalkey Quarry industrial tramway, which was earlier used for the construction of Kingstown Harbour...
" (designed by Robert Mallet
Robert Mallet
Robert Mallet FRS , Irish geophysicist, civil engineer, and inventor who distinguished himself in research on earthquakes and is sometimes called the father of seismology.-Early life:...
) connected Kingstown to Dalkey, leading to further development. The Atmospheric Train ceased in 1854, but was replaced by the extension of the railway, which was subsequently extended to the ferryport of Rosslare
Rosslare Harbour
The village of Rosslare Harbour grew up to serve the needs of the harbour of the same name , first developed in 1906 by the Great Western Railway and the Great Southern and Western Railway to accommodate steamferry traffic between Great Britain and Ireland...
.
The main road to Dublin, through Monkstown village and Blackrock, was the sole road connection to the city of Dublin until 1932. In that year, the Eucharistic Congress, held in Dublin brought thousands of visitors to Dublin, and plans indicated that most of them would come through Dún Laoghaire. The road was considered inadequate, and a new coast road was created by connecting some short segments of road and closing some gardens. This road is now Seapoint Avenue. An agreement with the local residents to restore the area to pre-congress condition was never fulfilled.
The British 59th (2nd North Midland) Division disembarked at Kingstown in April 1916 and marched up the road to Dublin, in order to crush the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
. Adjacent to the Carlisle Pier
Carlisle Pier
Carlisle Pier, Dún Laoghaire was used by the mailboat which sailed between Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead. The pier was built between 1855 and 1859 and was named after the Earl of Carlisle, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland...
and overlooked by the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, there is an anchor, recovered from the wreck of the mailboat which was torpedoed over the Kish Bank
Kish Bank
The Kish Bank is a shallow sand bank about seven miles off the coast of Dublin, in Ireland. It is marked by the Kish Lighthouse, a landmark well known to sailors and ferry passengers passing through Dublin Bay and Dún Laoghaire harbour.Many ships were wrecked on these shallows...
in 1918, with the loss of over 500 lives.
Dún Laoghaire was hit by a stray German bomb during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the bomb landing near the People's Park at Rosmeen Gardens. Damage from the bomb was limited to buildings.
Governance and representation
Dún Laoghaire was once the core element of the borough of Dún LaoghaireCorporation of Dún Laoghaire
The Corporation of Dún Laoghaire was a local authority in County Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland from 1930 to 1994, covering the municipal borough of Dún Laoghaire...
, and remains the only town in Ireland to have its own Vocational Education Committee
Vocational Education Committee
A Vocational Education Committee is a statutory local education body in the Republic of Ireland that administers some secondary education, most adult education and a very small amount of primary education in the state...
. It is considered part of the Greater Dublin Area
Greater Dublin Area
Greater Dublin Area , or simply Greater Dublin, is a term which is used to describe the city of Dublin and various counties in the hinterland of the city in Ireland. The term has no basis in law and no local government, department of government or agency of the state is bound by the term...
.
The area is governed locally by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is the local authority for the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown in Ireland. It is one of three local authorities that comprised the former Dublin County Council before its abolition and one of four councils in the Dublin Region. It serves a population of...
which is responsible for the provision of local services and amenities. For elections the town is part of the Dún Laoghaire local electoral area
Local electoral area
A local electoral area is a sub-division of a county and city-level local government used for electoral purposes in Ireland. Each local electoral area consists of a number of lower-level units known as district electoral divisions...
which elects six councillors. Following the 2009 local elections there are two councillors each from the Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
(centre left) and Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
(centre right) and one each from Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
(centrist) and PBPA
People Before Profit Alliance
The People Before Profit Alliance is an Irish political party formed in October 2005. It is active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.-Overview:It was established by the Socialist Workers Party...
(left wing).
For elections to Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
the town is part of the Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dún Laoghaire is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies...
constituency which is currently represented by four TD
TD
TD may stand for:* Atlantis European Airways IATA designator* MG TD Midget, a car manufactured in the United Kingdom between 1950 and 1953* TD, an ITU prefix assigned to Guatemala * T.D...
s; two from Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
and one from the Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
and PBPA
People Before Profit Alliance
The People Before Profit Alliance is an Irish political party formed in October 2005. It is active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.-Overview:It was established by the Socialist Workers Party...
