Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company is to seek planning permission to replace the former Stena Line berth with a facility to accommodate large cruise ships.
The plan involves the demolition of the purpose-built Stena Line HSS ramps and moorings and the creation of a new, 390-metre cruise berth that could accommodate very large ships. The process would also involve significant dredging of the harbour to create a new, deeper navigation channel.
Earlier this year, Stena Line announced it would not be returning to the harbour after its recently introduced winter break, bringing to an end ferry services between Dún Laoghaire and Britain going back almost 200 years.
The planning application is to be made to the strategic infrastructure division of An Bord Pleanála. In advance of a statutory public consultation period, the plans will be made available on the company’s website, dlharbour.ie, from Monday next.
Cruise ships
Proposals to attract large cruise ships into Dún Laoghaire have the support of the Dún Laoghaire Cruise Stakeholder Group - a coalition of local commercial and civic interests established in 2010.
The group includes representatives of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the local Business Improvement District company (BID).
Commenting on the proposal, council member Cormac Devlin said the town was designated as a marine tourism port under the Government’s National Ports Policy, “and the development of the cruise business fits into this framework”.
He said another pier in the harbour, the Carlisle Pier, could only accommodate smaller cruise ships, up to 150m in length and with a 5m draft, “so a redevelopment is necessary”.
The cruise industry was identified by the group of stakeholders as an important growing sector of the tourism and leisure market.
In the target market, only Cobh can currently accommodate the larger ships identified by the proposal, although plans for the redevelopment of berthage at Dublin Port also envisage space for large cruise ships.
Harbour advantage
Despite the mere 8km distance from Dublin Port, many councillors believe the harbour has an advantage over the more industrial route from Dublin Port to the city.
The development of deep water facilities for large ships at Dún Laoghaire would allow cruise ship passengers to arrive within a short stroll of the town itself, amid views of Victorian architecture, the mountains and the bay. The Dart would bring passengers into the city centre.
The move would also give the town an advantage in attracting more tourists, according to Mr Devlin.
He said he welcomes the public consultation phase and encourages residents to “view the plans and engage with the process”.
The plans will shortly be sent to An Bord Pleanála and a further, statutory period of public consultation will get under way.
This would see paper copies of the plans being available from the Harbour Company offices and most likely other outlets in the town, as well as continuing to be available on the website dlharbour.ie, where they can be seen from Monday, March 30th.
