THE WEST PIER AREA - DUN LAOGHAIRE HARBOUR

THE WEST PIER AREA - DUN LAOGHAIRE HARBOUR

The west pier of Dún Laoghaire harbour is less frequented than east pier and has an earthen track road and spectacular views of Dublin bay. It was constructed between 1820 and 1827 and measures 1,548 metres. The west pier is often quieter than the east pier and has better views of Dublin and Howth. It can also pass more convincingly as a period location.

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.

The east and west piers of the harbour are each of 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) long and enclose an area of 250 acres (1.0 km2) with the harbour entrance being 232 metres (761 ft) across. The glacis on the outer faces of the piers were designed to have a slope of 1 in 5 except for the lowest part increasing to 1 in 1 or 1 in two. The top of the pier had a width approaching two roadways, and this led to the width at the bottom on the seafloor being up to 80 metres (260 ft).

The harbour is divided into four major inner harbours by various piers and breakwaters. In the south west corner the Old Harbour (sometimes termed the inner Coal Harbour) is enclosed by the Old Pier constructed in 1767. The Old Harbour incorporates tidal public slipway. The exit from the Old Harbour leads to the Coal Harbour, bounded by the Traders Wharf which possesses a non-tidal public slipway. The Coal Harbour leads past the Marina Harbour which was created around 2001 together with the Western Breakwater and Eastern Breakwater to protect smaller boats. The Main Harbour covers the sweep from the Northern and Eastern breakwaters which mark a broadly North north east direction road past the harbour entrance and including all of the eastern part of the Harbour including St. Michael's Pier and Carlisle Pier and the five ship berths.

Since 3 October 2018 the management and operation of the harbour has transferred to Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council from the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company.

Almost 200 years of a Holyhead to Dún Laoghaire passenger ferry service ended in 2014 when Stena consolidated all its services on Dublin Port.