Dun Laoghaire’s future could lie in its potential as a hub to support offshore renewable energy projects.

That’s one of the conclusions from the €100k report commissioned by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to develop a blueprint for the south Co Dublin harbour’s improved use.

Economic consultancy Indecon was tasked last year with preparing a plan for the harbour based on a critical evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses.

Its report — which is available to download below — comes on the foot of a choppy few years for Dun Laoghaire Harbour’s fortunes, from the loss of the cross-channel ferry in 2015 to the tumult of the COVID-19 pandemic since early 2020.

Indecon says: “The three main areas which should be given priority are to implement a financial economic recovery plan for the harbour, to increase linkages with the town and to maximise the economic and social impact of the harbour.

“These objectives require the development of existing uses and the attraction of new or expanded activities to the harbour.”

Further to this, the Indecon report makes a number of strategic recommendations to guide future development of the harbour. Among them is developing Dun Laoghaire as an operation and maintenance (O&M) base to support offshore renewable energy projects, and marketing itself as a hub for this growing sector.

“The Irish Sea is likely to play a particularly important role in this regard in the generation of offshore wind energy due to the proximity to market, availability of grid, and water depth,” Indecon says, adding that it understands offshore projects “have the potential to deliver 3.8GW as part of Ireland’s strategy to deploy 5GW of offshore wind between now and 2030”.

Such a direction is not without its issues, however, and the consultancy admits that “mixed views were expressed” on the harbour’s potential to support O&M. “Indecon believes that this represents an important development option but needs to be carefully planned so as to ensure priority to the recreational and leisure users.”

Other strategic recommendations in the Indecon report include:

Government action should be taken to support the harbour’s national potential: The report calls for investigating the feasibility of the designation of Dun Laoghaire Harbour and other key fishing ports in coastal communities as Strategic Enterprise Zones.

Support continued development of existing uses in the harbour: Indecon believes that it is in the long-term interest of existing users that additional activities and revenues are attracted to support the overall financial viability of the harbour, such as new marine enterprises and increase fishing landings. “There will therefore be a need to facilitate new uses and to carefully manage the trade-offs in the location of any expansion in existing uses,” it says.

Anglers on Dun Laoghaire’s West Pier watch a visiting cruise liner depart in 2019 | Credit: Afloat.ie

Targeted expansion of cruise business: Indecon says a targeted expansion of selective cruise businesses would be an important element of a sustainable economic plan. “This should, however, be undertaken in a planned way that would not damage existing users,” it adds. The consultancy also advises against Dun Laoghaire attracting mass cruise tourism due to its environmental costs and impact on the quality of life for local residents and businesses. “It would also not be consistent with respecting the value of the existing sailing and other users,” it says. In its recommendations, Indecon suggests a move to “increase overall tariffs for cruises but introduce incentive tariffs for selective cruise businesses which facilitate visitors to the town centre”.

Increase tourism and other visitors to Dun Laoghaire: Indecon recommends a joint initiative with Fáilte Ireland to promote Dun Laoghaire as a tourism location; expanding watersport tourism offerings and access for residents and visitors; and facilities for windsurfing and other sporting activities. It also supports backing plans for the National Watersports Campus, and leasing land for new hotel development on the waterside.

Maximise use of the existing ferry terminal: Indecon’s analysis indicates that the development of the former ferry terminal on St Michael’s Pier as a business innovation centre would have significant economic and social benefits for the area. It recommends working with leaseholders to promote a ‘Ferry Terminal Business Innovation Centre’, investing in maintenance works and involving the higher and further education sector in developing the skills required for innovative businesses to thrive there.

With its 800 berths, Dun Laoghaire Marina is Ireland’s largest | Credit: Tim Wall

Marketing of harbour and town: Indecon says Dun Laoghaire’s unique characteristics “open significant potential opportunities to attract additional recreational visitors and tourism. This will be key in achieving the vision outlined for the harbour and town. This will require integrated marketing which removes any disconnect between the harbour and the town, and a joint plan with sporting organisations, businesses and State agencies to market the attractions of Dún Laoghaire.” KPMG’s spatial and economic study of Dun Laoghaire town has also been published and goes into this topic in more detail.

In its conclusions, Indecon says it believes its recommendations “will help guide the sustainable development of the important national asset. The scale of the challenges faced by the Harbour should, however, not be underestimated.”

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI shop, located in the harbour beside the busy East pier is the location for a new community defibrillator, donated by the family of Larry Costello, who died following a cardiac arrest in 2016. The family have funded six defibrillators which are located around the local area. Dun Laoghaire RNLI is a fitting final location, as volunteer lifeboat crewmember Gary Hayes has helped the family with the project, through his role with the Dalkey Community First Responders Group and as a RNLI crewmember.

In funding the defibrillators, the family wanted the community to have access to them in busy public areas and in doing so, to take away the fear that people have in using them. The Dalkey Community First Responders will undertake the upkeep and maintenance of the defibrillators and this one will remain charged by the RNLI’s electricity supply for the shop, which is located behind the lifeboat station.

Larry was born and raised in Dun Laoghaire and raised his family with wife Audrey in Glasthule. A much-loved member of the community, Larry worked in Blackrock Park and coached a local football team in Presentation College. When he died of a cardiac arrest, his family wanted to do something in his memory that could help another family in a similar situation. With the support of their friends and the people Larry coached and helped during his life, the family raised €14,000 and bought six defibrillators. They are placed at McCauley’s Chemist in Glasthule, the Sallynoggin Inn, the Igo Inn in Ballybrack, Eden Villas in Glasthule, Dun Laoghaire Marina and finally at the Dun Laoghaire RNLI shop beside the East Pier.

Larry’s family recent visited the lifeboat station to officially unveil the final defibrillator along with some members of Dun Laoghaire RNLI, including lifeboat crewmember Gary Hayes, who the family credits with helping them put their plan into action.

Larry’s wife Audrey visited with their four children, Graham, Jennifer, Emma and Ian, along with in-laws and grandchildren. In welcoming the installation of the final defibrillator, Audrey said, ‘Our hope is to save lives and we are grateful to the local RNLI for letting us put the final defibrillator at their shop, which sees so many people walk by every day. We never thought we would raise enough to fund six of these and it’s all thanks to our friends and neighbours in our local community and beyond. Larry was so well-loved, and I think people wanted to show that. We are so grateful for their generosity. Thank you too to Gary Hayes from Dun Laoghaire RNLI and Dalkey Community First Responders who helped us with this endeavour and suggested the station for the final defibrillator. It is a very fitting location.’

Dun Laoghaire RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew member Gary Hayes added, ‘We are delighted to have the RNLI be home to one of Larry’s defibrillators. While the lifeboat crew are here to save lives at sea, we are happy to have a lifesaving piece of equipment on land too, at the wall of our retail shop and available for any member of the public to use should they need it. There is no training necessary, and the instructions are clear and easy to follow. Well done to the family and friends of Larry for this fantastic gift to the community.

The family have asked that if anyone would like to donate to the upkeep and maintenance of the defibrillators, they contact the Dalkey Community First Responders.

This weekend sees the conclusion of the five-week-long Flying Fifteen Frostbite Series at Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Sixteen boats are entered, with an average of 11 competing each weekend.

PRO Keith Poole and his race team have provided great courses and racing in various conditions.

Ken Dumpleton and Joe Hickey in 'Rodriguez' lead the way after their impressive three race wins last Saturday, but Tom Galvin and Chris Doorly in 'Thingamabob' are just two points behind and with three races due on Saturday, they are still in with a chance.

Peter Murphy and Ciara Mulvey are in third place, followed by Tom Murphy and Karel Le Roux and Joe Coughlan and Andrew Marshall.

The NYC Frostbite Series for Flying Fifteens and Mermaids, which has been run for forty years, resumed this season after a break of two years.

Over sixty yachts and cruisers will be hauled out of the water at Dun Laoghaire Harbour tomorrow as the 2021 summer season ends at Ireland's biggest boating centre. 

The National Yacht Club and neighbouring Royal St. George YC will lift out approximately 30 cruisers apiece using a mobile crane. 

The boats will overwinter on the hardstanding at the waterfront clubhouses, where space is at a premium.

It's not the end of all sailing by any means, however. A winter Turkey Shoot Series run by DBSC that attracts up to 70 boats, mainly from the town marina, is scheduled to start on Nov 7th, and the DMYC Dinghy Frostbite Series will run in harbour racing until March.

