dún laoghaire harbour company

Special Bulletin March 1997

World's Most Famous Liner to Visit Dún Laoghaire in '97

A major internationally renowned cruise ship is scheduled to stop-over in Dún Laoghaire Harbour during the Summer of '97.

Cunard, the UK based international cruise liner group, have announced that their flagship, the QE 2 will drop anchor off Dún Laoghaire Harbour on July 14th next.

"This will be the first ever visit of this ship to Dún Laoghaire. We believe that the hype, excitement and interest generated by the US Carrier's visit last year will be matched by this visit. We're expecting even greater visitor numbers as the ship will anchor close the harbour itself, giving onlookers a clear view", explained Tom Vaughan, Harbour Manager.

Mr. Vaughan said that the luxury liner's visit to Dún Laoghaire is significant as over 1200 passengers are expected to disembark for tours and visits on the one hand, and interested sightseers will converge on Dún Laoghaire town and the harbour area, on the other.

The Harbour has undertaken a cruise promotions programme designed to attract such luxury cruise liners to the Harbour aimed at boosting interest in local business and tourist attractions. Dún Laoghaire Harbour is amongst the many Irish ports involved in this international promotion. There is a significant benefit to the Dún Laoghaire area if cruise vessels are attracted to the Harbour.

Carlisle Pier - New Lease of Life Planned

The Carlisle Pier is to close as a ferry terminal later this year - bringing to an end a long history of ferry passenger operations - according to Dún Laoghaire Harbour Chairman, Mr. Philip Lynch.

"With the opening of the new ferry terminal and its capacity to cope with a variety of ferry types, from the latest in high speed catamaran craft, to the smaller catamaran vessels, all ferry operations will be centred here. This means that there will be no ferry operations based on the Carlisle Pier after 1997" said Mr. Lynch.

Operations for the redevelopment of this pier are being investigated, and a feasibility study, grant-aided by the Ireland-Wales Maritime Interreg Programme (1994-1999), is proposed to examine these and other options at Dún Laoghaire and in Holyhead.

The project is being led by Dún Laoghaire Harbour with support from Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Chamber of Commerce, Southside Partnership and Venturepoint (County Enterprise Board).
It is envisaged that the study will examine alternative options for the redevelopment of the Carlisle Pier into a recreational/leisure amenity for locals and tourists alike.

Dún Laoghaire welcomes 'Big John'

One of the Summer's major harbour attractions was the visit of the USS John F Kennedy aircraft carrier, which anchored just outside Dún Laoghaire Harbour in early July, to celebrate the USA's Independence Day (July 4th) and 50 years of the Irish Naval Service.

Apart from the large media interest in the ship, which attracted unprecedented excitement in Dún Laoghaire and all its facilities, the Harbour Board provided its own programme of activities to welcome this colossal 1052 foot long, 23 stories high Aircraft Carrier on its first visit to Ireland.

"A Gun Salute from the East Pier Battery greeted the arrival of the ship and a programme of fun activities was put in place to provide entertainment to the many extra visitors to the harbour who came to visit or to see the ship from shore. These events included a Fireworks Display on the West Pier which in their own right attracted 75,000 people to the harbour area to view the spectacular. The local business community and in particular the Dún Laoghaire American Week Committee under the Chairmanship of Dave Cullen, Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre Manager also organised a host of events and social occasions for the ships crew, the tourists and visitors. It proved a major boom time for Dún Laoghaire", said Peadar Ward, Harbour Board Secretary.

He said that the US Ambassador to Ireland, Mrs. Jean-Kennedy Smith, the US Defence Attache, Col Bill Torpey and the officers and crew of the ship expressed their gratitude to the Dún Laoghaire business and harbour communities for their hard work and support during the visit.

The appreciation of the Harbour Board is extended to the members of the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps who provided first aid and Ambulance facilities during the week long visit.