Dún Laoghaire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dún Laoghaire
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Town
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Clockwise from top: Dun Laoghaire harbour; the Queen Victoria Memorial Fountain; Royal Marine Hotel
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 Dún Laoghaire
Location in Dublin
Dún Laoghaire
Location in Ireland
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| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown |
| Elevation | 24 m (79 ft) |
| Population
(2022 census)Dun Laoghaire LEA
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| • Total | 46,603 |
| Eircode (Routing Key) |
A96
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| Area code(s) | 01 (+3531) |
Dún Laoghaire (pronounced dun LEER-ee) is a town on the coast of County Dublin in Ireland. It's a busy place and the main centre for the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown. The town grew around a small village after a big port was built there in 1816 to help Dublin. It used to be called Dunleary. Then, in 1821, it was renamed Kingstown to honour King George IV when he visited. In 1920, it got its current name, Dún Laoghaire, which is the original Irish name. Over time, Dún Laoghaire became a popular place to live, a seaside resort, and the start point of Ireland's very first railway.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name Dún Laoghaire means "fort of Laoghaire." This name comes from Lóegaire mac Néill, a powerful Irish king from the 400s. He chose this spot as a base for his ships to launch raids on Britain and Gaul. You can still find traces of old forts from his time along the coast. Some of the stones from these forts are kept in the National Maritime Museum of Ireland.
The official way to spell the name is Dún Laoghaire. Sometimes, you might see it written as Dún Laoire or the older English spelling, Dunleary. Most people pronounce it like "Dunleary," but the Irish pronunciation is also common.
A Look Back in Time
How Dún Laoghaire Started
Dún Laoghaire likely began with a fort that belonged to King Lóegaire mac Néill. Maps from the late 1600s show the name as Dun Lerroy. By the early 1700s, maps show a small fishing village called Dunlary or Dunleary near the old harbour. This early village was close to where the Purty Kitchen pub is today. It had a coffee house and a small bay. Back then, the area was mostly rocky land with some granite quarries.
Building a Big Harbour
In 1807, a terrible storm caused two troopships, the Prince of Wales and the Rochdale, to crash near Dún Laoghaire. More than 400 lives were lost. This sad event made people push even harder for a safe harbour to be built near Dublin.
The 1800s: A Time of Change
When King George IV visited the new port in 1821, the town's name changed from Dunleary to "Kingstown" in his honour. The town got its original name back in August 1920, just before Ireland became independent.
Ireland's first railway opened on December 17, 1834. It ran five and a half miles from Dublin to Kingstown. This railway cost a lot of money, about £200,000! It ended at the old harbour. Soon after, the railway was extended to the new Dún Laoghaire harbour. A trip took about 15 minutes in 1837. The railway made Kingstown a popular place for people from Dublin to live, and many homes were built.
By 1844, a special train called the Atmospheric Train connected Kingstown to Dalkey. This helped the area grow even more. The original train station was replaced in 1854 by a beautiful granite building. This building is now a restaurant. The Atmospheric Railway stopped running in 1854, but the main railway line was extended all the way to Rosslare Harbour. With the railway, Kingstown became a popular Victorian era seaside resort. A hotel called Hayes Hotel was bought and expanded into the new Royal Marine Hotel in 1863.
In 1880, the town leaders built the Kingstown Town Hall by the sea. In 1890, they created the People's Park on the site of an old quarry.
The 1900s and Today
In April 1916, British soldiers arrived at Kingstown and marched to Dublin to help during the Easter Rising. Near the harbour, you can see an anchor from the RMS Leinster. This mailboat was sunk by a German submarine in 1918, and over 500 people lost their lives.
Until 1932, the main road through Monkstown and Blackrock was the only way to get to Dublin. In 1932, a big event called the Eucharistic Congress brought many visitors to Dublin, and many came through Dún Laoghaire.
During Second World War, Dún Laoghaire was hit by some stray German bombs. They landed near the People's Park, but thankfully, only buildings were damaged.
Cool Places to See
The Harbour
Dún Laoghaire's harbour is one of the biggest in Ireland. It's famous for its two long granite piers. The East Pier is a favourite spot for walkers. You might have seen it in the 1996 movie Michael Collins, where Liam Neeson (playing Michael Collins) walks along it. There's even a bandstand on the East Pier, which was fixed up in 2010.
It took 42 years to build the harbour, from 1817 to 1859! At first, they thought one pier would be enough to protect ships. But they soon realized they needed protection from winds coming from the west. So, the West Pier was started in 1820. The piers are made of huge granite blocks from a nearby quarry.
Near the old ferry port, there's a monument with an obelisk on four granite balls. It remembers King George IV leaving and the town being renamed Kingstown.
There's a lighthouse at the end of the East Pier. The main office for all Irish lighthouses is also on Harbour Road.
Other Coastal Spots
South of the harbour is Scotsman's Bay. This used to be a fun Victorian seaside area with walks and baths. The walks are still there. The Dún Laoghaire Baths were closed for many years but were painted in bright colours in 2012. In 2022, the baths reopened for sea swimming, but without the old saltwater pool.
Parks and Walks
The People's Park is a traditional Victorian-style park at the eastern end of George's Street. It has a playground, a bandstand, fountains, and tea rooms that opened in 1997.
The Pavilion Gardens used to be in the middle of Dún Laoghaire. After a while, it was rebuilt and is now the site of the modern Pavilion Theatre.
Next to the Pavilion Gardens is Moran Park. This park was updated as part of the Lexicon library project. It used to have a pond for steam engines, which is now a water feature near the Lexicon library.
Museums and Libraries
The National Maritime Museum of Ireland is located in the Mariners' Church, which used to be a church for the Royal Navy. It's just inland from the East Pier and has been fully renovated.
Overlooking the harbour and next to the maritime museum is the DLR Lexicon. This is Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown's main library and cultural centre. It opened in 2014, replacing an older library from 1912. The new building cost about €36.6 million and is also home to the county library headquarters.
Community Places
Dún Laoghaire has several community facilities, including the Boylan Community Centre, the Dún Laoghaire Scout Den, and a community information service in St Michael's Church.
Rescue Services
The RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) has both inshore and offshore lifeboats based in Dún Laoghaire Harbour. The offshore boat is usually docked near the Carlisle Pier. The inshore boat is kept in a stone shed at the East Pier.
Old Features
You can still find at least one traditional "cabman's shelter" in Dún Laoghaire. These small buildings were built for the drivers of horse-drawn taxis.
Getting Around
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Public Transport
Dún Laoghaire is connected to central Dublin by the DART trains. It's also on the main railway line that goes from Dublin to Rosslare. Dún Laoghaire used to have tram lines, but they stopped running in 1949. The town is also served by many bus routes that go to different parts of Dublin and nearby towns. The train station is a busy hub for buses.
An Aircoach service connects Dún Laoghaire with Dublin Airport 24 hours a day, with stops at County Hall and the Royal Marine Hotel.
Train History
The Dublin and Kingstown Railway, which opened in 1834, was the very first railway in Ireland! It was later extended and taken over by other companies. In the 1850s, the line was changed to a wider track and steam trains were used. The railway was extended south to Wexford and Rosslare Harbour. In 1890, it was extended north to Connolly station in Dublin, connecting to other railways. Electric trains, called DART, started running in 1984.
Ferry Services
From the 1800s, Dún Laoghaire was the main port for ferries traveling between Ireland and Britain, especially to Holyhead in Wales. Many famous ships used this route. In the early 2000s, the service was reduced because of competition from cheap flights and rising fuel costs. In 2015, the ferry service to Dún Laoghaire stopped, and ferries now go to Dublin Port instead.
Walking Areas
In the early 2000s, part of Lower George's Street was made into a pedestrian area, meaning only buses could go through. This was changed back in 2008.
Sports and Fun
Boating and Sailing
Boat races have been held in Kingstown since at least 1837. Dún Laoghaire harbour is home to many yacht clubs. The Dublin Bay Sailing Club is the biggest, organizing races for different types of boats from April to September.
Other clubs include the Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, the Irish National Sailing School, the Sailing in Dublin Club, the Royal Irish Yacht Club, the Royal St George Yacht Club, the National Yacht Club, and the Irish Youth Sailing Club.
St Michael's Rowing Club, one of the oldest rowing clubs, has been in Dún Laoghaire harbour since the 1700s. Members can often be seen rowing their traditional boats around the harbour.
The Water Wag Club started in Kingstown in 1887. They wanted to create a type of sailing boat where all the boats were exactly the same. This meant that the winner of a race would be the most skilled sailor, not the one with the fastest boat. This idea of 'One-design' boats is now used all over the world, even in the Olympics! Water Wag boats still sail in Dún Laoghaire harbour on Wednesday evenings.