The volunteer lifeboat crew of Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI will be taking to the small screen on Tuesday, 19 October as they feature in the ninth episode of the BBC TV series Saving Lives at Sea.

Real life rescue footage gives a frontline view of how the charity’s lifesavers risk their own lives as they go to the aid of those in danger at sea and strive to save every one.

Now in its sixth series, the 10-part documentary showcases the lifesaving work of the RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crews from around Ireland and the UK. The series is on BBC Two on Tuesdays at 8 pm as well as being available on BBC iPlayer following broadcast.

Real rescue footage is accompanied by emotive interviews from the volunteer lifeboat crews alongside the people they rescue and their families.

This forthcoming episode, on Tuesday 19 October, sees Dun Laoghaire RNLI respond to a paddle boarder in difficulty in the water about 150m from shore at Blackrock in County Dublin (as Afloat reported here). Weather conditions at the time are quite rough with a squall causing strong offshore wind gusts along with a changing outward tide and choppy waters. The lifeboat crew find the casualty exhausted having tried to paddle and swim back to shore. He is showing signs of hypothermia due to spending a long period in the cold sea.

Alan Keville, one of the Dun Laoghaire RNLI lifeboat crew members featured in the forthcoming episode, said: ‘It's great that we can showcase the lifesaving work of RNLI volunteers in a TV programme like this. Without the generous support and donations from the public, we wouldn’t be able to save lives at sea and it’s great to be able to share what we do with our supporters from the comfort of their own home.’

During 2020, RNLI lifeboats in Ireland launched 945 times with their volunteer crews coming to the aid of 1,147 people, 13 of whom were lives saved.

There was a poignant commemoration this morning at Dún Laoghaire Harbour to remember over 564 people who lost their lives when the RMS Leinster ship sank off the Kish Bank on 10th October 1918.

The Leinster Commemoration Committee organised the ceremony for the 103rd anniversary of the torpedo of Dun Laoghaire's vital link to the rest of the World during World War I.

This morning's wreath-laying event was held at the RMS Leinster's recovered anchor site on Queens Road at Dun Laoghaire as a harbour reminder of the massive loss of life.

This morning's commemoration was held in bright Autumn sunshine and attended by local politicians, relatives and local people.

In an ongoing campaign, the Leinster Commemoration Committee says it wants a site allocated for a Memorial to name all who were on-board RMS Leinster that fateful day, as Afloat reported here.

Poignant commemoration this morning at Dún Laoghaire Harbour to remember the over 564 people who lost their lives when the RMS Leinster was sunk off the Kish Bank on 10th October 1918.

Thanks to the Leinster Commemoration Committee for organising the event again this year. pic.twitter.com/yDxpi0dsil

— Cormac Devlin TD (@CormacDevlin) October 10, 2021

Dun Laoghaire Harbour's Laser dinghy class ended their summer season with a bang, hosting over 80-boats in a five-race one-day regatta where some exciting new talent emerged.

80 Lasers racing in Dublin Bay on a sunny Saturday afternoon in October is an unusual sight in a normal year. These past two seasons have been far from normal for most sailors, but the Laser dinghy class has gone from strength to strength nationally.

At times during lockdown in 2020, single-handed dinghies were the only access for sailors to local waters. The fifty-year-old Laser class benefited greatly from this and has continued to attract and retain new sailors throughout 2021. The Irish Laser Masters championship hosted by the Royal St. George Yacht Club in June broke records with the highest attendance in the event’s history. Other regional and national events throughout the season were also seeing record attendances.

The final event of the season in Dun Laoghaire was this weekend’s Grant Thornton Sprint Regatta hosted by the Royal St. George Yacht Club. This novel regatta format saw race officer Richard Kissane serve up five races in quick succession for each of the three Laser fleets. Light and shifty wind conditions made his job particularly challenging as his team set down a trapezoid course. Ever-calm, Kissane was not phased and he delivered 15 race starts in just over three hours.

