Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Badeschiff

The €2.75 million urban beach proposed for Dun Laoghaire Harbour is 'currently on hold' pending 'organisational restructure', according to a report in the Irish Times. A spokesman for the state company told the newspaper 'we hope to have it back next year in planning next year for opening in 2018'. 

Dun Laoghaire Harbour company is one of the joint funders of the project.

As Afloat.ie previously reported, the Dun Laoghaire project, that is modelled on Berlin's Badeschiff, has an artificial beach at the East Pier and a floating barge that contains a swimming pool. 

It was orginally envisaged to have the swimming pool operational inside Dun Laoghaire harbour in April 2014.

The Dun Laoghaire 'Heated' Baths went out to tender in December 2012. In October 2013 DLRCoCo Applied for a Foreshore Consent for the Baths Refurbishment on the back of the East Pier and at Newtownsmith.

In the Irish Times article, author Justin Comiskey points to the idea that baths projects act as engines of renewal or to give underused urban spaces an identity. Read more here.

#urbanbeach – Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company hopes to be in a position to open a floating swimming pool and urban beach at the historic East Pier of the Harbour for the 2016 summer season.

Permission was granted in late-2014 by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, but had been appealed as Afloat.ie reported at the weekend.

The project has been inspired by the popular Badeschiff facility in Berlin, a floating swimming pool on the River Spree. The plan for Dún Laoghaire Harbour includes a floating swimming pool containing heated and treated seawater, utilising a converted river barge which will be located within the Harbour. The facility will include an Urban Beach alongside the floating structure, on Berth 1 adjacent to the East Pier. Changing and toilet facilities, a café, an administration area, and security features are also planned.

The Harbour Company estimates that urban beach has the potential to attract 100,000 visitors per year and to generate over €1 million per annum for the local economy.

Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company hopes to be in a position to open the facility for the summer season in 2016.

According to Tim Ryan, Operation Manager, of DLHC: "Today's go-ahead by An Bord Pleanála is very welcome, and marks a vital step in realising the full potential of the Harbour as a marine, leisure and tourist destination of international calibre."

"The urban beach will be a hugely exciting project for Dun Laoghaire as a while. It is very much in keeping with the Government's National Ports Policy which designated Dún Laoghaire as a harbour focusing on marine leisure, marine tourism, and urban development. Today's decision allows us to follow through on our mandate.

Over the coming months, Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company Harbour is set to welcome a record 100,000 cruise passengers and crew. "Combined with the news of the urban beach, the future for Dun Laoghaire Harbour is really shaping up, as set out in the Company's Masterplan of 2011," added Tim.

#DunLaoghaire - Despite getting the green light from planners six weeks ago, Dun Laoghaire's 'urban beach' project faces an appeal made against it to An Bórd Pleanála.

According to The Irish Times, councillors in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown have been told of an appeal lodged in late December against the €2.5 million scheme modelled on Berlin's famous Badeschiff.

It has not been made known who made the appeal, though the original planning application received 15 objections during the public consultation from local groups and individuals.

Many of these expressed concern at potential damage to the protected East Pier where the Badeschiff would be installed, and also argued for council funds to be instead directed towards restoration of the derelict Victorian Baths nearby.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

Royal Irish Yacht Club - Frequently Asked Questions

The Royal Irish Yacht Club is situated in a central location in Dun Laoghaire Harbour with excellent access and visiting sailors can be sure of a special welcome. The clubhouse is located in the prime middle ground of the harbour in front of the town marina and it is Dun Laoghaire's oldest yacht club. 

What's a brief history of the Royal Irish Yacht Club?

The yacht club was founded in 1831, with the Marquess of Anglesey, who commanded the cavalry at the Battle of Waterloo being its first Commodore. 

John Skipton Mulvany designed the clubhouse, which still retains a number of original architectural features since being opened in 1851.

It was granted an ensign by the Admiralty of a white ensign with the Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Ireland beneath the Union Jack in canton.

Many prominent names feature among the past members of the Club. The first Duke of Wellington was elected in 1833, followed by other illustrious men including the eccentric Admiral Sir Charles Napier, Sir Dominic Corrigan the distinguished physician, Sir Thomas Lipton, novelist, George A. Birmingham, yachtsman and author, Conor O'Brien, and famous naval historian and author, Patrick O Brian. 

In the club's constitution, it was unique among yacht clubs in that it required yacht owners to provide the club's commodore with information about the coast and any deep-sea fisheries they encountered on all of their voyages.

In 1846, the club was granted permission to use the Royal prefix by Queen Victoria. The club built a new clubhouse in 1851. Despite the Republic of Ireland breaking away from the United Kingdom, the Royal Irish Yacht Club elected to retain its Royal title.

In 1848, a yachting trophy called "Her Majesty's Plate" was established by Queen Victoria to be contested at Kingstown where the Royal Irish Yacht Club is based. The Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland at the time, George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon suggested it should be contested by the Royal Irish Yacht Club and the Royal St. George Yacht Club in an annual regatta, a suggestion that was approved by both clubs with the Royal St. George hosting the first competitive regatta.

The RIYC celebrated its 185th Anniversary in 2016 with the staging of several special events in addition to being well represented afloat, both nationally and internationally. It was the year the club was also awarded Irish Yacht Club of the Year as Afloat's W M Nixon details here.

The building is now a listed structure and retains to this day all its original architectural features combined with state of the art facilities for sailors both ashore and afloat.

What is the Royal Irish Yacht Club's emblem?

The Club's emblem shows a harp with the figure of Nice, the Greek winged goddess of victory, surmounted by a crown. This emblem has remained unchanged since the foundation of the Club; a symbol of continuity and respect for the history and tradition of the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

What is the Royal Irish Yacht Club's ensign?

The RIYC's original white ensign was granted by Royal Warrant in 1831. Though the Royal Irish Yacht Club later changed the ensign to remove the St George's Cross and replace the Union Jack with the tricolour of the Republic of Ireland, the original ensign may still be used by British members of the Royal Irish Yacht Club

Who is the Commodore of the Royal Irish Yacht Club?

The current Commodore is Jerry Dowling, and the Vice-Commodore is Tim Carpenter.

The RIYC Flag Officers are: 

What reciprocal club arrangements does the Royal Irish Yacht Club have?  

As one of Ireland's leading club's, the Royal Irish Yacht Club has significant reciprocal arrangements with yacht clubs across Ireland and the UK, Europe, USA and Canada and the rest of the World. If you are visiting from another Club, please have with a letter of introduction from your Club or introduce yourself to the Club Secretary or to a member of management staff, who will show you the Club's facilities.

What car parking does the Royal Irish Yacht Club have at its Dun Laoghaire clubhouse?

The RIYC has car parking outside of its clubhouse for the use of its members. Paid public car parking is available next door to the club at the marina car park. There is also paid parking on offer within the harbour area at the Coatl Harbour (a 5-minute walk) and at an underground car park adjacent to the Royal St. George Yacht Club (a 3-minute walk). Look for parking signs. Clamping is in operation in the harbour area.

What facilities does the Royal Irish Yacht Clubhouse offer? 

The Royal Irish Yacht Club offers a relaxed, warm and welcoming atmosphere in one of the best situated and appointed clubhouses in these islands. Its prestige in yachting circles is high and its annual regatta remains one of the most attractive events in the sailing calendar. It offers both casual and formal dining with an extensive wine list and full bar facilities. The Club caters for parties, informal events, educational seminars, themed dinners and all occasions. The RIYC has a number of venues within the Club each of which provides a different ambience to match particular needs.

What are the Royal Irish Yacht Club's Boathouse facilities?

The RIYC boathouse team run the launch service to the club's swinging moorings, provide lifting for dry-sailed boats, lift and scrub boats, as well as maintaining the fabric of the deck, pontoon infrastructure, and swinging moorings. They also maintain the club crane, the only such mobile crane of the Dun Laoghaire Yacht Clubs.

What facilities are offered for junior sailing at the Royal Irish Yacht Club?

One of the missions of the Royal Irish Yacht Club is to promote sailing as a passion for life by encouraging children and young adults to learn how to sail through its summer courses and class-specific training throughout the year. 

RIYC has an active junior section. Its summer sailing courses are very popular and the club regularly has over 50 children attending courses in any week. The aim is for those children to develop lifelong friendships through sailing with other children in the club, and across the other clubs in the bay.
 
Many RIYC children go on to compete for the club at regional and national championships and some have gone on to represent Ireland at international competitions and the Olympic Regatta itself.
 
In supporting its young sailors and the wider sailing community, the RIYC regularly hosts junior sailing events including national and regional championships in classes such as the Optmist, Feva and 29er.
 
Competition is not everything though and as the club website states:  "Many of our junior sailors have gone on the become sailing instructors and enjoy teaching both in Ireland and abroad.  Ultimately, we take most pleasure from the number of junior sailors who become adult sailors and enjoy a lifetime of sailing with the club".