Dun Laoghaire Harbour's Unique Character is the Making of Coastival and VDLR 25

17th May 2025

WM Nixon

Busy time at the Magic Portal. Noted marine artist Richard Brydges Beechey captures the special nature of Dun Laoghaire Harbour entrance in the 1860s with a tan-sailed fishing smack heading into port with a hobblers' dinghy in tow, while two yachts with coppered bottoms and black topsides head into Dublin Bay. Back in the harbour, a man-of-war gets under way with two of her enormous labour-intensive square sails set to provide steerage speed for a neat and unassisted exit from port.

"Artificial" is one of the last words that spring to mind when you've spent many years in and around Dun Laoghaire Harbour. It's all on such a scale, and constructed with so much locally-quarried material in a project begun 207 years ago in 1817, that it doesn't really seem so very odd when those of a certain mind-set refer to it, without any irony, as "this wonderful natural feature of Dublin Bay".

It started to become an artistic inspiration long before it was finished, and certainly Dun Laoghaire Harbour deserves the confident attitude and usage it receive on a continuous basis from its many enthusiasts, whether afloat or ashore. For the reassuring presence of this majestic haven of refuge has played a key role in shaping the character of the community it serves.

It is only with the aerial view that we realise just how artificial is Dun Laoghaire Harbour – at sea level, it can seem like a natural feature of Dublin Bay

FRESH DYNAMIC OF NEW WATERSPORTS CAMPUS

This past week, that community - through Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, which now owns and manages the harbour – has moved the harbour interaction into a fresh dynamic, with the signing of the contract for the design and planning of the new in-harbour National Watersports Campus.

The inevitable advance of waterfront facilities. The 1838-founded Royal St George YC clubhouse once stood in relatively solitary splendor on the waterfront. But now it has been partially enveloped in the contemporary facilities required by today's sailing enthusiasts. Photo: Afloat.ie/David O'Brien

And then as the week progressed. Councillor Jim O'Leary - Cathaoirleach of DLRCoCo – played the leading presentational role at the unveiling of plans for Coastival 2025. This multi-faceted festival of land and sea is from July 7th to 14th, and it will have an accelerating pace in its eclectic week-long programme of events - large and small - as the biennial Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta gets under way from July 10th to 13th.

NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM

The very fact that it seemed only right and proper that the Coastival unveiling should take place in the National Maritime Museum on Haigh Terrace in Dun Laoghaire is of relevance on several counts. The Museum has become very much a shared space, and a roomy one at that, with an extensive collection on display to attract all levels of maritime and national interest.

The National Maritime Museum (right) is housed in the former Mariners' Church, and now shares its harbour-adjacent space with the distinctly modern Dun Laoghaire public library, the Lexicon.

Yet it was of course originally the Mariners' Church. The new "asylum harbour" envisaged in the early 1800s had rapidly moved on from the notion of being primarily a place of ships' shelter, and more fully into the role of a strategic naval base. Thus if large Royal Navy vessels were in port, the compulsory Sunday morning Church Parade of the neatly-uniformed crews, from ship to quayside and then on to worship at Haigh Terrace, was an unmistakable display of imperial power.

"IT'S QUICKER BY RAIL"

It is also said that, when the harbour's full naval potential was being realized, thanks to the post-1865 all-Ireland railway system - and its Kingstown pierhead connections - it became possible to transfer the entire crew of a warship, though usually just half, back to Naval HQ at Haulbowline off Cobh in the security of a sealed-off train, thereby increasing the flexibility of ship deployment.

We may live in a troubled world. But the ultra-peaceful uses to which the former Mariners' Church and Dun Laoghaire Harbour are now being put is in keeping with the mood of contemporary Ireland. It really is a beacon of hope.

EXTENSIVE CULTURAL AND CREATIVE RANGE

And while Coastival will highlight the extensive range of cultural and creative activities that are always to be found in this blessed strip of prosperous coastline, the VDLR 25 - with up to 300 boats already entered for guaranteed quality sport - is a highly concentrated demonstration of Dublin Bay sailing as it is funneled – coming and going - through the entrance to Dun Laoghaire Harbour in a remarkable display of maritime enthusiasm.

In-harbour turning mark captured by Beechey at a Royal St George YC Regatta of the 1870s. Until Dublin Bay Sailing Club came into being in 1884, regular club racing once or twice weekly was an idea still in its infancy, and the annual two to three day Club regattas were of enormous sporting and social significance.

Any sentient being will quickly grasp just what a meaningful place Dun Laoghaire Harbour entrance has become. It doesn't mess about. One minute, you are sailing serenely seawards down the harbour, outward bound. And then the next minute finds you immediately in open water, dealing urgently with all the sea and wind conditions that this can provide.

THE MAGIC PORTAL

It's something most vividly experienced in a classic sunny southeasterly breeze. After a day's racing out in the Bay and beyond, you will surely know you've been sailing and then some. But then, in heading back to port, you pop into shelter through the magic portal that is the Dun Laoghaire harbour mouth, and find yourself in a world transformed. The sea is smooth, but still blue and sparkling. The wind is muted, but still providing plenty of power to sail on under main only at a leisurely pace that allows time to savour the scene.

