On Sunday, June 30th, from 12-2pm, the East Pier at Dun Laoghaire Harbour will provide quite the nautical spectacle with The Grand Parade of Classic Sail as part of Coastival 2024. The "synchronised sailing" format for the event is simple but has never previously been practised in Dún Laoghaire, say the organisers. It is designed to introduce the sailing craft to pier walkers, who otherwise only see vessels sail out at distant marks. The one-design yachts and dinghies will gather in tight groups to sail past the Bandstand on the East Pier, where yachting historian Hal Sisk will give a commentary describing each class. The craft will then sail out the harbour, past the East Pier, over to the Roger Casement statue, towards the Martello Tower at Sandymount. They will return to the harbour to provide a great spectacle.

Coastival, organised by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, unleashes a wave of excitement and family fun in Dún Laoghaire from June 29th to July 7th with art, history, games, culture, sailing, family fun, music and more to the shore. Visitors can also Soak up ‘Atmosphere’ on Sunday, June 30th, with balloons, kites, and a flight from Newtownsmith from 1pm. New additions to the festival include Cruises with Dublin Bay Cruises, The ‘Stronger By The Sea’ Fitness Programme. ‘Dance and Dip, Roller Rebel Skating, Kayaking, Paddleboarding and ‘Yoga by the Sea’ in association with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Sports Partnership.

An Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Denis O'Callaghan, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Arthur O Reilly (6) pictured at the launch of the Grand Parade of Classic Sail whcih takes place on Sunday June 20th as part of Coastival in Dún Laoghaire from June 29th to July 7th.

Throughout Coastival, a series of historic and nature walks will take place with fantastic guides to bring us back in time to the construction of the harbour and rich history of our maritime county capital. There also will be lots of fun activities for little ones with the Coastival Family Fun Day, Ollie the Octopus’ Picnic Party’ and ‘Room to Explore’ at dlr LexIcon. On Sunday July 7th the Festival closes with an action-packed day including Coastival Community Music and Dance in the Park and the Emergency Services Open Day in association with Childline will take place at St. Michael's Pier. Outdoor Movies on the Green will bring the sparkle of the silver screen with an eclectic mix of all-time family favourites at 2pm, 4.15pm and 7pm on the Green at Irish Lights.

"Following a hugely successful first year, Coastival is back to celebrate Dún Laoghaire with even wider range of events and activities. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Dún Laoghaire between June 29th and July 7th." said An Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Denis O'Callaghan, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

Frank Curran, Chief Executive, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council looking forward to the event said “It is great to see Coastival return to the town after the excitement it generated in 2023. New events this year include the grand classic sail parade and the Coastival Community Music and Dance in the Park. We hope locals and tourists alike visit in great numbers and avail of the entertainment and hospitality that Dún Laoghaire has to offer.”

Coastival is organised by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and full details of all events are here

A giant sea turtle installation made of recycled aluminium cans appeared on Dún Laoghaire East Pier to mark World Ocean Day last weekend.

Made from 2,000 cans, the PixelCan artwork was created by leading recycling not-for-profit, Every Can Counts, in partnership with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, to shine a light on species which are currently endangered or vulnerable due to ecosystem degradation.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council cathaoirleach Denis O'Callaghan said the local authority was “ delighted to welcome Every Can Counts back to Dún Laoghaire again this year with another beautiful marine sculpture that creates awareness of recycling and the circular economy”.

“It is particularly fitting that it is here on World Ocean Day, when we can all take collective action for the ocean by managing our waste properly, keeping outdoor spaces clean and recycling or returning our empty drink cans,”he said.

Dr Paula McGrane, Environmental Awareness Officer, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council chief executive Frank Curran said the initiative “ reminds us some activities in our daily lives can directly affect our seas and oceans and how we can, and need to take better care for them, for example by disposing of drink containers in a responsible way”.

David Van Heuverswyn, director of Every Can Counts Global said the group’s vision is to achieve 100% global drink can recycling.

“Every can recycled can be back on the shelf in 60 days, and campaigns like the International Recycling Tour bring us one step closer to this vision, demonstrating the power of collective action in creating a truly circular economy for the benefit of both people and nature,”he said.

“Here in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, we’re proud to celebrate our tour for the second year in a row, this time with a unique sea turtle PixelCan installation to tie into World Ocean Day.”

Encouraging individuals across the globe to become #GenerationRestoration, the initiative is taking place simultaneously in 16 cities including Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

Every Can Counts is a unique partnership formed between drink can manufacturers, drink can fillers and the wider recycling industry, all with the goal of reaching a 100% recycling rate for drink cans.

The programme provides free recycling support to businesses and organisations throughout Ireland and around the globe, reaching 183.5 million people worldwide in 2023 alone and helping recycle over 55 million drink cans through event activations and partnerships.

