#LectureOnHarbour - A lecture by esteemed Heritage architect Grainne Shaffrey, is to be held on Thursday, 30th November as part of the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Bicentenary celebrations.

Grainne and her practice have an extensive knowledge of Dun Laoghaire harbour having worked on the East Pier resurfacing and the restoration of the Victoria Monument.

The talks will describe the remarkable physical qualities of the Harbour in the context of its historic development. In addition to exploring some of the very particular ways in which the Harbour continues to be a special place of cultural heritage.

Event Location: Dun Laoghaire, Ferry Terminal Building

Event Time / Date: 19:00 Thursday 30th November 2017  

Event Registration: to book a free place via Eventbrite click the link here. 

The commemorative event is a partnership between the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company and the Dun Laoghaire Bicentenary committee, for more details visit: www.dlharbour200.ie 

A little bit about Grainne Shaffrey

Gráinne Shaffrey is a principal architect at Shaffrey Architects based on Ormond Quay Lower. Ms Shaffrey is a Royal Institute of Architects Ireland (RIAI) Grade 1 Conservation Architect and currently President of International Council on Monuments and Sites Ireland.

Shaffrey Associates was established in 1967 by Patrick and Maura Shaffrey. The practice has undertaken architectural, urban design and planning projects throughout Ireland and possess a wide knowledge of Irish towns and cities. Architectural work includes the conservation, adaptation and extension of historic buildings and new buildings in existing urban settings.

#MARTIME MUSEUM AT EASTER - Earlier this week Dun Laoghaire's maritime museum re-opened its doors to the public after a €4m renovation project was carried out on the apt venue of the former Mariners Church, which incidentally closed on this Easter Day forty years ago, writes Jehan Ashmore.

With a new lease of life the extensively renovated and upgraded museum can look forward to a future. Visitors enter the museum at a new entrance, where in the reception foyer there is a souvenir shop, beyond that in the main body or nave are exhibits displayed, each telling a story and for children there is a Knott Station. To view the initial exhibits on display, click HERE.

In addition there is new facility in the form of a café, which was much needed and where two new stained -glass windows by Peadar Lamb feature, they were sponsored by the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company. As for the original stained-class windows they were restored to their full glory.

The renovation began in 2006 and was funded by the Government which led to a three-phrased project that involved work carried out from the re-roofing right down to the floorboards. Walls were re-plastered, electric systems modernised and wheel chair-lift and ramps installed.

Work also took place to clean the exterior of the stone-cut granite building hewn from Dalkey Quarry and which led to the consecration of the Kingstown Episcopalian Mariners Church in 1843.

After many generations of mariners and their families, parish numbers dwindled and its use as place worship ended on Easter Sunday 1972. The Maritime Institute of Ireland which runs the museum relocated two years later having had a smaller museum sited along the town's harbour waterfront.

For the next three decades the museum which has attracted locals and visitors from home and overseas, eventually had to close due to deteriorating conditions of an aging building.

Now that the museum is up and running, the M.I.I. which is staffed by volunteers has in recent years also had the support of a FAS scheme of workers, which according to the institute have been invaluable.

The museum is open 11am to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday and every Bank Holiday, for further information visit: www.mariner.ie

Crew kitted in similarly bright orange coloured sea safety-survival suits entered the lifeboat before it plunged into the water. The activity was observed through the binocular-scope which overlooks Coliemore Harbour with excellent views across the sound to Dalkey Island, Dublin Bay and Howth Peninsula.

The binocular-scope does not require payment to operate and was unveiled in 2008 in memory of local resident the late Dr. John de Courcy Ireland, the 'father' of maritime Ireland (to read more click HERE). He was for 26 years a honorary secretary of the local RNLI station in Dun Laoghaire and a staunch campaigner of Irish maritime affairs.

Each Monday a routine lifeboat practice is conducted by the 47ft Trent class ALB (all-weather lifeboat) RNLB Anna Livia (info and PHOTO). Last night's drill also involved the new D-class ILB (inshore lifeboat) RNLB Réalt na Mara which was named earlier this year by Kathy Kenny, wife of RTE presenter Pat Kenny.

Under the cover of darkness the crew of the ILB Realt na Mara simulated an 'injured casualty' on the island where the casualty was prepared to be taken off by stretcher from the island's small harbour. From there the casualty was transferred to the larger RNLB Anna Livia which lay offshore. During the exercise, powerful searchlight beams from the ALB provided essential light to assist in the transfer operation.

Asides the lifeboats, there is plenty of wildlife to observe on the rocky outcrops at Maiden Rock, Clare Rock and Lamb Island, which forms the second largest island after the main island of 22-acres, where a resident herd of goats have been part of the local community for over 200 years.

As for the South Korean built Cumbrian Fisher, she too has close connections with these waters as she was named in Dublin Port in 2005. She is a frequent caller to Dublin bringing bulk liquid products from the oil refinery in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire which is a major supplier, serving the demands of the capital.

Dublin Port has two oil jetties which cater for four tankers, where bitumen, chemicals, liquid petroleum gases, molasses and oil are handled on a 41-hectare zone with storage for 330,000 product tonnes to include 6,000 tonnes of LPG. In addition aviation fuel is frequently delivered to the terminal to satisfy the constant demand for aircraft using Dublin Airport.

Cumbrian Fisher alongside her sister Clyde Fisher where built for James Fisher & Sons and in recent years they have tended to take anchorage off Dalkey Island and off the Nose of Howth. In comparison the vast majority of vessels anchor in Dublin Bay which is divided into quadrants for the purposes of anchorage allocation.

Before the completion of the South Wall in Dublin Port, which considerably improved safer access of vessels entering the River Liffey, it was the relative deeper and sheltered waters of Dalkey Sound which were used instead as Dalkey acted as the principle port for Dublin between 14-17th centuries.

Vessels would convey cargoes which were taken to and fro by lighter to the coast where it was carried by horse and cart to nearby Dalkey before onward travel across the exposed plains to Dublin City.

To learn more about Dalkey's medieval maritime heritage with its relationship with the capital of Dublin in addition the use of Dalkey Quarry in the construction of (Kingstown) Dun Laoghaire Harbour, visit the Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre.  To read more go to www.dalkeycastle.com in addition to further information about Dalkey including the local community council newsletters click HERE.