Huff of Arklow outward bound toward the Magic Portal of Dun Laoghaire harbour entrance. Designed by Uffa Fox and built by Jack Tyrrell of Arklow in 1950 for Douglas Heard of Dun Laoghaire, Huff was a ground-breaking Flying Thirty design with separate keel and rudder. Photo: VDLR

For the harbour's saved open spaces – saved thanks to cruise liners being anchored out in the Bay – provide room for a summertime universe afloat, with everything from coastal rowing clubs in training in their hefty big multi-oared gigs through sailing and watersports schools doing their thing, while the most dedicated are buzzing around at high speed in what appear at first glance to be sail-powered flying coffins with wings, but are actually foiling "boats" of the Wazsp class.

HISTORIC YACHT CLUBS

And beyond that is the waterfront, with its three historic yacht club buildings. Each one of them redolent with history, while calmly carrying significant architectural quirks which they may have acquired through adjusting to the changing needs of new sailors, yet retaining the support base of their traditional membership.

Time was when the clubhouses were invariably referred to as "stately". But with all Dun Laoghaire sailors now well aware that their clubhouses seem to have shrunk when set against the high rise developments behind then, they are every bit as much seen as gems of architecture which it beholds their members to use, preserve, protect and enjoy.

One way of looking at it. A capriccio of Dun Laoghaire created by National YC member Fergal Mac Cabe to celebrate the return in 2021 of the first three restored boats of the 1902 Dublin Bay 21 class.

CLASSICS REVIVED

So too the harbour's fleet sees modernity live supportively side by side with history. Yesterday (Friday) the re-built Dublin Bay 21 Oola of 1902 origins was newly re-launched in Dun Laoghaire in her superbly re-built state to join her reborn sisters as organised by Hal Sisk & Fionan de Barra, with the work done by Stephen Morris and his team in Kilrush Boatyard on the Shannon Estuary.

The first three of the restored Dublin Bay 21s make their debut

Such developments, along with the great good health of the modern Dun Laoghaire Water Wag fleet of 1887 origins, gives further indications of just what a remarkable place Dun Laoghaire has become.

This is so much the case that we'd argue it's high time Dun Laoghaire Harbour became identified with its own distinctive symbol. For such a thing to work in the case of a harbour, it has to be equally identifiable and meaningful for those afloat or ashore, and we'd argue that the East Pier lighthouse, with its relationship to the outer end of the pier and the harbour-mouth, could be visually pared-back to its essentials to provide an unmistakable and evocative image.

No getting away from it. The 110-year-old Dublin Bay Water Wag Barbara (Ian & Judith Malcolm) with the ever-present East Pier lighthouse.

Just think of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House for Sydney Harbour. The Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline for New York. Tower Bridge or Big Ben for London. Or the Eiffel Tower for Paris. As symbols, they all talk to us, and with great eloquence. Yet if we could find the most eloquent image of the East Pier Lighthouse, and pare it right back to its essentials, we would have an icon as recognisable as the Fastnet Rock itself.

The photo that says it all. The restored Dublin Bay 24 Periwinkle of 1947 vintage and the 1897 Welsh cutter Myfanwy racing into the Dun Laoghaire harbour mouth at the East Pier lighthouse in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta of 2017, in which Myfanwy emerged as overall winner. Photo: David O'Brien/Afloat.ie

Published in Volvo Regatta, Coastival, Dun Laoghaire Harbour News, W M Nixon

Published in Volvo Regatta

Tagged under

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

About The Author

WM Nixon

Email The Author

William M Nixon has been writing about sailing in Ireland for many years in print and online, and his work has appeared internationally in magazines and books. His own experience ranges from club sailing to international offshore events, and he has cruised extensively under sail, often in his own boats which have ranged in size from an 11ft dinghy to a 35ft cruiser-racer. He has also been involved in the administration of several sailing organisations.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven't put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full-time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

You might also want to read...

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

From the Baily lighthouse to Dalkey island, the bay accommodates six separate courses for 21 different classes racing every two years for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

In assembling its record-breaking armada, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta (VDLR) became, at its second staging, not only the country's biggest sailing event, with 3,500 sailors competing, but also one of Ireland's largest participant sporting events.

One of the reasons for this, ironically, is that competitors across Europe have become jaded by well-worn venue claims attempting to replicate Cowes and Cork Week.'Never mind the quality, feel the width' has been a criticism of modern-day regattas where organisers mistakenly focus on being the biggest to be the best. Dun Laoghaire, with its local fleet of 300 boats, never set out to be the biggest. Its priority focussed instead on quality racing even after it got off to a spectacularly wrong start when the event was becalmed for four days at its first attempt.

The idea to rekindle a combined Dublin bay event resurfaced after an absence of almost 40 years, mostly because of the persistence of a passionate race officer Brian Craig who believed that Dun Laoghaire could become the Cowes of the Irish Sea if the town and the local clubs worked together. Although fickle winds conspired against him in 2005, the support of all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs since then (made up of Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, National YC, Royal Irish YC and Royal St GYC), in association with the two racing clubs of Dublin Bay SC and Royal Alfred YC, gave him the momentum to carry on.

