| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
| Dún Laoghaire | |
|---|---|
Dún Laoghaire (pronounced "Doonlairah" or, roughly, "Dunleary") is a seaside town and a ferry port situated 11 km (7 miles) south of Dublin in the council area of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown in County Dublin. Dún Laoghaire was once part of the Corporation of Dún Laoghaire and remains the only town in Ireland which has its own Vocational Education Committee, due to its status relative to the rest of the predominantly rural county.
The town had been officially renamed Kingstown in 1821 in honour of a visit by the British King George IV, but reverted to its ancient Irish name by resolution of the town council in 1921, one year before Irish independence. The name derives from its founder, Laoghaire , a 5th-century High King of Ireland, who chose the site as a sea base from which to carry out raids on Britain and France. Dún is an Irish word meaning "fort". King Laoghaire is famous for having allowed Saint Patrick to travel the country and preach Christianity.
Dún Laoghaire is connected to central Dublin by the DART suburban railway, frequent bus service, and has a ferry connection to Holyhead in Anglesey, WalesFor alternate meanings, see Wales (disambiguation Wales ( Welsh: Cymru pronounced /"k@mrI/ SAMPA, km IPA, 'Kumree' approximate pronunciation) is one of the four nations comprising the United Kingdom (the other three being England, Scotland and Northern Ir.
The harbour is notable for its two granite piers. The East Pier is particularly popular with walkers. Other features of the town include a Martello towerMartello towers are small defensive forts built by the British Empire at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. They stand about 40 feet (12m) high (with two floors) and had a garrison of one officer and 25 men. Their round structure and thick walls of solid ma known as the James JoyceJames Augustine Aloysius Joyce ( February 2, 1882 January 13, 1941) was an expatriate Irish writer and poet, and is widely considered one of the most significant writers of the 20th century. He is best known for his short story collection Dubliners ( 1914 Tower and the National Maritime Museum of Ireland .
Dún Laoghaire harbour is home to four yacht clubs. From north (West Pier) to south (East Pier) they are the Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, the National Yacht Club, the Royal Irish Yacht Club, and the Royal St. George Yacht Club.
The area to the north of the West Pier is heavily used year-round by windsurfers as a launch point, although occasionally dinghy schools use it in the summer.