5 Heritage-led Vision Projects to put Dún Laoghaire town centre on the world cruise map
⇓Click Here to Download 5 heritage-led vision projects PDF⇓
As part of @Digital Dun Laoghaire's commitment to our town's regeneration we have launched a report containing a number of ambitious, long term concept projects that can build on Dun Laoghaire's strengths to create a vibrant, sustainable locality for current and future generations of businesses and residents.
Project 1 - Museum of Industrial Revolution at Dún Laoghaire train station
We are proposing a Dún Laoghaire Industrial Revolution and Transport museum at the original 1840s Kingstown station and waiting room. Dún Laoghaire is an exciting town full of history, which this museum aims to highlight. In 1834 William Dargan opened the country's first railway line to the town, making it the starting point for Ireland’s railway network and putting it on the map of industrial advancements in Ireland.
The opening of this railway meant that the town was a centre for industrial advancement in the country and the proposed museum will highlight the town's national and international contributions to industry and science as it can claim a number of national and world firsts as it had -
The largest asylum harbour in the world for 50 years, an extraordinary achievement of civil engineering.
The first railway in Ireland and possibly the first suburban railway in the world.
The first vacuum powered railway in the world from Kingstown to Dalkey.
Project 2 - Discovery Centre in St Michael’s Church Tower
Dún Laoghaire is one of the most written about towns in Ireland and as such occupies a prominent place in Ireland's cultural history as a historically significant location. A Google search for the term "books about or featuring Dún Laoghaire also known as Kingstown" results in at least forty books ranging from Peter Pearson's 'Granite Coast' to mentions by James Joyce's in 'Ulysses' to Tom Conlon's 'Victorian Dún Laoghaire, a town divided'.
We propose a discovery centre on the topic of the town in St Michael’s Church Tower. This centre would be based on the interesting and varied history of the area, it's origin as the fort of Laoghaire, its renaming as Kingstown and rapid transition at the formation of the Irish state from colonial outpost to beacon for all things Irish in its change to Dún Laoghaire during the formation of the Irish free state.
Project 3 - People’s Market and murals at Hardy’s lane
We are proposing the possibility of a walk through market on Hardy’s Lane with murals being created in the alcoves along the lane. Dún Laoghaire is a vibrant and busy town, however this lane is under-utilised or not known to many who visit. We believe this would revitalise the lane and continue to contribute to the lively atmosphere of the town. We believe it would create a space where visitors can appreciate the artwork from the murals, while giving a platform to local and new businesses. This would help transform this lane to attract visitors, especially from the cruise ships, and enhance the town.
Project 4 - Victorian Heritage Garden & Maze in People's Park
The DLR County Council Parks Department have done an amazing job with People's Park and it is a jewel in the crown of our town. We are proposing that to complement this great work the creation of a Victorian Heritage Garden & Children's Maze at the People Park in Dún Laoghaire would be a superb addition. This would be an amenity area of refurbished Victorian glasshouses with themed heritage planting, adjoining a box hedge children's maze that would link the heritage garden with the existing children's playground.
Project 5 - Dún Laoghaire Enterprise Campus in Kelly's Hotel & the Wash House
Thanks to feasibility study funding from Enterprise Ireland DigitalHQ examined the potential of two adjoining buildings in George's Place, Dún Laoghaire to be repurposed on a phased basis to serve as an Enterprise Campus for DLR County. These buildings which are “Protected Structures” in the County Development Plan 2016 to 2022. These buildings are vacant since 2013. This proposal would help replace the loss of 17 individual units of office space when the original Dun Laoghaire Enterprise Centre in the adjoining Fire Station building closed in 2019.
