Dun Laoghaire Tourism Guide

Dun Laoghaire is a beautiful seaside town, located just 13km (8miles) south-east of Dublin City Centre, and a short Dart ride from the city centre, with many scenic and historic locations. If one sails into Dublin through the ferry port at Dun Laoghaire, one of the first sights will be the spectacular Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Dun Laoghaire is a popular tourist spot due to its vast selection of activities. A visitor can relax in one of its many restaurants or pubs, or take a walk along one of the piers. Fishing is also quite a popular attraction and boats, rods and lines may be rented from Dun Laoghaire Harbour or any of the local harbours. It is also possible to fish anywhere along the coast. Sailing, of course, can also be enjoyed here. Swimming is a nice way to cool off after a hot day, and there are many points along the coast that are safe for swimming. Horse-riding, rock-climbing and more activities are easily available.

Dún Laoghaire is one of Ireland's major passenger ferry ports and yachting centre situated 13km (8 miles) S.E. of Dublin City Centre. Dún Laoghaire was once a small ishing village located on an inlet of the rocky coast near Salthill, a small hillock once noted for the production of salt. It was called Dunleary until 1821 when a completely new town developed to the east as a result of the building of the present large harbour, and the construction of the railway. It was renamed Kingstown until 1920. It makes a surprising introduction to Ireland with its brightly painted villas, parks and palm trees. On a good day it exudes a decidedly continental feel. Many visitors head straight out of Dún Laoghaire from the ferry, however the town offers some magnificent walks around the harbour and to the lighthouse along the east and west piers. The town has experienced a renaissance in recent years which has transformed this once-faded ferry port into one of the most interesting places to visit and stay in County Dublin. Much under-rated in the recession of the 1970s and 1980s, the town has acquired the look of a place on the way up. There is a sense of good things happening in the town. The new Bloomfields Shopping Centre has shifted the focus of the town northwards and revitalised an area that was lacking in amenities. A 12-screen cinema has just opened, which is encouraging young people to use this end of the town more. Dún Laoghaire is a compact town, and everything you need is in easy walking distance. The swift train connection (takes just 15 minutes) makes it perfectly possible to explore central Dublin from here.

Getting To and Around Dun Laoghaire

For information on getting to and around Co. Dublin, see our Co. Dublin Transport Guide.

Public Transport to and around Dun Laoghaire

7 Mountjoy Square Park - Bride's Glen Bus Stop Bus route operated by Dublin Bus
7 Bride's Glen Bus Stop - Mountjoy Square Nth Bus route operated by Dublin Bus

45a Royal Marine Road - Kilmacanogue Bus route operated by Go-Ahead
45a Kilmacanogue - Royal Marine Road Bus route operated by Go-Ahead

45b Royal Marine Road - Kilmacanogue Bus route operated by Go-Ahead
45b Kilmacanogue - Town Hall Bus route operated by Go-Ahead

46a Outside Train Station - Phoenix Park Gate Bus route operated by Dublin Bus
46a Phoenix Park Gate - University College Dublin Bus route operated by Dublin Bus

75a The Square Shopping Centre - Outside Train Station Bus route operated by Go-Ahead
75a Outside Train Station - The Square Shopping Centre Bus route operated by Go-Ahead

7N Woodbrook Golf Club, stop 134261 Bus route operated by Nitelink, Dublin Bus

7a Mountjoy Square Park - Loughlinstown Wood Estate Bus route operated by Dublin Bus
7a Loughlinstown Wood Estate - Mountjoy Square Nth Bus route operated by Dublin Bus

7d Castle Street - Mountjoy Square Nth Bus route operated by Dublin Bus
7d Mountjoy Square Nth - Castle Street Bus route operated by Dublin Bus

Commuter Service Rail service operated by Irish Rail

DART Rail service operated by Irish Rail

Rosslare Europort Service Rail service operated by Irish Rail

59 Town Hall - Killiney Hill Road Bus route operated by Go-Ahead
59 Killiney Hill Road - Town Hall Bus route operated by Go-Ahead

63 Outside Train Station - Enniskerry Road (Ballycorus Rd) Bus route operated by Go-Ahead
63 Enniskerry Road (Ballycorus Rd) - Outside Train Station Bus route operated by Go-Ahead

75 The Square Shopping Centre - Outside Train Station Bus route operated by Go-Ahead
75 Outside Train Station - The Square Shopping Centre Bus route operated by Go-Ahead

111 Dalkey (Hyde Road) - Bride's Glen Bus Stop Bus route operated by Go-Ahead
111 Bride's Glen Bus Stop - Dalkey (Hyde Road) Bus route operated by Go-Ahead

184 Newcastle Hospital - Outside Train Station Bus route operated by Go-Ahead

703 Dublin Airport Bus route operated by Aircoach
703 Killiney Bus route operated by Aircoach

Public transport route information is Irish Public Sector Data licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence

Places to Stay in Dun Laoghaire

• Mulgrave Lodge Dun Laoghaire
• Rochestown Lodge Hotel and Leisure Club 164 Rochestown Avenue

Things to Do in Dun Laoghaire

• Dun Laoghaire Tourist Information Office County Hall, Marine Road
• IMC Cinema - Dun Laoghaire Lower George's Street
• National Maritime Museum Haigh Terrace
• Pan Pan Theatre The Old School House, Eblana Ave
• Peoples Park Dun Laoghaire
• The Pavilion Theatre Marine Rd, Dún Laoghaire

Events in Dun Laoghaire

• Mountains to Sea - dlr Book Festival dlr (Lexicon), Haigh Terrace

Places to Stay in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin