Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has issued a notice to Kayak and Stand Up Paddleboarders highlighting 'areas to explore' and 'no entry' areas inside Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

It follows a number of infringements where kayakers and SUPs have become involved with boating traffic in the harbour fairways. 

There has also been a number of complaints about kayakers at the harbour's four shipping berths and also kayaking in and around moored pleasure craft in the town marina. 

The DLR map shows the 550 berth marina as a 'no-entry area'. Ship berths and three of the waterfront yacht clubs are also marked in read as a no entry zone.

The map also displays the bulk of the harbour's 250 acres in green as an area 'open to explore'.

A Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI volunteer crew of three assisted a person on Saturday evening with a suspected broken leg near Whiterock beach in Killiney.

The volunteer lifeboat crew were contacted by the Coast Guard after a request from its Dun Laoghaire Unit that lifeboat assistance was needed at Whiterock beach.

The inshore lifeboat was launched immediately at 3.33 pm and made its way to the scene arriving at 3.45 pm.

Weather conditions at the time were described as good with a calm sea, light wind, and very good visibility.

On arrival, the lifeboat crew assessed the situation and with help from Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard Unit and the National Ambulance Service the casualty was quickly transferred onboard the lifeboat accompanied by the paramedic who was on the scene. The casualty was then transferred to land at nearby Colliemore Harbour.

Speaking following the call out, Gary Hayes, Dun Laoghaire RNLI Lifeboat Helm at the time said: ‘The teamwork within our volunteer crew and the agencies on scene was amazing and has been all weekend. It has been a very busy few days along the Dublin coast with our lifeboat crew having had five call outs in 48 hours’

‘I would like to remind everyone to never underestimate conditions along our coast even with the nice weather passing through. When you head to the coast always try to have a plan in place that ensures you can access help if you need it. If you ever get into difficulty or see someone getting into difficulty to dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Irish Coast Guard.’

May’s low water Spring tides have revealed deterioration of Dun Laoghaire Harbour's famous East Pier.

Visibly damaged stonework lies below the waterline close to the East Pier roundhead.

Large holes in the foundations of the base of the pier wall area are visible. The massive original granite stones are now out of place.

(Above and below) The damage to the East Pier is visible at low water springs 

As Afloat readers will know, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council recently completed works after a significant amount of damage to both the East and West Piers caused by Storm Emma in 2018.

Large areas were damaged by the storm as Afloat reported here including areas of the West Pier roundhead revetment.

The damage was surveyed and repaired in 2020 according to DLRCoCo.

Yet another Belgian fishing trawler arrived into Dun Laoghaire Harbour today, tripling the sporadic arrival of such visits last year. 

The trawlers are using the town's Carlisle Pier, a wharf that has seen very little shipping in recent times.

Seven of the 38-metre European boats have now made use of Dun Laoghaire's relatively deepwater berths (of approximately six metres depth) in the past fortnight.

As Afloat reported previously, the trawlers, that catch Whitefish, on Cardigan Bay off the Welsh coast used to land in Liverpool but current Brexit arrangements are causing difficulties leading to the requirement for deepwater alternatives.

The six-metre draft of the trawlers is just too deep for other east coast ports (other than Dublin) so Dun Laoghaire Harbour is proving a convenient and well-serviced location.

The Carlisle Pier provides easy access for trucks to take the catch to market. 

The main fishing grounds of the Belgians are the southern and central North Sea, accounting for 44 per cent of total catches. Other important fishing grounds are the English Channel (26 per cent), the Celtic Sea (18 per cent) and the Irish Sea (8 per cent).

No sooner than the Belgian fishing trawler fleet departs Dun Laoghaire than the Harbour's Carlisle Pier and St. Michael's Wharf are in use again such is the current demand for deepwater berths on Dublin Bay. 

The weekend saw several large trawlers from Zeebrugge make good use of the pier's convenient location following a Whitefish catch in the Irish Sea. 

Now, as south-east winds are forecast to gust to 50 knots on Dublin Bay today, the harbour berths are occupied by the Navy's LE George Bernard Shaw and the Danish Survey vessel the Arctic Ocean along with the Dublin Bay Cruises sightseeing ferry, as a refuge from the weather.

See Dublin Bay web cams

Belgian fishing trawlers continue to use the convenience of Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the Irish east coast to land their Irish Sea catches since Brexit.

No sooner had the last trawler left the Dublin Bay Port on Sunday than two more arrived early this morning.

The latest arrivals follow four big Belgian vessels using the port this month, more than doubling the sporadic arrival of such visits into Dun Laoghaire last year.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour’s strategic location as an EU port in the middle of the Irish Sea may have been overlooked by commercial fishing fleets for years but since Brexit, it appears Belgian fishermen have been quick to see the advantage of the Dublin Bay port. 

Dun Laoghaire Harbour is proving a convenient and well-serviced location for Belgian fishing trawlers

As Afloat reported previously, the trawlers, that catch Whitefish on Cardigan Bay off the Welsh coast, used to land in Liverpool but current Brexit arrangements are causing difficulties leading to the requirement for deepwater alternatives.

The six-metre draft of the trawlers is just too deep for other east coast ports (other than Dublin) so Dun Laoghaire Harbour is proving a convenient and well-serviced location.