To find out more information about Every Can Counts, visit here

Dun Laoghaire Harbour's anemometer pylon has been refurbished, and work is underway this week on its reinstallation at the town's East Pier.

Eagle-eyed observers spotted its removal in late January, and this week, the structure arrived back on site for erection.

The pylon sits atop a small, smooth granite building set into the east pier's stone wall, which houses the anemometer.

The device measures wind speed and direction and has provided valuable information to sailors, contributing to sea safety for nearly 200 years.

The anemometer pylon returns in June 2024 after refurbishment works

Carved in the stone, above the small wooden door, is the Greek word Anemois, which refers to Greek wind gods.

It was built in 1852 and is reported to have been one of the first such weather stations in the world, relaying important weather information to mariners.

The anemometer works are only the latest in an upgrade for the historic piers, the largest protected structures in Ireland, by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. 

As Afloat reported in June 2023, the €2M repair project to Dun Laoghaire's East Pier Revetment (the concrete slope behind the East Pier) has been completed.

As Afloat reported previously, this important repair scheme to the 200-year-old harbour was funded by the Brexit Adjustment Local Authority Marine Infrastructure Scheme 2022-2023.

A record of the trust which was established to help bereaved families in the lifeboat disaster on Christmas Eve 1895 off Dun Laoghaire has been published digitally by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown (dlr) archive services.

The Kingstown Life-Boat Disaster Fund Letter Book has become the first item selected for the new digital series: Miscellany from the dlr Archive Collection.

All 15 crew on the lifeboat died after it capsized while trying to rescue the crew of the Finnish barque SS Palme which was sheltering from a storm in Dublin Bay. The event is commemorated every year on Christmas Eve.

The original book is now “extremely fragile”, the dlr Archive Services say, and making it available digitally brings it to a “much wider audience than is possible in a traditional archive while still preserving the original item”.

Councillor Denis O’Callaghan, Cathaoirleach, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council; Harry Duggan, Harbour Master, Dún Laoghaire Harbour; Ed Totterdell, RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager; with RNLI crew members Nathan Burke, Andrew Sykes and James Traynor at rear

Dlr cathaoirleach Denis O'Callaghan said the archive collection is “important for the history of the county, and I welcome this first example of the council extending the reach of our historic records while ensuring the integrity and preservation of the originals”.

“ We are looking forward to adding to the new collection over time," he said.

The new publication is central to the history of lifeboats in Dún Laoghaire and this year is the 200th anniversary of the RNLI.

To mark this, O’Callaghan made a presentation to Eddie Totterdell, RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager.

Georgina Sweetnam, dlr Archives described it as “an exciting step forward for dlr Archive Services”.

Kingstown Life-Boat Disaster Trust Letter BookDescription - Following the Lifeboat disaster in Kingstown [now Dún Laoghaire] on Christmas Eve 1895, a financial Trust was established to dispense assistance to the families of the fifteen men who lost their lives. This book contains copies of correspondence from the Trust's secretary to the grant recipients, Trustees and other interested parties. It contains copy letters from 1897-1902. A Descriptive Guide accompanying the work is included

The collection has been deposited with the Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI), a facility which provides long-term preservation, access, and discovery for Ireland’s social and cultural data.

DRI provides “stewardship of social and cultural data from a range of organisations including higher education institutions, cultural heritage institutions, Government agencies, local authorities, and community archives.

DRI Director Dr Lisa Griffith also welcomed the development.

She said “this moving collection, which sheds light on the assistance dispensed to the families of the fifteen men who lost their lives on Christmas eve 1895, highlights the profound bravery, experiences of loss and community responses to the shipping disaster”.

You can view the digital archive on the Kingstown Life-Boat Disaster Trust Letter Book – Digital Repository of Ireland (dri.ie) here.

Some of the crew and volunteers of Dún Laoghaire RNLI were acknowledged yesterday for their bravery and commitment in saving lives at sea. Organised by Dún Laoghaire Senator Barry Ward, twelve members of the Dún Laoghaire RNLI were presented with certificates of appreciation by An Taoiseach, Simon Harris TD, in Government Buildings, Dublin.

Remembering the dramatic rescue of a six-year-old girl at the back of the East Pier in Dún Laoghaire last month, Senator Ward welcomed the volunteers to Leinster House and Government Buildings, describing them as “everyday heroes who don’t look for acknowledgement but do deserve to be recognised for the incredible work they do protecting us all.”

Senator Ward said that “we are lucky to have the services of the lifeboat in Dún Laoghaire for over 200 years, even before the establishment of the RNLI, to keep everyone safe in Dublin Bay and beyond. The Dún Laoghaire RNLI commitment to saving lives at sea is present in all weathers, at every hour of the day and every day of the year. The recently publicised rescue of a 6-year-old girl at the back of the East Pier in Dún Laoghaire on 7 April is just one example of the courage and effectiveness of our lifeboat volunteers.”

