dún laoghaire harbour company

Major new "state of the Harbour" report published

The Cathaoirleach of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Cllr Denis O'Callaghan and historical author Peter Pearson launched a major new publication by the Harbour Company on July 11th - a detailed and illustrated inventory of all the structures, buildings and elements in the 190 year old Harbour.

The report was prepared by Shaffrey Associates Architects and is the first ever such inventory of the Harbour. It will provide a historic baseline for future developments and improvements. The report, which was grant aided by the Heritage Council, examines every part of the Harbour in detail and describes its state and condition with commentary and recommendations for care.

Commenting on the report, the Chairman of the Harbour Company, Sean Costello said: "This report will be of tremendous value to the Company in planning the maintenance and development of the Harbour. We are very conscious of its unique heritage and the importance of ensuring that this is preserved while at the same time developing the Harbour for the enjoyment of its many diverse users".

The report can be read and downloaded free of charge from the Harbour Company website: www. dlharbour.ie. It can also be purchased as a hard copy for €15 or on CD for €5 from the Company.

The publication also contains an overview of the history of the Harbour and a report on the existing documentary resources which relate to the building of the Harbour written by architectural historian John Montague.

Built between 1817 and 1842, the Harbour is a site of international importance in terms of its architecture, engineering achievements, technical quality, workmanship and for its social, economic and cultural contribution to the town of Dun Laoghaire and the surrounding region throughout its history. The Harbour contains many fine buildings, structures, monuments, 'streetscape elements' such as mooring bollards, ironworks and seats. It also has a collection of redundant machinery of marine heritage value. The Harbour is a Protected Structure.