This season more than 90 cruise ships will call to Dún Laoghaire Harbour bringing a total of 164,000 passengers and 71,000 crew to the area

With 44% of passengers* who tender ashore visiting Dún Laoghaire Town and the surrounding area, the cruise industry is generating significant income and creating a range of job opportunities. The benefits of these cruises extend beyond the immediate tourism sector, contributing to the restoration of the historic Harbour.

Councillor Mary Hanafin, Cathaoirleach, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council said: “This is a very exciting time for Dun Laoghaire with thousands of visitors arriving in cruise ships. The DLR Cruise Tourism Kiosk is open daily to offer advice on local attractions, while the Dun Laoghaire Business Association operates a souvenir shop for passengers. The benefits of these cruises extend further with job creation in various roles such as tourist cabin, security staff, and Tender escort boats”.

Dún Laoghaire Harbour was the second busiest Harbour in Ireland for Cruise visits last year (65 in total) second only to Cork/Cobh** and the aim is to continue to build on this success for the years ahead.

Frank Curran, Chief Executive, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council highlighted: “The significant income generated from the cruise ships contributes to the restoration and repair of the 200-year-old Harbour and to future plans which include a national Water Sports Campus”.

Norwegian Cruise Lines will top the schedule with 20 visits to Dun Laoghaire this year, followed by Viking Cruise Lines who will visit 17 times. (Afloat adds for a full list of cruise callers this season, click here). 

Gabby Mallon of dlr Chamber added: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council promoting Dún Laoghaire as an attractive shopping destination for the influx of International Cruise ship tourists, expected to arrive this year”.

Kyron O’Gorman from the local Powerboat School who tender in the passengers from the cruise liners highlighted:

“Our staff are early risers, waiting for the next cruise ship to come over the horizon and ready to tender them ashore. This greatly expands our marine sector in the county, creating 40 mariner sessional jobs on the water and much more ashore”.

Cruise Statistics for 2023

• The combined passenger and crew complement exceeds the population of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown by nearly 1k.
• The 2023 cruise season surpasses last year when 65 cruise ships arrived with 79,000 passengers and 44,000 crew.
• At 333m, the longest cruise ship will be ‘MSC Preziosa’ which has a gross tonnage of 139,072t and a capacity for 4,345 passengers 1,313 crew. In a very close second place, is the ‘Regal Princess’ at 330m long. With a capacity for 3,592 passengers 1,205 crew. These enormous cruise ships are operated by MSC Cruises and Princess Cruises respectively. Both will be regular callers this year, ‘MSC Preziosa’ calling twice and ’Regal Princess’ calling 11 times.
• Norwegian Cruise Lines are once again top of the schedule with frequent visits to Dun Laoghaire 20 times this year.
• Viking Cruises will visit 17 times this year sending 7 different ships from their ocean going fleet.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI has responded to two back-to-back call outs today (Friday 12 May) to first rescue a dog trapped on rocks and then to go to the aid of five anglers after their 6m boat encountered engine difficulties.

Lifeboat crew members Nathan Burke, Andrew Sykes and Ronan Adams were on a training exercise on the station’s D class lifeboat, ahead of their upcoming helms assessments, when at 11.30 am they were diverted at the request of the Irish Coast Guard following a report that a dog was in need of assistance at the back of the west pier.

Weather conditions at the time were good, with a moderate Force 2 breeze, good visibility, and a slight sea state.

The dog was out on a walk with its owner when they got separated and the dog fell from the pier onto the rocks below, which were inaccessible from the shore. The lifeboat crew immediately went to the scene where they observed the Springer Spaniel in a difficult location where the lifeboat had to manoeuvre in amid a challenging swell. Crew member Andrew Sykes then emerged from the lifeboat to rescue the dog who was shaken but uninjured. The dog was subsequently reunited with its owner.

Then this afternoon at 1.23 pm, Dun Laoghaire RNLI was requested again, this time by the Irish Coast Guard to launch the station’s all-weather lifeboat to go to the aid of five anglers after their 6m boat experience engine problems.

