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Day Trips · Leinster, Dublin

Dún Laoghaire & East Pier

A Victorian seaside promenade and Ireland's busiest yacht harbour, 20 minutes from the city centre

  • Distance12 km from city centre
  • Travel time22 minutes by DART
  • TransportDART from Pearse or Tara Street; 22 min; ~€2.50 with Leap Card (~$2.75)
  • Rating★ 4.5
  • Best seasonYear-round; Farmers Market on Thursday mornings; pier walk year-round
Dún Laoghaire & East Pier

Dún Laoghaire (pronounced dun LEER-ə) is a Victorian harbour town on Dublin Bay, built around two granite piers completed in 1842 that still shelter one of Ireland's largest marinas. The 1.5 km East Pier is a flat, paved promenade used year-round by walkers and swimmers, ending at a lighthouse with views back across the bay to Howth Head.

Practical information for Dún Laoghaire & East Pier
Distance 12 km from city centre
Travel time 22 minutes by DART
Getting there DART from Pearse or Tara Street; 22 min; ~€2.50 with Leap Card (~$2.75)
Address George's Street, Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin, A96 Ireland

How to get there

  • DART
  • Car (20 min via N11 and Rock Road)

Weather through the year in Ireland

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Best time Shoulder Worth avoiding

Average daytime temperature in °C. Figures are for Ireland.

Location

George's Street, Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin, A96 Ireland

53.2944, -6.1350 View on map

Highlights

  • East Pier walk (1.5 km each way, flat and paved, no fitness requirement)
  • The Forty Foot bathing spot at Sandycove, a 20-minute walk south, for a cold-water swim
  • James Joyce Tower & Museum at Sandycove, the setting for the opening chapter of Ulysses
  • Thursday morning farmers market on the People's Park green

Tips for visiting

  • The East Pier gets crowded with local walkers on weekend afternoons; a weekday morning visit is quieter
  • Bring a swimsuit and towel even outside summer — the Forty Foot is used for swimming year-round by locals
  • Combine with Dalkey (one DART stop further south) for a medieval castle and coastal village in the same afternoon