Dún Laoghaire Harbour facts for kids

The Dún Laoghaire Harbour and its Carlisle Pier are important landmarks in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland. They were built in the 1800s to give ships a safe place to dock. They also served as a busy stop for mailboats traveling between Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead in Wales. The town of Dún Laoghaire was once known as Kingstown or Dun Leary. Carlisle Pier also had different names, like Kingston Pier and the Mailboat Pier.

Quick facts for kids Dún Laoghaire Harbour
Location
Country	Ireland
Location	Dún Laoghaire
Coordinates	53°17′42″N 6°07′49″W / 53.295062°N 6.130345°W / 53.295062; -6.130345
Details
Available berths	5

A map from the late 1800s showing Dublin Bay and Kingstown Harbour.

Carlisle Pier and the East Kingstown Harbour in the late Victorian era.

Exploring Dún Laoghaire Harbour

Dún Laoghaire Harbour is a large and interesting place. It has two main walls, called piers, that stretch out into the sea. The west pier is about 1.55 kilometers (0.96 miles) long. The east pier is a bit shorter, at about 1.3 kilometers (0.81 miles). These piers create a sheltered area of about 250 acres (1 square kilometer) for boats. The entrance to the harbour is 232 meters (761 feet) wide.

The outer sides of the piers are sloped, like a ramp, to help protect them from waves. This slope is usually gentle, but it gets steeper closer to the seabed. At the top, the pier is wide enough for two roads. At the bottom, where it meets the seafloor, it can be up to 80 meters (262 feet) wide.

Different Parts of the Harbour

The harbour is divided into four main sections by smaller piers and walls.

• The Old Harbour is in the southwest corner. It was built in 1767 and has a public ramp for boats that changes with the tide.
• Next is the Coal Harbour, which is protected by the Traders Wharf. This area has a public ramp that doesn't change with the tide.
• The Marina Harbour was created around 2001. It has special walls called breakwaters to keep smaller boats safe.
• The Main Harbour is the largest part. It includes the northern and eastern breakwaters, St. Michael's Pier, and Carlisle Pier. This area has five spots where large ships can dock.

Since October 3, 2018, the Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council has been in charge of managing the harbour. Before that, a different company ran it. For almost 200 years, there was a regular passenger ferry service between Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead. This service ended in 2014 when Stena Line moved all its ferries to Dublin Port. Today, the harbour welcomes passenger cruise ships. However, very large cruise ships need to anchor outside the harbour. Passengers then take smaller boats, called tenders, to reach the shore.

A Look Back: The Harbour's Story

The area where Dún Laoghaire Harbour now stands was once a small natural cove. In the 1700s, Dún Laoghaire was a tiny fishing village. It was known as Dunlary or Dunleary back then. Ships often had trouble getting into Dublin Bay because of sand and mud. So, some ships would drop off passengers at this cove using smaller boats. In 1767, a pier was built here, but it soon filled with sand and became known as the "Dry Pier."

In the early 1800s, William Bligh (famous for his sea voyages) mapped Dublin Bay. He suggested building a safe harbour at Dún Laoghaire.

How the Harbour Grew

A big problem was that many ships were sinking during storms from the east. There was no safe place for them to shelter around Dublin Bay. This became a major concern in 1807 when two ships, the Rochdale and Prince of Wales, were sadly lost. People searched for a "refuge harbour" and found Dún Laoghaire to be a good spot. It had deep water close to the shore. Richard Toutcher was very important in getting the harbour built. He also helped secure the stone from quarries in Dalkey.

Construction of the East Pier began in 1817. John Rennie the Elder designed it. Charles Whitworth, 1st Earl Whitworth, who was a high-ranking official in Ireland at the time, laid the first stone. Rennie worried that one pier alone might fill with sand. By 1820, he convinced people to start building the Western Pier as well.

In 1820, King George IV visited Ireland and left from this harbour. Because of his visit, Dunleary was renamed Kingstown. This name was used for almost 100 years. The harbour was also briefly called the Royal Harbour of George the Fourth.

