Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire (Irish pronunciation /duːn ˈɫeːrʲə/; anglicised spelling Dunleary, pronunciation /dʌn ˈlɪəri/) (the original Irish spelling is now almost always used in preference to the anglicised forms) is a suburban seaside town and ferry port, situated some 12 km south of Dublin city centre, in Ireland, and is the administrative centre of the county of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown.
Dún Laoghaire was once part of the borough of Dún Laoghaire, and remains the only town in Ireland to have its own Vocational Education Committee. It is considered part of the Greater Dublin Area.
The town had been officially renamed Kingstown in 1821 in honor of a visit by King George IV, but reverted to its ancient Irish name by resolution of the town council in 1921, one year before Irish independence. The name derives from its founder, Laoghaire, a 5th century High King of Ireland, who chose the site as a sea base from which to carry out raids on Britain and France. 'Dún' is an Irish word meaning 'fort'. King Laoghaire is famous for having allowed Saint Patrick to travel the country and preach Christianity.
The harbor is notable for its two granite piers. The East Pier is particularly popular with walkers, and is featured in the 1996 movie Michael Collins, where Liam Neeson (as Collins) and two of his co-stars, one of which is Julia Roberts, playing his fiancee, are seen walking alone a sea-side promenade which is, indeed, the Dún Laoghaire East Pier. The band seen playing on the band-stand in this movie scene is indeed the actual band-stand still existing on the East Pier. A lighthouse is located at the end of the East Pier.
Other features of the town include the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, and a Martello tower in nearby Sandycove known as the James Joyce Tower. It took 42 years to construct the harbor - from 1817 to 1859.
Dún Laoghaire harbor is home to five yacht clubs. From north (West Pier) to south (East Pier) they are the Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, Sailing In Dublin Club, the Royal Irish Yacht Club, the Royal St. George Yacht Club, and the National Yacht Club.
The area to the north of the West Pier is heavily used year-round by windsurfers as a launch point, although occasionally dinghy schools use it in the summer.
The Irish singer and African activist Bob Geldof was born in Dún Laoghaire and has strong connections with the area. Many famous personalities live in nearby Dalkey.
Dún Laoghaire was hit by a stray German bomb during World War II, the bomb landing near the Peoples Park at Rosmeen Gardens.
Public transport
Dún Laoghaire is connected to central Dublin by the DART suburban railway, frequent bus service, and has a ferry connection to Holyhead in Anglesey, Wales. The Dublin to Dún Laoghaire railway, constructed in 1837, was the first ever railway in Ireland. Beside the railway station is the terminus of the 46A (Dún Laoghaire - City Centre (An Lár)), the most frequent and heavily used bus route in Dublin.
A number of years ago, George's Street underwent pedestrianisation, with the buses which used to run along this route (7,7A,8) being now re-routed along the sea front up to Marine Road.
Dún Laoghaire Marina
The 500-berth marina is the largest in the country and opened for business in 2001 following resistance for over 15 years by a group led by the late Dr John de Courcy Ireland, a maritime historian. A 240 berth extension, involving and investment of €3 million, was approved in June 2006 by An Bord Pleanála. The project is expected to be completed by April 2007.
Images
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Leinster anchor at Carlisle Pier -
Dún Laoghaire East pier The end of the East pier on a Summer's day -
East pier
See also
External links
- Dún Laoghaire—Rathdown County Council
- Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company
- Dún Laoghaire Musical and Dramatic Society
- Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire ferry service history
- Dún Laoghaire—Rathdown County Enterprise Board
- Google Maps map of Dún Laoghaire
- Map of Dún Laoghaire
- Dún Laoghaire On-Line
- Dún Laoire
- 8th Port Sea Scouts