Dún Laoghaire is a stunning place to live and I’m very proud to call it my home. The Town itself faces many challenges. The East Pier, seafront area, and Sunday Farmers Market are very busy with tourists but we struggle to attract people into the Town centre. We have too many vacant buildings along George’s Street and the Harbour needs investment and needs to be better integrated with the Town. Despite these challenges, we have seen a lot of positive change in Dún Laoghaire in recent years and the Covid pandemic placed a renewed emphasis on the importance of our Town.
• The Coastal Cycling Route has transformed our seafront, is a great amenity for local families, and is an important cycling route for commuters, although the Council was legitimately criticised by myself and others for not consulting on the project properly.
• The Dún Laoghaire An Seo Street Art project saw the installation of 14 contemporary public art pieces throughout the Town, that brighten up the streetscape and celebrate our rich heritage
• The Dún Laoghaire Summer Streets pedestrianisation project reclaimed part of George’s Street Lower for the people. This along with the new public realm space at Myrtle Square and the seating area outside cafes and restaurants, created a great buzz around the Town.
• The new Casement Memorial Sculpture by Mark Richards was completed and unveiled at the end of the jetty at the Dún Laoghaire Baths.
All of these initiatives are made even more enjoyable by the tremendous work done by Dún Laoghaire Tidy Town, who keep our Town pristine and ensure that we have seasonal flowers and planting to enjoy.
In the coming months, we have the opening of Dún Laoghaire Baths building to look forward to. This will incorporate an artist studios, a new café, and a new walking route between Newtownsmith the East Pier. I’m delighted to confirm that €150,000 was recently approved by DLRCC for the development of a skatepark on the West Pier. Well done to the Dún Laoghaire Central Residents Association for spearheading this project! By the end of 2022, the currently unused Ferry Terminal Building will operate as a remote working hub, attracting hundreds of new jobs to Dún Laoghaire. This will be tremendously positive for the Town and its businesses.
This year DLRCC published the Spatial & Economic Study for Dún Laoghaire Town and the Economic Plan for Dún Laoghaire Harbour, which means that the Council now has expert advice on the medium-to-long term development of the Town and Harbour. Digital Dún Laoghaire which does a great job promoting Dún Laoghaire Town is campaigning hard to see vacant buildings throughout the Town restored and for Dún Laoghaire to become ‘Dublin’s Remote Working Capital’. I’m delighted to fully support them with this work.
In terms of my priorities for the coming months, I want to see the skatepark on the West Pier delivered, the pedestrianisation project reintroduced, as well as Myrtle Square completed, will raise with DLRCC the need for Clarinda Park to be restored, will encourage DLRCC to take new steps to attract new businesses and restaurants to the Town, and will continue to work to ensure that Dún Laoghaire Tidy Towns is fully supported. I’m also aware of instances of anti-social behaviour in the Town, which I will continue to raise with An Garda Síochána via the Joint Policing Committee.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me by email at lhall@cllr.dlrcoco.ie if there are any issues you would like me to raise with the Council on your behalf.
Rath agus sláinte ort
Cllr Lorraine Hall
Fine Gael Councillor Dún Laoghaire
D.L.C.R.A. 