. The most high profile TD from the constituency is current Tánaiste
Tánaiste
The Tánaiste is the deputy prime minister of Ireland. The current Tánaiste is Eamon Gilmore, TD who was appointed on 9 March 2011.- Origins and etymology :...
Eamonn Gilmore, who resides in Shankill
Shankill
Shankill can mean:* Belfast Shankill * Belfast Shankill , the 1918–1922 UK Parliament constituency* Shankill, County Antrim, a parish in County Antrim, Northern Ireland...
to the south.
Features
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, is notable for its two granite piers. The East Pier is particularly popular with walkers, and was featured in the 1996 movie Michael Collins
Michael Collins (film)
Michael Collins is a 1996 historical biopic written and directed by Neil Jordan and starring Liam Neeson as General Michael Collins, the Irish patriot and revolutionary who died in the Irish Civil War. It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival....
, where Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson
Liam John Neeson, OBE is an Irish actor who has been nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA and three Golden Globe Awards.He has starred in a number of notable roles including Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Peyton Westlake in Darkman, Jean Valjean in Les...
(as Collins) and two of his co-stars are seen walking along a seaside promenade
Esplanade
An esplanade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The original meaning of esplanade was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide clear fields of fire for the fortress' guns...
, which is actually the Dún Laoghaire East Pier. A band is seen playing on a bandstand
Bandstand
A bandstand is a circular or semicircular structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts...
in this movie scene, and this is the actual bandstand on the East Pier. The bandstand was restored to its original condition in 2010 by the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company.
It took 42 years to construct the harbour, from 1817 to 1859. The obelisk near the old ferryport terminal at the harbour commemorates the construction of this harbour.
A lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
was located at the end of the East Pier, while the new headquarters of the Commissioners of Irish Lights
Commissioners of Irish Lights
The Commissioners of Irish Lights is the body that serves as the lighthouse authority for Ireland plus its adjacent seas and islands...
(the General Lighthouse Authority for Ireland) is located on Harbour Road.
South of the harbour is Scotsman's Bay, where there was a Victorian seaside amusement area, with walks, shelters and baths. The walks and shelters are largely intact but the Dún Laoghaire Baths have been derelict for many years. Plans for restoration of this area are much debated, and some of the more ambitious ideas have been highly controversial.
A traditional Victorian-style park, the People's Park
People's Park, Dún Laoghaire
-History:A Martello Tower was previously built on the site in 1805, as can be seen from maps from 1817 and 1821.The park was officially opened on 29 September 1890. The land had been acquired by the Kingstown town commissioners in 1889 and the park had been designed by J. L...
, is located at the eastern end of George's Street, and including still-functioning tea rooms.
At least one traditional "cabman's shelter" survives – these were small buildings built for the drivers of horse-drawn taxis.
Community facilities include the Boylan Community Centre, the Dún Laoghaire Scout Den, and a community information service in the tower building of St. Michael's Church.
Public transport
Dún Laoghaire is connected to central Dublin by the DARTDublin Area Rapid Transit
The Dublin Area Rapid Transit is part of the suburban railway network in Ireland, running mainly along the coastline of Dublin Bay on the Trans-Dublin route, from Greystones in County Wicklow, through Dublin to Howth and Malahide in County Dublin.Trains are powered via a 1500V DC overhead catenary...
suburban railway, and is also a stop on the mainline rail service from Dublin to Wexford and Rosslare. The town is also served by a frequent bus service e.g. 7, 45a, 46a, 59, 111, and 75. Beside the railway station
Dun Laoghaire railway station
Dún Laoghaire/Mallin railway station , serves Dún Laoghaire in County Dublin, Ireland.The station has been named Mallin Station since 1966, after Michael Mallin, although it is usually referred to simply as Dún Laoghaire. It features two through platforms and one terminal platform...