The lifeboat launched under Coxswain Mark McGibney and with five crew members onboard. The fishermen had been on an angling day trip when the boat got into difficulty south of the Bailey Lighthouse on its return to Dun Laoghaire.

Once on scene, the crew observed that all five onboard were wearing lifejackets and were safe and well. Having assessed the situation, a decision was made to tow the boat back to the nearest safe port at Dun Laoghaire which took 45 minutes.

Speaking following today’s call outs, Jenny Needham, Dun Laoghaire RNLI Deputy Launching Authority said: ‘This was a busy morning and early afternoon for our two crews on both the inshore and all-weather lifeboat and they were all delighted to help and bring the anglers and the dog to safety. The dog owner and the fishermen did the right thing in raising the alarm when they experienced difficulty, that is always the right thing to do.

‘We would remind pet owners to keep their dogs on leads near cliff edges. Should a pet get into difficulty and end up in the water, don’t go in after them, move to a place where the dog can get to safely and then call them. If they can’t get out themselves, call for help but don’t attempt a rescue yourself.

‘This weekend is promising good weather with temperatures of between 16-20 degrees and light winds and we expect to see people heading to the coast to enjoy water sports and boating activities.

We would remind everyone that water temperatures are still very cold at this time of year and cold water shock can affect everyone. To avoid this, if you are planning on entering the water, you should do so by acclimatising to the water slowly to get used to the cold.

In good weather, you still need to keep your safety a priority. Seek local knowledge and ensure the location where you are doing your water sports is appropriate and safe.

Should you get into difficulty, or see someone else in trouble, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.’

Saturday’s (April 15th) Lift-in of yachts and boats at Dun Laoghaire Harbour in perfect calm and sunny conditions marked the opening of the 2023 summer sailing season on Dublin Bay. 

In the harbour, the National Yacht Club and neighbouring Royal St. George YC lifted in approximately 30 sailing cruisers apiece using mobile cranes in the day-long operation. 

The boats had wintered ashore on hardstanding at the club premises.

At the same time, a 28-mile ISORA coastal race took place from Dun Laoghaire Harbour, drawing a fleet of 12 from Howth, Dun Laoghaire and Greystones for the first coastal race of 2023.

The 227-metre long Norwegian flagged Viking Venus anchored on Dublin Bay this morning just outside Dun Laoghaire Harbour, marking the start of the 2023 cruise liner season at the east coast port. 

More than 90 Cruise Liner visits are booked for the east coast port for 2023, beginning with the call of the Venus this morning and closing out the season with the Norwegian Star on 20 October.

The harbour has 92 visits booked for the season thus far (subject to change).

The anchored Viking Venus is visible on this Dublin Bay anchorage live cam below and shows passengers being ferried ashore by the ship's orange-coloured tenders to the new purpose-built tender berth at Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

That figure represents a 40% increase on 2022’s cruise call numbers when 65 visits were on the books.

Some of these will be repeat visitors — with the Norwegian Dawn slated for an exceptionally busy season with 13 calls from May to October.

For generations, women have saved lives, launched lifeboats, and raised millions for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). At Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI, seven women are continuing this lifesaving legacy.

As an example of women saving lives, last July an all-female lifeboat crew from Dun Laoghaire RNLI rescued four teenagers after they were overcome by the outgoing tide and found clinging to The Wooden Bridge at Dollymount. The crew launched the inshore lifeboat at 5.08 pm and arrived on scene at 5.25 pm. The lifeboat was helmed by Laura Jackson with crew members Moselle Hogan and Hazel Rea onboard. The crew brough all four casualties safely ashore.

54 years since the first woman qualified as an RNLI crew member, women make up around 12.3% of the RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew, a steadily growing figure.

