Watersports campus, navy berths, windfarm supports and offices to be part of Dún Laoghaire harbour's future

Irish Times

2 days ago

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
has signed a €1 million contract for the design and planning of a national watersports campus in
Dún Laoghaire
harbour.
The contract is a big step forward in planning for the national watersports campus, which has been an aspiration since the
Stena Line
ferry service left the harbour in 2014.
The contract also comes as discussions are under way with the developers of the proposed
Dublin Array wind farm
to site an operations base in the area.
Meanwhile, the Quarterdeck shared offices complex in the former ferry terminal has been cleared for opening after several years of delays.
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In addition, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Council – which owns the harbour – is in discussions with the
Naval Service
over use of the Carlisle Pier as a key element of the force's east coast activities.
While these projects are individually being progressed, a six–week public consultation on an overall master plan for the future of the harbour is to open June 16th. Members of the public and stakeholders will be invited to view a draft plan and share their views.
The pre-draft consultation on the master plan last autumn received more than 1,000 formal submissions and 36 stakeholder meetings, resulting in an 'emerging vision,' the council said. The vision is of a vibrant area 'for water sports, marine industries, heritage tourism and community facilities, with a focus on accessibility, sustainability and economic growth', the council said.
Almost 60 per cent of submissions received were in relation to water sports, 'reflecting the widely held interest in enhancing water sports access and infrastructure', the council said.
Chief executive Frank Curran signed the design and planning contract for the national watersports campus with Ready Architecture + Urbanism Ltd in May.
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The campus is to also serve as the home for the national governing bodies of water sports organisations and an event venue.
New facilities in the harbour for the watersports campus include a slipway, improved high-performance sailing facilities, a training and maintenance building in the Coal Harbour and improved launching facilities.
The cost of the master plan is understood to be in the region of €1m and the project has been awarded €852,845 from the
Department of Tourism and Sport
's Large-Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund.
Last week the council revealed it was also in discussions with RWE, the developers of the proposed offshore Dublin Array Windfarm. RWE has lodged a planning application with An Bord Pleanála which includes a cable route, substation and operations and maintenance base for the wind farm.
The council said it hoped there 'might be synergies with the ferry terminal project'.
'We are now working towards a lease agreement for the areas concerned,' the council said.
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The former Stena Line ferry terminal has been the subject of proposals for shared office spaces, going back several years. The project was delayed by the Covid pandemic and more recently over fire safety certification, but the ground-floor section of the co-working office space is now ready to open.
The process of opening the first floor as co-working office space is under way and 'expected to be completed imminently' the council said.
In a separate move, council executives have held meetings with Naval Service management in relation to the potential use of the Carlisle Pier. The pier is frequently visited by navy ships and the LE George Bernard Shaw has benefited from nine new fender installations which were set up in August 2023 to cater for larger ships.
Initial discussions saw the Naval Service express a preference for exclusive access to the whole pier, and while this was not acceptable to the council, it said a section of the pier could be dedicated to the Naval Service 'at a cost'.
'The proposal and associated valuation for lease of the required section of the pier is currently being reviewed by the Naval Service,' the council said.
Local Fianna Fáil TD Cormac Devlin – who as council Cathaoirleach in 2017 marked the bicentenary of the harbour in a ceremony with President Michael D Higgins – added more ambition to the plans.
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Mr Devlin said in addition to maintaining Dún Laoghaire as a key sailing hub, priorities should include restoring the storm-damaged sun shelter on the East Pier, and reopening the historic tea rooms at the West Pier. They were, he said, 'small but symbolic projects that should be advanced without delay'.
A spokeswoman for the council said the draft master plan will set out 'a comprehensive and long-term vision for a 'living harbour', focusing on improving recreation, tourism, and economic vitality while also building climate resilience and increasing biodiversity'.
She said, 'It includes proposed actions over short, medium, and long-term time frames and addresses key themes that emerged from the pre-draft phase, such as improved connectivity, waterfront access, and spaces for community and recreation.'