Howth's Rocco Wright (right) with Royal St. George Commodore Richard O'Connor

The event saw some new talent emerge into the Laser fleet, most notably in the junior section. Howth’s Rocco Wright who raced for the first time this season in a 4.7, sat into the larger Radial rig for this event. The lighter airs clearly suited him and he took home Gold against a strong fleet including national champion Jonathan O'Shaughnessy from Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Royal St. George’s Matteo Ciaglia

Meanwhile, in the 4.7 fleet, the Royal St. George’s Matteo Ciaglia who also competed for the first time in this fleet took home Gold for the Dun Laoghaire club. Christian Ennis from the National Yacht Club took Silver, while the George’s Jessica Riordan took third overall and first female.

Royal St George's Peter Fagan

The Standard fleet served up a real treat with local sailors Tom Higgins and Peter Fagan going head to head for the entire event. Higgins took first blood, winning the opening race with Fagan then taking the second race. By race three, it had become a spectacle in match racing between the pair. Ultimately, two third place finishes killed off Higgins’ chances. Fagan took Gold with Higgins in second and Tralee Bay Sailing Club’s Paddy Cunnane taking bronze.

Event organiser, Brendan Hughes of the Royal St. George Yacht Club suggested that the interest in Saturday’s event was as much to do with format as the overall growth of Lasers. “Sailors are really enjoying the sprint format and also having the opportunity to participate in a competitive fleet on a single day. Each race was between 25 and 30 minutes in duration which on a trapezoid course means there is intense competition and opportunity to win or lose places.” said Hughes. “Clearly the format is worth repeating with fleets travelling for this event from as far and wide as Tralee, Cork and Sligo. We’ll definitely be doing more of these in future.”

Full results available here.

DMYC at Dun Laoghaire Harbour is reporting 19 registered entries for its traditional Dinghy Frostbite Series that this year sets sail under the Viking Marine burgee.

The Notice of Race has been published on the club website, and the online entry system is now live.

Racing commences on Sunday, 7th of November.

After the loss of the series for winter 2020/21 due to the Covid restrictions, DMYC is looking to host a jam-packed series.

The West Pier club plans to build on the surge of interest in ILCA (Laser) training and racing, growth of the RS Aero class and revival of the Fireball Class ahead of its World Championships to be sailed on Lough Derg in 2022.

"We anticipate racing format will be as before with starts for the PY Fleet, ICLA 6's (Radial fleet), and ILCA 7's (full rigs) and 5's (4.7's) starting together, all racing for separate class honours," says DMYC's Neil Colin.

The race management will be in the capable hands of Cormac Bradley, supplemented by a team of guest PRO's throughout the series.

The series is open to youth and senior sailors alike with discounted entry fees for the under 18's.

Entry can be made online here

Talks to bring a round of the 'SailGP' sailing Grand Prix to Dublin Bay in 2022 have encountered strong headwinds over a lack of shoreside space at Ireland's biggest sailing centre at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, Afloat sources say.

It is the second world-class sailing event to consider an Irish port as a potential venue with Cork Harbour's bid for the 37th America's Cup also up and running.

Although Fáilte Ireland chiefs and officials from Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council are in talks with SailGP, it is understood the east coast Harbour and Ireland's biggest marine leisure centre, cannot facilitate the circuit, due to a lack of shoreside space required by race organisers.

SailGP teams compete in identical F50 wing sailed catamarans that can reach speeds of up to 100km/h and each six-race Grand Prix event runs across two days.

The $1m prize is the biggest award in the sport of sailing.

Currently, eight teams representing Australia, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the United States contest eight events held in as many countries over an 11-month period. The prospect of an Irish crew has been mooted. 

SailGP is the global sailing grand Prix series created by former America’s Cup yacht race winners Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour - an area to the right of the town marina has been ruled out as a base for a potential SailGP tour due to bus parking requirements for visiting cruise liners recommencing in 2022. 

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, the Fine Gael Dún Laoghaire TD, initiated discussions around a bid in January.  Discussions with key organisers in harbour yacht clubs got the green light.

However, a Dun Laoghaire source told Afloat this week: "it's dead, deader than dead". "There is no room in the harbour shoreside to accommodate SailGP's excessive needs".

The former ferry marshalling was earmarked to provide the required shoreside space for the teams with their fifty-foot craft and equipment but Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council's anticipation of the return of a busy cruise season at the harbour in 2022 has scuppered this.

The marshalling area, located to the east of the town marina, will be required for buses catering for cruise-line passenger excursions.