Helm Laura Jackson said: ‘International Women's Day is all about girl power, but we are one crew and everyone is equal regardless of what role they do for the wider Dun Laoghaire RNLI team – it doesn’t matter if you are female or male, we are all working together to save lives and keep people safe.

Laura said: ‘If we can inspire other women and girls to think that this is something they can do too, then that is a bonus.

‘To anyone thinking about joining the RNLI, just give it a go. Even if you haven’t got any background on the water or don’t know your way around a boat, there are roles for everyone, and the training and support is comprehensive.’

Sue Kingswood, RNLI Inclusion and Diversity Manager said: ‘Creating an inclusive culture which supports diversity is key to our long-term sustainability. So, we’re working hard to make sure that a wide range of people see the RNLI as a charity where they’re welcome as volunteers, supporters, or staff.

‘As we approach our 200th anniversary, women are now more evident in operational search and rescue (SAR) roles throughout the RNLI than they have ever been before. They are also better represented across operational management and in SAR training roles, which is great to see.

‘However, we still have a long way to go to achieve the representation we would like, not only where women are concerned, but across a much broader spectrum of diversity too.’

Dun Laoghaire is set to host more than 90 cruise liner visits between April and October this year as the harbour publishes its cruise schedule for the 2023 season.

Beginning with the Viking Venus on 5 April and closing out the season with the Norwegian Star on 20 October, the harbour has 92 visits booked for the season thus far (subject to change).

That figure represents a 40% increase on 2022’s cruise call numbers, when 65 visits were on the books.

Some of these will be repeat visitors — with the Norwegian Dawn slated for and exceptionally busy season with 13 calls from May to October.

“We are all looking forward to a very busy cruise season,” Dun Laoghaire Harbour Master Capt Harry Duggan says.

The volunteer inshore lifeboat crew at Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI have had a busy weekend with two callouts. The first call came on Saturday (11 February) at 12.30 pm for a man and his dog, who had become cut off by the tide at Sandymount and the second, this morning (Sunday 12 February), at 8.21 am was to a man who had injured himself falling on rocks at Poolbeg.

The lifeboat callout to the dog walker in Sandymount yesterday, follows on from a similar callout to a woman and her dog two weeks ago, in the same location. In this case, the man had become cut off from the shore when his dog had run into the water and he was retrieving him. The tide came in very fast and he became trapped on a sandbank with his clothing soaked up to chest level. The alarm was raised and the inshore lifeboat crew from Dun Laoghaire RNLI responded. A crew member left the lifeboat and made their way to the man and his dog, where he checked their condition. They were then taken onboard the lifeboat and brought to shore, where they were met by members of Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard.

Commenting on the callout, Dun Laoghaire RNLI Helm, Laura Jackson said, ‘This was a very fast launch for the volunteer lifeboat crew and we were on the water within five minutes of our pagers being activated. What catches many people out who walk in this area, is just how fast the tide comes in and also, that it approaches from behind. You can get into difficulty so quickly and when you look up, you are surrounded by water and unsure of the depth. It can be quite disorientating.’

The second callout also involved members of Dublin Fire Service, who were on scene with a member of the public who had fallen on rocks at Poolbeg. The lifeboat crew were called out as access to the casualty was only possible by water, due to their location on the rocks. Working closely with members of Dublin Fire Service, Dun Laoghaire RNLI were able to assist with the transfer of the casualty from the rocks to Dublin Fire Service’s rescue craft. From there, they were brought to a nearby slipway, to receive further medical attention.

Dun Laoghaire RNLI Helm Laura Jackson further added, ‘It’s been a busy weekend for our inshore lifeboat crew at Dun Laoghaire with two very different callouts. We train for anything and it is always good to work alongside our colleagues in the other services, in this case, Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard and the Dublin Fire Service. We hope both casualties and our four legged one recover well from the incidents.’

At noon this Christmas Eve at the end of the East Pier in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew will gather to lay wreaths at sea and remember 15 of their lifeboat colleagues who were lost while on service in gale force conditions to the SS Palme that had run aground off Blackrock, back in 1895.