The Carlisle Pier provides easy access for trucks to take the catch to market. And it's not the only port the Belgians are accessing, they are also landing fish in Cork, according to local sources.

The British registered Spanish owned fishing trawler that was towed into Dún Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay on March 7 after drifting for days in the Irish Sea because of engine failure finally departed the harbour this evening.

The navy hulled boat was tied up at Berth No 4 for some 70 days.

The 15 crew members, some Spanish, but mostly Indonesian, were flown out of Ireland a week or so after arriving at the port.

Magan D was first reported to be in trouble on March 6th when it was 27 nautical miles off the Welsh coast and experiencing engine trouble because water had mixed with oil and it could not start the engine.

The trawler left Dun Laoghaire bound for Pasajes, Spain.

The standby safety vessel the Arctic Ocean that is undertaking a series of geophysical surveys for the Codling Wind Park was back in Dun Laoghaire Harbour this Saturday morning. 

The red hulled Danish flagged vessel is operating on a 24-hour basis between 14 April to 26 May undertaking geophysical operations to 'characterise the export cable sites' for the new east coast wind farm. 

The 45-year-old ship was accompanied this morning at Dun Laoghaire Harbour by a Dublin Port Pilot boat.  She is working in tandem with other work boats Fastnet Pelican based out of the marina and Jackup Jill.

During its work, Arctic Ocean will be towing survey equipment, and requires large turning circles and will be restricted in its ability to manoeuvre.

All vessels operating within this area are requested to keep their distance, maintaining at least the 500m safety zone around the survey vessel, and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash.

More details about the operation are contained in the Department of Transport Marine Notice 21 of 2021 available here

Without the prospect of a major commercial development, as had been proposed by the now-defunct Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company, the debate as to the future use of Dun Laoghaire Harbour is very much now focussed on its use as a public amenity.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCoCo) has commissioned a €100k report into the 200-year-old harbour, asking economic consultants Indecon to provide a blueprint for its improved use.

Water sports, culture and heritage themes dominate the Strategic Local Objectives for Dun Laoghaire identified in the draft development plan for the county.

But rather than fighting for the scraps left over by terminal development, the various groups and organisations seen as stakeholders in the future of the harbour should be able to take comfort that the space available can now cater for all or nearly all the identified needs.

Afloat has identified areas that could be developed in a sustainable manner that caters for the aspirations of these sectors. Afloat suggests that the two key areas, currently undesignated, could be developed to cater for water-sports, culture and heritage that would not only not have any negative impact on current activities, but would considerably enhance Dun Laoghaire's attraction to locals and visitors alike.

National Watersports Centre - St Michael's Wharf/Ferry Terminal

The opportunity to install an all-tide access point is one that should not be missed, and the old Ferry marshalling area not only has the space but has already been developed to an extent that will reduce construction costs. A slipway and associated breakwater will complete this area. The key elements here are the slipway, the apron/slipway approach, boat parking, boat collection/drop-off, changing and boat washing facilities, an event and administration centre which could be incorporated into the current structure that housed the ferry terminal.

Potential location for a slip and protective breakwater at St Michael's Wharf (former HSS facility)

This view to the south-east from the marina breakwater shows a potential site for an all-tide slipway

The former HSS marshalling area shows that there is plenty of space to create boat access to the slipway suggested above

Plenty of room in the former ferry terminal for an event and administration centre  

Dun Laoghaire Cultural and Heritage Centre - Carlisle Pier

Dun Laoghaire and its surroundings has a fascinating history coloured by many unique and interesting events, yet there is nowhere that recognises the totality of this. A purpose-built centre could bring all this together recognising the county's history from its many megalithic monuments, through the harbour construction, the building of the suburban railway, the development of leisure boating, the torpedoing of the Leinster to the Harbour's role in Irish emigration. The Carlisle Pier lends itself to the construction of a centre that celebrates this rich heritage. It could incorporate a classic boat restoration facility, with classic vessels moored alongside the pier, easily accessible to visitors. This artist's impression suggests a striking design that acknowledges the maritime heritage.

 The Carlisle Pier could be a wonderful site for a cultural, heritage and interpretive centre on the Carlisle Pier that would evoke the rich history of Dun Laoghaire. Impression by Marine Artist and Round the World Sailor Pete Hogan

Such a centre would enhance Dun Laoghaire as a destination, encouraging the revitalisation of the town, and establishing the town as an entity in its own right, not just a dormitory suburb for the bigger neighbouring city.

A time to grasp the opportunities presented!

Ireland's largest sailing school, the Irish National Sailing School on Dublin Bay, has welcomed this week's announcement of new pontoon facilities near its base at the West Pier of Dun Laoghaire Harbour. 

School Principal Alistair Rumball told Afloat "we have long campaigned on safety grounds for the installation of a pontoon to give the school and other users direct access to the harbour waters at the West Pier and it's great to see this now approved".

The new pontoon, to be installed by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Councill will be located at the public steps close to the DMYC at the West Pier. Photo: Google Earth  

The €40,000 pontoon is one of a number of approved harbour works under a €38m government scheme as Afloat reported here. 

The new pontoon, to be installed by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Councill, will be located at the public steps close to the DMYC at the West Pier.

Local TD Cormac Devlin has also welcomed the new pontoon as part of a number of improvement measures for Dublin Harbours.