Marina
The marina in Dún Laoghaire has 820 berths, making it the largest in Ireland. It opened in 2001 after many years of planning. An extension with 240 more berths was added in 2007. The marina was the first in Ireland to get a 5 Gold Anchor rating, which is a sign of high quality.
Other Sports
Horse racing used to happen every year in the 1830s near York Road. These races no longer take place.
Dún Laoghaire also had a golf club from 1909 to 2007. Its members decided to sell the course for housing and move to a new location in County Wicklow.
Learning and Schools
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The Dún Laoghaire area has three colleges for higher education: Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT), Dun Laoghaire Further Education Institute (DFEi), and Sallynoggin College of Further Education (SCFE).
Primary schools in the area include Dominican Primary School Dún Laoghaire, Holy Family National School, Harold National School, Glasthule, and Monkstown Educate Together National School.
Some secondary schools in Dún Laoghaire closed in the 1990s, including CBS Eblana Avenue and the Dominican Convent girls' school.
Shopping and Business
Dún Laoghaire has one main shopping street, George's Street, and two shopping centres: the Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre and Bloomfields. The Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre opened in 1977. There have been new shops and businesses built around George's Street recently. You can find a regular antique fair at the Royal Marine Hotel and a weekly farmers market in the People's Park on Sundays.
The town has many restaurants and pubs, plus over a hundred other shops. Tesco Ireland, Ireland's biggest supermarket company, has its main office in Dún Laoghaire. Other companies like Bord Iascaigh Mhara and Lionbridge Ireland also have their headquarters here.
There's a group called the Business Association and Chamber of Commerce that works to help businesses in the town.
Culture and Arts
Dún Laoghaire has connections to many famous writers and artists, like James Joyce and Samuel Beckett. In his book Ulysses, James Joyce mentions Kingstown Pier. The James Joyce Tower in nearby Sandycove is now a museum. Samuel Beckett, another famous writer, grew up nearby. A bronze plaque on one of Dún Laoghaire's piers marks a spot where he had an important artistic idea.
Past Performances
The singer Frederick Ranalow, who performed in many shows, was born in Kingstown. The famous circus owner Pablo Fanque, mentioned in a the Beatles song, performed here in 1850. In August 1991, the grunge band Nirvana played a concert at the Top Hat.
Cultural Places
The Pavilion Theatre opened in 2000. It's built where the old Kingstown Pavilion used to be. It's the town's theatre and hosts many festivals, including the International Puppet Festival.
St Michael's Church has the longest-running series of organ concerts in Ireland. It has a special organ built in 1974.
Buildings and Art
Near Library Road is the Dominican Oratory of the Sacred Heart. It's a small chapel known for its beautiful "Celtic Renaissance art."
A large, 20-foot-tall sculpture called 'Gateway' by Irish artist Michael Warren was in Dún Laoghaire from 2002 to 2009. It was moved for building work and never put back.
A tall statue of Roger Casement stands over 3 meters high and overlooks Dún Laoghaire's baths.
Visiting Dún Laoghaire
Many visitors from Dublin helped Dún Laoghaire grow in the past. Today, there's a large hotel called the Royal Marine, plus smaller hotels and bed-and-breakfasts.
The Royal Marine Hotel opened in 1865. Many important people and celebrities have stayed there, including Frank Sinatra and Charlie Chaplin. When Queen Victoria visited Ireland in 1900, she had a huge breakfast at the hotel! The hotel was bought by Neville Hotels in 2003 and updated in 2007.
Things to Do Outdoors
Walking along the East Pier of Dún Laoghaire Harbour is the most popular thing to do for visitors. The West Pier is longer, but the path isn't as smooth for walking.
In 2013, the first tourism office opened in Dún Laoghaire. You can go kayaking, kite surfing, paddle boarding, and sailing. There are also places for biking and rock climbing.
Cruise Ship Visits
In 2011, Dún Laoghaire Harbour made a plan to become a bigger tourist spot, especially for cruise ships. Since then, many cruise ships have visited Dún Laoghaire, usually from May to July. The RMS Queen Mary 2 visited in 2011. At the time, it was the 7th largest cruise ship in the world! Other big ships that have visited include the QE2 and the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy.
People from Dún Laoghaire
- See Category:People from Dún Laoghaire
Sister Cities
Dún Laoghaire has special "town twinning" relationships with these cities:
More to Explore
In Spanish: Dún Laoghaire para niños
