Winter marked its arrival in harsh fashion today in Dun Laoghaire Harbour as northerly gales and high tides lashed the country's biggest boating centre on Dublin Bay.
In one of the most awkward wind directions for the north-facing harbour, there was a lot of movement among the 100 or more boats still on swinging moorings prior to the winter lift-out later this month.
The sea state in the harbour was described as 'confused' with two-metre waves breaking over the east harbour wall but thankfully the bulk of the moored craft appeared to escape the worst of the scend.
The scenes were depicted on a webcam with views overlooking the town's East Pier as Afloat reported earlier.
More severe weather is expected again this week with the arrival of Hurricane Lorenzo that now looks set to be reduced to a tropical storm category before it reaches these shores.
The Harbour Police closed both levels of the East Pier at lunchtime when the tides were highest.
Not all boats were lucky in the high winds though and some smaller craft broke moorings and were found adrift in the harbour.
The biggest waves appeared to be behind the East Pier and concentrated in Scotsman's Bay where work continues on a new boating jetty and swimming pier at the site of the Old Dun Laoghaire Baths. Waves swept over the nearly completed pier and halted any construction work.