The annual ceremony, which has become a Christmas Eve tradition for the station, also remembers all those who have drowned around our coasts, in rivers, inland waters and abroad.

The ceremony will see lifeboat crew joined by members of the Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard and Civil Defence, who will form an honour guard. Both Dun Laoghaire RNLI’s inshore and all-weather lifeboat will launch, and the crew will lay wreaths off the east pier in view of the public. This year broadcaster, PJ Gallagher, will read an account of the disaster, published at the time of the tragedy.

Joe O’Donnell of ‘Wedding Pipers’ will play a lament from the Lighthouse Battery and musician, William Byrne, will perform the ‘Ballad of the Palme.’

On 24 December 1895, the 'Civil Service No. 1' Dun Laoghaire lifeboat was wrecked while proceeding to the assistance of the SS Palme of Finland. The entire crew, 15 in total, were drowned. The lifeboat capsized 600 yards from the distressed vessel and, although every effort was made to send help to the lifeboat and to the Palme, nothing could be done.

The second Dun Laoghaire lifeboat 'Hannah Pickard' also launched but it too capsized under sail, fortunately, all crew returned safely. The Captain, his wife, child and 17 crew were eventually rescued on the 26th of December by the SS Tearaght.

The short ceremony takes place under the lighthouse at the end of the East Pier. It includes an ecumenical blessing, a reading from a news article published at the time and music.

Commenting on the event, Dun Laoghaire RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Ed Totterdell said, ‘The loss of fifteen lifeboat volunteers devastated the local community at the time but the RNLI here kept going. Volunteer lifeboat crew came forward then, as they still do, to help those in trouble at sea and on inland waters. We hold this ceremony to honour their memory but also to remember all those we have lost to drowning.’

‘Our lifeboat crew is on call this Christmas as they are every day of the year, and we hope everyone has a safe and peaceful time. We are also delighted to welcome back PJ Gallagher, who was a valued member of our crew when he lived in Dun Laoghaire and who remains a great friend of the lifeboat service in Ireland. People are very welcome to come and join us at the end of the East Pier, it’s our Christmas tradition and one that is very special to us.’

Warm tributes were paid to Dun Laoghaire Harbourmaster Captain Simon Coate at his retirement party held at the National Yacht Club on Thursday evening (December 15th).

Dun Laoghaire County Council Chief executive Frank Curran joined colleagues Aidan Blighe, Director of Municipal Services and Operations Manager Tim Ryan in recognising Simon for over 30 years of service to the town as Harbour Master and Port Operations Manager.

The special gathering, which included the Coate family, had representatives from the harbour community; coastguard members, yacht clubs, watersports members and waterfront businesses. 

The Coates (from left Linda, Rachel, Simon, Céline and Jonny) at Simon's retirement party held at the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire Harbour

Captain Coate is handing over a bustling scene both afloat and ashore to incoming Harbourmaster Harry Duggan.

Changing of the watch - Simon Coate hands over to new Dun Laoghaire Harbourmaster Harry Duggan (left)

As Afloat reported previously, significant changes have arrived at Dun Laoghaire Harbour this summer as the country's biggest marine leisure centre - and Ireland's largest man-made harbour -  gears up for a brighter maritime future under the new ownership of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is offering an exciting opportunity for watersports providers to occupy premises in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

The move is part of an effort by the local authority, which took control of the harbour in 2018, to grow public engagement with watersports in what’s widely renowned as a centre for sailing in Ireland.

“The ambition for this project is to provide a base/facility for public-facing watersports providers in this historical setting,” it says.

“Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is committed to encouraging and supporting the growth in sports participation generally, and specifically in watersports along the coastline and within the harbour.

“The proposal should help activate and enliven the space, bringing life and amenity to this part of the harbour,” it adds, referring to the Coal Harbour where the three self-contained off-grid container-based commercial units will be found.

Applications are due by 5pm on Friday 13 January 2023 via the eTenders website.