is the terminus of the 75 and the 46a, the most frequent and heavily used bus route in Dublin. The 746 bus route from the station terminus to Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
was discontinued in October 2010. Sandycove and Glasthule
Sandycove and Glasthule railway station
Sandycove and Glasthule railway station serves the suburban areas of Sandycove and Glasthule south of Dun Laoghaire in County Dublin, Ireland. The building is on a bridge as the rail line is in a cutting...
and Salthill and Monkstown
Salthill and Monkstown railway station
Salthill and Monkstown railway station serves the areas of Salthill and Monkstown in County Dublin, Ireland. It is situated in between Seapoint and Dun Laoghaire DART stations. The station has a car park, automated ticket machines and vending machines.The original Salthill station opened in May...
also serve the area.
An Aircoach
Aircoach
Aircoach is a Republic of Ireland based subsidiary company of the United Kingdom based FirstGroup. It provides airport bus express coach services from Cork, Greystones, Bray, South Dublin and Dublin City Centre to Dublin Airport. It also operates contracted bus service for airport car parks...
service links the area with Dublin Airport 24 hours a day with stops at County Hall and the Royal Marine Hotel.
Rail history
The Dublin and Kingstown RailwayDublin and Kingstown Railway
The Dublin and Kingstown Railway , which opened in 1834, was Ireland’s first railway. It linked Westland Row in Dublin with Kingstown Harbour’s West Pier in County Dublin.-History:...
, constructed and opened in 1834, was the first ever railway in Ireland, built to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
. This was followed by the Dalkey Atmospheric Railway
Dalkey Atmospheric Railway
The Dalkey Atmospheric Railway was an extension of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway to Atmospheric Road in Dalkey, Co. Dublin, Ireland. It used part of the Dalkey Quarry industrial tramway, which was earlier used for the construction of Kingstown Harbour...
, an extension of the D&K that opened in 1843 (also built to standard gauge), the first railway to have practical application of pneumatic
Atmospheric railway
An atmospheric railway uses air pressure to provide power for propulsion. In one plan a pneumatic tube is laid between the rails, with a piston running in it suspended from the train through a sealable slot in the top of the tube. Alternatively, the whole tunnel may be the pneumatic tube with the...
power. In 1854, the Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway
Dublin and South Eastern Railway
The Dublin and South Eastern Railway was an Irish gauge railway in Ireland from 1846 to 1925.It was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1846 as the "Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow and Dublin Railway Company". In 1860 it was renamed the "Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway Company" and on 31...
took over both lines, converting both to Irish gauge
Irish gauge
Irish gauge railways use a track gauge of . It is used in* Ireland * Australia where it is also known as Victorian Broad Gauge* Brazil where it is also known as Bitola larga no Brasil....
and the latter to steam
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
power, extending further south to Bray
Bray
Bray is a town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is a busy urban centre and seaside resort, with a population of 31,901 making it the fourth largest in Ireland as of the 2006 census...
, Wicklow
Wicklow
Wicklow) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. Located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,070 according to the 2006 census. The town is situated to the east of the N11 route between Dublin and Wexford. Wicklow is also connected to the rail...
, and eventually Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
and Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
as the Dublin and South Eastern Railway
Dublin and South Eastern Railway
The Dublin and South Eastern Railway was an Irish gauge railway in Ireland from 1846 to 1925.It was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1846 as the "Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow and Dublin Railway Company". In 1860 it was renamed the "Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway Company" and on 31...
. In 1925, the DSER was amalgamated into the Great Southern Railways
Great Southern Railways
The Great Southern Railways Company was an Irish company that from 1925 until 1945 owned and operated all railways that lay wholly within the Irish Free State .-Formation:...
company, which lasted until 1944 when the railway was merged into CIÉ
CIE
-Organizations:* Cambridge International Examinations, an international examination board* Cleveland Institute of Electronics, a private technical and engineering educational institution — the International Commission on Illumination...