There is no doubt that sailors have also responded with their support from all four coasts. Running for four days, the regatta is (after the large mini-marathons) the single most significant participant sports event in the country, requiring the services of 280 volunteers on and off the water, as well as top international race officers and an international jury, to resolve racing disputes representing five countries. A flotilla of 25 boats regularly races from the Royal Dee near Liverpool to Dublin for the Lyver Trophy to coincide with the event. The race also doubles as a RORC qualifying race for the Fastnet.

Sailors from the Ribble, Mersey, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Cardigan Bay and the Isle of Man have to travel three times the distance to the Solent as they do to Dublin Bay. This, claims Craig, is one of the major selling points of the Irish event and explains the range of entries from marinas as far away as Yorkshire's Whitby YC and the Isle of Wight.

No other regatta in the Irish Sea area can claim to have such a reach. Dublin Bay Weeks such as this petered out in the 1960s, and it has taken almost four decades for the waterfront clubs to come together to produce a spectacle on and off the water to rival Cowes."The fact that we are getting such numbers means it is inevitable that it is compared with Cowes," said Craig. However, there the comparison ends."We're doing our own thing here. Dun Laoghaire is unique, and we are making an extraordinary effort to welcome visitors from abroad," he added. The busiest shipping lane in the country – across the bay to Dublin port – closes temporarily to facilitate the regatta and the placing of six separate courses each day.

A fleet total of this size represents something of an unknown quantity on the bay as it is more than double the size of any other regatta ever held there.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta FAQs

What is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland's biggest sailing event. It is held every second Summer at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay.

When is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is held every two years, typically in the first weekend of July.

Where is Dun Laoghaire Regatta held?

As its name suggests, the event is based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Racing is held on Dublin Bay over as many as six different courses with a coastal route that extends out into the Irish Sea. Ashore, the festivities are held across the town but mostly in the four organising yacht clubs.

How big is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and on the Irish Sea and the second largest in the British Isles. It has a fleet of 500 competing boats and up to 3,000 sailors. Scotland's biggest regatta on the Clyde is less than half the size of the Dun Laoghaire event. After the Dublin city marathon, the regatta is one of the most significant single participant sporting events in the country in terms of Irish sporting events.

How old is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The modern Dublin Bay Regatta began in 2005, but it owes its roots to earlier combined Dublin Bay Regattas of the 1960s.

How many boats compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

How many yacht clubs are represented at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

Where do the yachts come from to compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Channel Islands, Isle of Man, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland countrywide, and Dublin clubs.

How many boats are visiting boats at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Nearly half the sailors, over 1,000, travel to participate from outside of Dun Laoghaire and from overseas to race and socialise in Dun Laoghaire.

What type of yachts race in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

21 different classes are competing at Dun Laoghaire Regatta. As well as four IRC Divisions from 50-footers down to 20-foot day boats and White Sails, there are also extensive one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets to include all the fleets that regularly race on the Bay such as Beneteau 31.7s, Ruffian 23s, Sigma 33s as well as Flying Fifteens, Laser SB20s plus some visiting fleets such as the RS Elites from Belfast Lough to name by one.

What famous sailors race in Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Some sailing household names are regular competitors at the biennial Dun Laoghaire event including Dun Laoghaire Olympic silver medalist, Annalise Murphy. International sailing stars are competing too such as Mike McIntyre, a British Olympic Gold medalist and a raft of World and European class champions.

How much does it cost to enter Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

There are different entry fees for different size boats. A 40-foot yacht will pay up to €550, but a 14-foot dinghy such as Laser will pay €95. Full entry fee details are contained in the Regatta Notice of Race document.

Where can spectators view Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Spectators can see the boats racing on six courses from any vantage point on the southern shore of Dublin Bay. As well as from the Harbour walls itself, it is also possible to see the boats from Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, especially when the boats compete over inshore coastal courses or have in-harbour finishes.

How does Dun Laoghaire regatta compare to international regattas?

Very favourably. It is often compared to Cowes, Britain's biggest regatta on the Isle of Wight that has 1,000 entries. However, sailors based in the north of England have to travel three times the distance to get to Cowes as they do to Dun Laoghaire.

Why is Dun Laoghaire Regatta so unique?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is unique because of its compact site offering four different yacht clubs within the harbour and the race tracks' proximity, just a five-minute sail from shore. International sailors also speak of its international travel connections and being so close to Dublin city. The regatta also prides itself on balancing excellent competition with good fun ashore.

Who organises Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Organising Authority (OA) of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Dublin Bay Regattas Ltd, a not-for-profit company, beneficially owned by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC).

What does Dun Laoghaire Regatta contribute to the local economy?

The Irish Marine Federation launched a case study on the 2009 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's socio-economic significance. Over four days, the study (carried out by Irish Sea Marine Leisure Knowledge Network) found the event was worth nearly €3million to the local economy over the four days of the event. Typically the Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington Hotel and other local providers are fully booked for the event.