Ferries to Dun Laoghaire
Dun Laoghaire Dun Laoghaire is a seaside town 13km south-east of Dublin - only a short ride away by the Dart transport service. It makes a startling introduction to Ireland with its brightly painted villas, parks and palm trees, and exudes a continental atmosphere. The harbour, one of the largest in the country, and base for a major car ferry route to the United Kingdom, is notable for its two granite piers. The town’s name derives from its founder, Laoghaire, a fifth century king of Ireland, who chose the site as a sea base from which to carry out raids on Britain and France. He is famous for having allowed Saint Patrick to travel the country and preach Christianity. History Dun Laoghaire was once a small fishing 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. What to See & Do in Dun Laoghaire