Dún Laoghaire RNLI with An Taoiseach, Simon Harris TD and Senator Barry Ward in Government Buildings, Dublin

Presenting the volunteers with a certificate of appreciation, Taoiseach Simon Harris TD thanked Dún Laoghaire RNLI for the work they do every day, “saving people’s lives at sea and serving their community”, describing them as “the brave and committed men and women of Dún Laoghaire RNLI”.

Dún Laoghaire RNLI were presented with certificates of appreciation by An Taoiseach, Simon Harris TD

It is the second honour for the Dun Laoghaire RNLI this month, with some of the crew travelling to London for a Buckingham Palace Garden Party celebrating 200 years of the Institution.

The members of Dún Laoghaire RNLI present in the Taoiseach’s office in Government Buildings were:

• Nathan Burke, ILB crew on 7 April 2024;
• Cira Doran, crew;
• Gary Hayes, Helm of the ILB on 7 April 2024;
• Laura Jackson, shore crew on 7 April 2024;
• Darina Loakman, Dún Laoghaire RNLI water safety leader;
• Mark McGibney Station Cox;
• Andrew Sykes, ILB crew on 7 April 2024, who entered the water during the rescue of a 6-years old girl;
• Ailbhe Smyth, ILB crew on 7 April 2024;
• Dara Totterdell, Dún Laoghaire RNLI Launch Authority and Training Coordinator;
• Ed Totterdell, Dún Laoghaire RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager.

Investigations are underway at Dun Laoghaire Harbour to determine how and why an unmanned pleasure craft went 'out of control' on Thursday evening (May 16th) and damaged neighbouring boats in the inner Coal Harbour area.

Social media footage captured the scene on an otherwise idyllic night in the south Dublin harbour as a 7-metre Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) spun out of control on its mooring and careered into moored boats, including those of a harbour sailing school.

An eyewitness said, "Two people were thrown from the boat while putting it on the mooring. They accidentally hit the throttle, and both were thrown from the rib. The boat continued to go around in circles until it eventually broke the mooring and ended up crashing." 

A local source said, "Luckily, nobody was killed or maimed". 

Another told Afloat: "There was damage when the RIB mounted a nearby pontoon where sailing school boats and equipment are stored".

Dublin Bay Water Wag No. 50 Siskin, sailed by Mandy Chambers and Sue Westrup, was the winner of Wednesday night's (May 17th) AIB DBSC race.

Held in warm sunshine in an ENE 5-6 knot breeze at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly set a three-round course for the 23 competing boats.

The race was a handicap race with the fleet divided into eight staggered starts.

The wind dropped as the first boat approached the leeward gate for the second time so the Race Officer shortened the course at the weather mark after two rounds and a final beat with Mandy Chambers and Sue Westrup sailing Siskin getting the gun.

AIB DBSC Water Wag race results (May 17th) 

1. No. 50 Siskin, Mandy Chambers and Sue Westrup
2. No. 31 Polly, Richard Mossop and Henry Rook
3. No. 15 Moosmie, John O’Driscoll and Shirley Gilmore

Local sailing stalwart Hal Sisk will deliver a lecture on ‘developments in transforming Dun Laoghaire Harbour’ next Wednesday 15 May at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire.

The talk begins at 8pm and admission is €5. Parking is free for attendees.

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is considering 'a high-performance sailing unit' based in Dún Laoghaire Harbour's former coastguard station.

The County Architect revealed details of the project on RTE Television on Friday (May 3rd) when the Nationwide TV programme visited the harbour on the south side of Dublin Bay to hear about restoration work that has given a new lease of life to some of the nearby coastguard cottages.

As previously reported by Afloat, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council renovated the buildings as social homes in 2021.

County Architect Andrée Dargan told the programme that the town master plan aims to increase public access to the water. As part of that drive, "There is an idea that we would develop a high-performance sailing unit here," she said.

"One of the areas being considered for that is the former coastguard station", Dargan told RTE's Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh.

The programme aired on Friday, May 3rd at 7 pm on RTE One and is viewable on the RTE Player.

Currently, the Irish Olympic Sailing Team is located on the grounds of the Commissioners of Irish Lights, also in Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Its base comprises a number of converted shipping containers and a floating slipway and pontoon. 

Those plans were announced in May 2018 and opened in March 2019 after Annalise Murphy's Olympic silver medal achievement in Rio 2016.

The aim of the base is to improve their training and educational opportunities, thereby creating systematic medal potential.

The Coastguard station location is also identified in DLRCoCo's concept plans for its National Watersports Campus published in January 2023 here

The RTE Nationwide TV programme visits Dún Laoghaire Harbour on the south side of Dublin Bay to hear about a project supported by Local Government, which has given a new lease of life to some old harbour cottages.

As previously reported by Afloat, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council renovated the buildings as social homes in 2021.

The programme airs on Friday, May 3rd at 7 pm on RTE One and is also viewable on the RTE Player.