Irish Sea

A MAN AND HIS TWO BUOYS IN A RIB

October 1, 2023 by infomatique

DUN LAOGHAIRE HARBOUR WEST PIER

Here in Ireland a buoy is pronounced the same as boy and a RIB is the commonly used acronym for Rigid Inflatable Boat, if it contains an H, it stands for Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat. Both RIBs and RHIBs are the same thing, they are light-weight, high performance powerboats constructed with a solid hull, and inflatable tubes or ‘sponsons’ around the outer edge.

There are four waterfront yacht clubs located between the East and West Piers. In addition there are two umbrella Clubs, without premises, the Royal Alfred Yacht Club, founded in 1857, and the Dublin Bay Sailing Club, founded in 1884.

Dublin Bay Sailing Club organises races Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the summer months. The starts and finishes of the yacht racing can be best seen from the vicinity of the Starters Hut on the West Pier.

BOATS AND PEOPLE ON A SUNNY DAY IN HOWTH

August 20, 2023 by infomatique

I USED A SONY FE 85MM GM LENS

Howth is located on the peninsula of Howth Head, which begins around 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) east-north-east of Dublin’s GPO, on the north side of Dublin Bay. The village itself is located just over 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) by road from Dublin city centre (the ninth of a series of eighteenth-century milestones from the Dublin General Post Office (GPO) is in the village itself). The settlement spans much of the northern part of Howth Head, which was once an island but now is connected to the rest of Dublin via a narrow strip of land (a tombolo) at Sutton. Howth is located in the administrative county of Fingal, within the traditional County Dublin. The village is bounded by the sea and undeveloped land except along two roads, one rising towards the Summit, one running at sea level near the coast, towards Sutton Cross.

Howth is at the end of a regional road (R105) from Dublin. One branch of the DART suburban rail system has its physical terminus by the harbour, the other northern terminus being Malahide’s station, which is actually on a through line for mainline rail towards Belfast.[10] Under the bus route network for Dublin overseen by the National Transport Authority, Dublin Bus serves Howth with route H3, and the local route 290 which goes over the hill and through Sutton to Sutton DART station. For decades prior to 2021, Howth was served by the 31 series of routes. There was previously also a tram service.

Howth, in addition to its fishery harbour, hosts a substantial marina, and seasonal boat service to the uninhabited Ireland’s Eye. Howth is also a waypoint for aircraft approaching Dublin Airport.

MERRION STRAND

January 31, 2023 by infomatique

NOW A BADLY POLLUTED BEACH

This 0.7 kilometre long beach is at the railway crossing known as Merrion Gates and it is known as Merrion Strand and my understanding is that it is unsuitable for swimming. It may have been my imagination but it felt polluted when I visited and according to some reports that I have seen the source of the problems come from the Elm Park and Trimleston streams.

Back in 2020 many reports indicated that it was likely that there would be a “permanent bathing prohibition”, making it the first Irish beach ever to be so classified. I have been unable to determine the current status of the beach.

[UPDATE] Swimming at Merrion Strand in Dublin has been banned permanently from June 1st.[]

DUN LAOGHAIRE WATERFRONT FACING SCOTSMAN’S BAY

January 14, 2023 by infomatique

BADLY NEGLECTED AT PRESENT

Dún Laoghaire is a suburban coastal town in Dublin in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown.

The town was built following the 1816 legislation that allowed the building of a major port to serve Dublin. It was known as Dunleary until it was renamed Kingstown in honour of King George IV’s 1821 visit, and in 1920 was given its present name, the original Irish form of Dunleary. Over time, the town became a residential location, a seaside resort and the terminus of Ireland’s first railway.

John Rennie (1761-1821), who was Scottish, was one of the leading civil engineers of his day. He designed many bridges, canals and docks, including those at Hull, Liverpool, London and Leith. Keeping an effective link between Ireland and England was vital in the early 19th century and Rennie was responsible for the construction of Howth Harbour a decade earlier than Dunleary. He had been asked for his observations on Dublin Bay just two years after Bligh’s survey in 1800. Rennie suggested that: “Dunleary, or rather a little to the east of it was a good site for the construction of a harbour of asylum, for ships which, under unfavourable circumstances get embayed in Dublin Bay and cannot with safety enter the present harbour”.

The Bay between the East Pier and The Forty Foot is now known as Scotsman’s Bay in Rennie’s honour. He died in 1821 and is buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London. His son, also John Rennie was a distinguished engineer and he carried out further work at Kingstown [Dun Laoghaire] Harbour.

Dún Laoghaire Harbour and Carlisle Pier were constructed in the nineteenth century for the purposes of sheltering ships and accommodating the mailboat which sailed between Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead. The nearby settlement of Dún Laoghaire has also previously been known as Kingstown and also as Dun Leary. Carlisle Pier has been known previously as Kingston Pier and the Mailboat Pier.