By 1824, over 3,000 boats had found shelter in the partially finished harbour. Around the same time, new work began at the North Wall, Dublin. This helped ships get into Dublin Port more easily.

In 1826, Kingstown Harbour became very important for the Post Office Packet Service. This service carried mail and passengers. A special wharf was finished on the East Pier the next year. This service moved from Howth because its harbour had too much sand and needed constant clearing.

In December 1834, the Dublin and Kingstown Railway started running. Its trains went from Westland Row to a station at the West Pier, near the old harbour.

In 1837, Victoria Wharf was built, which is now called St. Michael's Wharf. The railway line was extended, and a new station was built closer to this wharf. The extended railway line cut across the old harbour, and the part of the harbour on the land side was later filled in.

By 1842, the East Pier lighthouse was completed. This marked the finish of what was then the largest man-made harbour in Western Europe. The harbour was further improved with the completion of Traders Wharf in 1855 and Carlisle Pier in 1856. The West Pier lighthouse was also finished in the mid-1850s. The railway line was extended to Bray in 1856.

In 1920, Kingstown changed its name back to Dún Laoghaire. In 1924, the harbour was officially renamed "Dun Laoghaire Harbour."

Carlisle Pier: A Special Part of the Harbour

Carlisle Pier in July 1980, showing a train and the pier adapted for a car ferry.

Building Carlisle Pier began in 1853 and finished in 1855. A railway station on the pier opened in 1859. The pier was named after the Earl of Carlisle, a high-ranking official at the time. Many Irish people left Ireland from this pier to start new lives in other countries.

A famous ship, the RMS Leinster, departed from this pier in October 1918. Sadly, it was sunk by a German submarine during wartime.

In 1953, a passenger lounge was added along the east side of the pier. More buildings were added in the 1960s.

The harbour in 1987, showing a workboat.

In 2009, the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company started removing the buildings from the 1960s. They kept the original cast-iron columns from the 1850s structure. There were discussions about making changes to the pier over the years, but many plans did not happen. Today, the buildings are gone. The pier is now used for parking cars, storing boats, unloading special cargo, and hosting events like funfairs.

The Old Railway Station

The railway station on Carlisle Pier opened in 1859. It was a vital link for people and mail traveling between trains and ferries. Trains originally went to Westland Row (now Pearse station). After 1891, a new railway line allowed trains to go to other stations like Broadstone and Kingsbridge (now Heuston). The station closed on October 11, 1980. This was because the curved platform was not suitable for newer trains. Also, connecting it to the main line, which had been lowered for electric trains (DART), would have been too expensive.

St. Michael's Pier: For Car Ferries

The first car ferry service at the port started on July 9, 1965. It used a temporary terminal on the East Pier. A special pier, St. Michael's Pier, was built just for car ferries. It is 175 meters (574 feet) long and has two berths for ships. It could handle 650 cars per day. This pier officially opened on March 9, 1969.

Who Uses the Harbour Today?

Dún Laoghaire Harbour is now mostly used for fun and relaxation. Many people enjoy walking along the east and west piers. For those who love the water, there are activities like rowing, canoeing, and yachting. The harbour has a marina and several local clubs for these sports.

You can also take a small boat cruise across Dublin Bay or go on private fishing trips. Dún Laoghaire once had a large fishing fleet. However, that changed when Howth became the main Fishery Harbour Centre.

The harbour is home to an RNLI lifeboat station. This station has both small inshore lifeboats and larger all-weather lifeboats to help people at sea. The harbour is also the base for the Commissioners of Irish Lights, who manage lighthouses. You can also find the National Maritime Museum of Ireland nearby. In 2017, the harbour welcomed the Irish Naval service, and the LÉ Eithne ship is especially connected to the harbour. While regular passenger services ended in 2015, cruise ships still visit sometimes.

More to Explore

• Dún Laoghaire Harbour Police