. Electrification arrived in 1984, and the suburban service was re-branded as DART
Dublin Area Rapid Transit
The Dublin Area Rapid Transit is part of the suburban railway network in Ireland, running mainly along the coastline of Dublin Bay on the Trans-Dublin route, from Greystones in County Wicklow, through Dublin to Howth and Malahide in County Dublin.Trains are powered via a 1500V DC overhead catenary...
.
Ferry
The town has a ferryFerry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
connection to Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
in Anglesey, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, one of Ireland's main sea links to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
One sailing each way links Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
served by two Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
high speed ferries, the Stena Explorer
HSC Stena Explorer
Stena Explorer is a high-speed ferry owned by Stena Line and operated on their Holyhead–Dún Laoghaire service between Great Britain and Ireland. It is a member of the HSS 1500 class of high-speed ferries introduced and developed by Stena Line from 1996 onwards...
and the Stena Lynx III
HSC Stena Lynx III
HSC Sunflower 2 is a high-speed ferry operated by Dae A Express and opearted on Stena Line's Holyhead - Dún Laoghaire route and seasonally on the Fishguard - Rosslare service...
.
Pedestrianisation
In the early 2000s, Lower George's Street underwent pedestrianisation, placing a ban on all general traffic with the exception of bus routes toward central Dublin. Bus routes coming along this road into Dún Laoghaire were re-routed along the sea front. This restriction was reversed in late 2008. Many of the local residents felt that Dundrum Shopping Centre, which opened a mere 20 minutes drive from Dun Laoghaire was the major contributory factor to the "downturn" and were disappointed that the pedestrianisation was never implemented seriously by the local authorities. Dún Laoghaire Business Association attributed the downturn to high parking charges. They unsuccessfully called for these charges to be reduced to one euro per hour. (Dundrum charges two euro for three hours)Boating
Yacht club
A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to sailing and yachting.-Description:Yacht Clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there are some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations...
s. From north (West Pier) to south (East Pier) they are the Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, the Sailing in Dublin Club
Sailing In Dublin Club
The Sailing in Dublin Club is a yacht club based in Dún Laoghaire harbour, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown county, Ireland. The club was founded in 1984 by members of the Glenans Irish Sailing Club, so as to promote sailing by providing shared ownership of boats....
, the Royal Irish Yacht Club
Royal Irish Yacht Club
The Royal Irish Yacht Club is located in Dún Laoghaire Harbour, County Dublin Ireland. The club was founded in 1831, with the Marquis of Anglesey, who commanded the cavalry at the Battle of Waterloo being its first Commodore...
, the Royal St. George Yacht Club
Royal St. George Yacht Club
Located in Dún Laoghaire, The Royal St. George Yacht Club was founded in 1838 and remains one of Ireland's premier clubs.It is housed in a beautiful Victorian style clubhouse, the first part of which was built in 1843, and has been extended and modified regularly to meet the needs of the sailing...
, the Royal Alfred Yacht Club, and the National Yacht Club
National Yacht Club
The National Yacht Club is a yacht club located in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin, Ireland.The club was founded in 1871 as the Kingstown Royal Harbour Boat ClubAn active club prior to 1870 operated on the site...
. The Irish National Sailing School & Club, Ireland's largest sail training provider for adults and children alike is based at the foot of the West Pier.
The area to the north of the West Pier at Salthill Beach sees much windsurfing activity over the twelve months of the year.
St. Michael's Rowing Club, one of the longest-established members of the East Coast Rowing Council
East Coast Rowing Council (Ireland)
The East Coast Rowing Council is the regional organisation of the on Ireland's East coast, representing the sport of Coastal and ocean rowing. As per local tradition, coastal rowing is undertaken by crews of four with one sweep oar each, and a coxswain, in wooden clinker-built boats...
, has its roots in Dún Laoghaire harbour since the hobblers of the 18th and 19th centuries. The club itself has existed since the early 1920s and still resides in the Coal Harbour boat yard today. Members can regularly be seen rowing their traditional, clinker built skiffs around the harbour and Scotsman's Bay throughout the year.