Up to 70 cruise liners are expected to berth off Dun Laoghaire Harbour in 2022 and works commenced this week on a new coach park facility at the site.

The harbour's vacant Carlisle Pier, empty save for occasional visiting Belgian trawlers, was ruled out as 'not big enough', according to sources.

Promoters say each two-day SailGP event is estimated to be worth about €20m to the local economy

Andrew Thompson, SailGP's chief commercial and financial officer, told the Irish Examiner newspaper last Saturday "SailGP opened its bid process for season 3 – starting 2022 – in March".

"SailGP received an overwhelming response from across the globe"

"Among the cities that approached SailGP is an expression of interest from a bid team from Dublin, Ireland.

"There is no doubt that Ireland would be a fantastic destination to host our annual, global racing league featuring the sport’s best athletes."

While sections of the tiny Irish sailing community are getting behind bids for the two biggest prizes in world yachting, Cork's €190m America's Cup campaign and the Dublin SailGP both are facing major hurdles as Afloat's WM Nixon points out here in relation to the 37th AC.

Cork Harbour is still in the running to host the 2024 America’s Cup yacht race after the organisers extended the venue selection process.

Cork has also been identified as a possible SailGP venue too.

More from The Examiner here

As one Dun Laoghaire Harbour commemoration is completed at the refurbished baths, another town memorial to name all those who were on-board the torpedoed RMS Leinster on Dublin Bay remains long overdue, says campaigner Joe Ryan 

This will be the 103rd anniversary of the sinking of this vital link to the rest of the World during WW1. Since 2016 I have been trying to have a site allocated for a Memorial to name all who were on-board RMS Leinster that fateful day, just a month before the armistice on 11/11/1918. Others, including Des Branigan, who owned the wreck until its 100th anniversary, when it became State property, have endeavoured to commemorate all the names on a Memorial.

There has been a Memorial to RMS Titanic in Belfast since 1923, but for the 100th anniversary in 2012, it was added to with a wall containing all the names of those on board.

Similarly, there are Memorials to RMS Lusitania, but in 2015 a Garden and Memorial naming all those on-board was opened at the Old Head of Kinsale 100 years after it was sunk.

The RMS Leinster departed from the Carlisle Pier on its final voyage on the 10th October 1918 

All we request is that Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) allocates a site to our committee, and we will do the fundraising. There are many organisations and companies associated with RMS Leinster, still in existence, which we can approach for donations. We can't start this work until we have a site.

The Titanic Memorial Garden Belfast City Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland

In 2019, I was joined by two RMS Leinster 100th Anniversary Committee members, Richard Cruise, Chairman and David Cotter, Treasurer, to form our Memorial Committee. Ours is a small, focused committee with just one aim, to have the Memorial built.

(Above and below) RMS Leinster Wreath laying in 2020. The RMS Leinster Memorial Committee member Richard Cruise was laying the wreath in 2020 in a social distanced small gathering that included local TDs and Councillors. The RMS Leinster Memorial Committee say hopefully more people can attend this year if pandemic rules allow it.

We have huge backing from relatives of those who were lost or survived the tragedy, from politicians, businessmen, organisations and people who have no association with the tragedy but feel it should be properly commemorated.

We have made submissions to the Harbour Plan, the County Plan and the Heritage Plan and await their deliberations. A local Councillor has a motion requesting DLRCC to allocate a site that is taking time to be heard.

DLRCC has owned the site we are requesting since 03/10/18 but have steadfastly refused to engage with us even at the behest of many local Ministers, TDs and Councillors.

We remain hopeful that the Council will engage with us. Even though we can't start fundraising, we have had generous pledges from several people and organisations.

European funding was available, but the Council did not seek it. We have said that we will not commence building until all the funds plus contingency is in the Bank. Apart from allocating the site, we are not asking DLRCC to contribute any further, but we have made submissions to Heritage and Arts Departments of DLRCC for local initiative funds of €5,000 to run a competition to design the Memorial which should be organised by DLRCC, being the owner of the site. If that funding is not forthcoming, we will fundraise for it too but still feel that DLRCC should organise the competition.

• RMS Leinster Memorial Committee will lay a wreath at the anchor donated by Des Branigan at 10:00 on 10/10/2021.