Dún Laoghaire is a suburban seaside town and ferry port, situated some 12 km south of Dublin city centre, and is the administrative centre of the county of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown. Dún Laoghaire was once part of the borough of Dún Laoghaire, and remains the only town in Ireland to have its own Vocational Education Committee.
The town had been officially renamed Kingstown in 1821 in honour of a visit by 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'.
Dún Laoghaire is connected to central Dublin by the DART suburban railway, frequent bus service, and has a ferry connection to Holyhead in Anglesey, Wales. The Dublin to Dún Laoghaire railway, constructed in 1837, was the first ever railway in Ireland.
A number of years ago, George's Street underwent pedestrianization, with the buses which used to run along this route (7,7A,8) being now re-routed along the sea front up to Marine Road.
The harbour is notable for its two granite piers. The East Pier is particularly popular with walkers, and is featured in the 1996 movie Michael Collins, where Liam Neeson (as Collins) and some other people are seen walking alone a sea-side promenade which is, indeed, the Dun Laoghaire East Pier. Other features of the town include the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, and a Martello tower in nearby Sandycove known as the James Joyce Tower. It took 42 years to construct the harbour - from 1817 to 1859.
Dún Laoghaire harbour is home to five yacht clubs. From north (West Pier) to south (East Pier) they are the Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, Sailing In Dublin Club, the Royal Irish Yacht Club, the Royal St. George Yacht Club, and the National 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. Also, the ferry port is the perfect place for commerce or to finish your journey through Ireland.