Marina
The 500-berth marina is the largest in the country, and opened in 2001 following resistance for over 15 years by a group led by the late John de Courcy IrelandJohn de Courcy Ireland
John de Courcy Ireland was an Irish maritime historian and political activist.-Biography:Born in Lucknow, India, where his County Kildare native father served in the British Army, he was educated at Marlborough College, Oxford University and Trinity College Dublin, where he was awarded a PhD in 1951...
, the maritime historian. Following his death in April 2006, a 240-berth extension, involving an investment of €3 million, was approved in June 2006 by An Bord Pleanála
An Bord Pleanála
An Bord Pleanála is an independent statutory administrative tribunal that decides on appeals from planning decisions made by local authorities in the Republic of Ireland. As of 2007 The Planning Board directly decides major strategic infrastructural projects under the provisions of the Planning...
; the project was completed in April 2007.
Golf
The town had a golf club from 1909 to 2007, but its members agreed to sell the course to housing developers and move to Ballyman Road, near EnniskerryEnniskerry
Enniskerry is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It had a population of 2,672 at the 2006 census.- Location :...
in County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
. The move occurred on 1 August 2007, to a purpose-built 96 acres (388,498.6 m²) site, with spectacular views over the Wicklow countryside including the Sugarloaf mountain. The new course is one of the finest in the Dublin area, with some people dubbing the course "The D Club", in reference to Kildare
Kildare
-External links:*******...
's spectacular K Club.
Dun Laoghaire Golf Club’s 27-hole championship course has been designed by Hawtree to allow different combinations of the three nine-hole courses to be played. The championship courses played from the blue tees range from 6543 to 6281 metres, although with five sets of tees, the course provides an exhilarating challenge to both professional and club golfers alike.
The magnificent 5-star Clubhouse which incorporates a spectacular terrace with stunning panoramic views of the Wicklow Mountains has spacious locker, dining and bar facilities, meeting rooms and offices and is perfectly equipped to cater for any function.
It’s golf performance academy is one of Ireland’s leading teaching facilities and includes indoor swing studio, indoor putting studio, 13-bay driving range, dedicated pitching and chipping area, bunker area and gym. Dun Laoghaire Golf Club’s 27-hole championship course has been designed by Hawtree to allow different combinations of the three nine-hole courses to be played. The championship courses played from the blue tees range from 6543 to 6281 metres, although with five sets of tees, the course provides an exhilarating challenge to both professional and club golfers alike.
The magnificent 5-star Clubhouse which incorporates a spectacular terrace with stunning panoramic views of the Wicklow Mountains has spacious locker, dining and bar facilities, meeting rooms and offices and is perfectly equipped to cater for any function. It’s golf performance academy is one of Ireland’s leading teaching facilities and includes indoor swing studio, indoor putting studio, 13-bay driving range, dedicated pitching and chipping area, bunker area and gym.
http://www.dunlaoghairegolfclub.ie/
Education
The Dún Laoghaire area is home to four third level education establishments; Senior College Dún Laoghaire in the town centre, which will shortly move to Blackrock; Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and TechnologyDún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology
IADT - Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology is located at Dún Laoghaire, Ireland was established in 1997 and incorporated the former Dun Laoghaire College of Art and Design as its School of Creative Arts.-Campus:...
, Dún Laoghaire College of Further Education on Cumberland Street and Sallynoggin College of Further Education.
The main Primary School in Dún Laoghaire is Dominican Primary School Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire has seen several of its secondary schools close in the past two decades, due to population shifts to outlying areas. Three schools which closed are, CBS Eblana Avenue
CBS Eblana
CBS Eblana is the name by which a former Christian Brothers School at Eblana Avenue is commonly known. The school was located in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin in Ireland. It was a second level and primary school located from 1856 until 1992...
, founded in 1856 and closed in 1992 (although the fee paying school C.B.C. Monkstown
C.B.C. Monkstown
Christian Brothers College, Monkstown Park is a voluntary fee-paying Catholic school and Independent Junior school, founded in 1856 in Monkstown, Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin, Ireland. The school fees are approximately €4,700 per annum. The college arrived at Monkstown Park in 1950 from Eblana...
which relocated from Eblana continues to this day), the Dominican Convent girls' school, which closed a year earlier in 1991 and Presentation College Glasthule founded in 1902, closed in 2007.
Located in Monkstown Farm, Holy Family National School is a primary school in the area.
Also METNS (Monkstown Educate Together National School) located on Kill Avenue, Dún Laoghaire.
Shopping and business
The town has a wide range of eating places and public houses, as well as more than one hundred other retail businesses, including famous high street shops such as Marks and Spencer, Penneys and Dunnes Stores
Dunnes Stores
Dunnes Stores, also known as Dunnes, is a supermarket and clothing retail chain, that is based in Dublin, Ireland.The chain primarily sells food, clothes and household wares. In addition to its main customer base in Ireland, the chain has operations in Great Britain and Spain...
.
The town is home to the head office of Ireland's largest supermarket operator, Tesco Ireland
Tesco Ireland
Tesco Ireland is the Irish arm of supermarket group Tesco. It was formed in Tesco plc's 1997 takeover of the Irish retailing operations of Associated British Foods, namely Powers' Supermarkets Limited and its subsidiaries, trading as Quinnsworth and Crazy Prices.Tesco operates supermarkets under...
, whose stores previously anchored both major shopping centres in the town. But the one in Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre which had been in operation since 1977, closed in May 2011 leaving only the one in Bloomfields.
Dún Laoghaire also holds other company headquarters, such as those of Bord Iascaigh Mhara
Bord Iascaigh Mhara
Bord Iascaigh Mhara or BIM is the agency of the Irish State with responsibility for developing the Irish marine fishing and aquaculture industries....
and Lionbridge
Lionbridge
Lionbridge Technologies, Inc. commonly known as Lionbridge, is a company based in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA that provides translation, localization, internationalization, interpretation, content development, software development, and software testing services...
Ireland.
There is an active Business Association, and a local Chamber of Commerce.
Health
Dún Laoghaire is home to St. Michael's Hospital as well as a number of private clinics, therapists and general practitioners.Tourism
Much of the town's early growth came from visitors from Dublin, and today there is one large hotel, heavily refurbished in 2007, the Royal Marine, along with several small hotels, and a number of bed-and-breakfasts.Bars & Night Life
Dún Laoghaire boasts 11 bars and 4 night clubs, mostly centred along the main street Georges Street Upper. They include “traditional Irish bars” like Farrell's, Walter's, Lion Bar, Weir's, McKenna's & Dunphy'sCulture
Dún Laoghaire has associations with many leading cultural figures, most notably James JoyceJames Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
and Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
.
Joyce's stay with Oliver St. John Gogarty
Oliver St. John Gogarty
Oliver Joseph St John Gogarty was an Irish poet, author, otolaryngologist, athlete, politician, and well-known conversationalist, who served as the inspiration for Buck Mulligan in James Joyce's novel Ulysses....
in a Martello tower
Martello tower
Martello towers are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards....
in nearby Sandycove
Sandycove
Sandycove is an area of Dublin, Ireland. It is south of Dún Laoghaire and Glasthule, but north of Dalkey.Sandycove is well-known for its gentlemen's bathing place, the Forty Foot, which in the past afforded a quiet swimming haven for males only...
he later immortalised in the opening chapter of Ulysses
Ulysses (novel)
Ulysses is a novel by the Irish author James Joyce. It was first serialised in parts in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, and then published in its entirety by Sylvia Beach on 2 February 1922, in Paris. One of the most important works of Modernist literature,...
. This tower, known as the James Joyce Tower, is in nearby Sandycove
Sandycove
Sandycove is an area of Dublin, Ireland. It is south of Dún Laoghaire and Glasthule, but north of Dalkey.Sandycove is well-known for its gentlemen's bathing place, the Forty Foot, which in the past afforded a quiet swimming haven for males only...
. It contains a small museum.
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
came from nearby Foxrock and is said to have experienced an artistic epiphany, alluded to in his play Krapp's Last Tape
Krapp's Last Tape
Krapp's Last Tape is a one-act play, written in English, by Samuel Beckett. Consisting of a cast of one man, it was originally written for Northern Irish actor Patrick Magee and first titled "Magee monologue"...
, while sitting on the end of one of Dún Laoghaire's piers. A bronze plaque marks the spot.
The famed black equestrian and circus owner, Pablo Fanque
Pablo Fanque
Pablo Fanque was the first black circus proprietor in Britain. His circus, in which he himself was a performer, was the most popular circus in Victorian Britain for 30 years, a period that is regarded as the golden age of the circus...
, immortalized in The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' song Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" is a song from the 1967 album by The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was composed by John Lennon...
performed here for one week during a long engagement in Dublin, in 1850.
In August 1991, Seattle grunge band Nirvana
Nirvana
Nirvāṇa ; ) is a central concept in Indian religions. In sramanic thought, it is the state of being free from suffering. In Hindu philosophy, it is the union with the Supreme being through moksha...
played at the The Top Hat.
Dún Laoghaire was previously home to the Festival Of World Cultures, a three day festival dedicated to music from all corners of the globe. It was one of the largest music festivals in Ireland attracting over a quarter of a million visitors to the town over a weekend in August. For nine years (2001-2010), the festival was a huge success, but unfortunately it was decided by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to stop hosting the festival as in 2010 there was large losses.. Acording to the DLR Festival Website "Panning will begin shortly for a Festival of World Cultures in 2012" meaning a return of the World cultures festival is promanant.
A new purpose built theatre, the Pavilion, opened its doors in 2000. Built on the site of the 1903 'Kingstown Pavilion', it serves as the Municipal Theatre for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, and is a host venue for a number of important festivals including the International Puppet Festival, and, recently, the Dublin Theatre Festival
Dublin Theatre Festival
The Dublin Theatre Festival is Europe's oldest specialized theatre festival. It was founded by theatre impresario Brendan Smith in 1957 and has, with the exception of two years, produced a season of international and Irish theatre each autumn. It is one of a number of key post-World War II events...
.
St Michael's Church is home to the longest-running series of organ concerts in Ireland, featuring the famous 1974 organ by Rieger Orgelbau which is the only organ of its type in Ireland.
The National Maritime Museum of Ireland
National Maritime Museum of Ireland
The National Maritime Museum of Ireland opened in 1978 in the former Mariners' Church in Haigh Terrace, near the centre of Dún Laoghaire town, southeast of Dublin city.The church was built in 1837 for seafarers and remained open until 1971...
is housed in "Mariners' Church"
Mariners' Church, Dún Laoghaire
The Mariners' Church is a former Church of Ireland church located in Haigh Terrace, near the centre of Dún Laoghaire town, southeast of Dublin city...
, which formerly served the British Navy, and is situated in the town centre, alongside a spiral walk, pond and public bowling ground. The museum is currently undergoing major refurbishment and is due to reopen in 2011.
A Carnegie library
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
, with a modern extension, is located on Library Road, and hosts the county library headquarters. A new central library will be built alongside the maritime museum.
There is a tiny oratory (4m x 6m). described as a "gem of Celtic Renaissance Art".
See also
- Kingstown Lifeboat DisasterKingstown Lifeboat DisasterThe Kingstown Lifeboat Disaster occurred on Christmas Eve 1895 off Kingstown , Ireland, when the Kingstown Lifeboat was capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the stricken SS Palme. The crew of fifteen were lost...
. - List of towns and villages in Ireland.
- List of RNLI stations.
External links
- Dún Laoghaire Town - Official Site of EU Brand Project
- Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
- Dún Laoghaire Borough Historical Society
- Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company
- Dún Laoghaire Lifeboat Station
- Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board
- Festival of World Cultures
- History of the Holyhead to Dún Laoghaire ferry service
- Pavilion Theatre
- 8th Port Sea Scouts of Dun Laoaghaire
- Dun Laoaghaire Golf Club
- Dun Laoghaire School
- Virtual Tour of Dun Laoaghaire