Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire (pronounced "Dunleary" or "Doonlairah"), a small seaside town situated 11 km {7 miles) south of Dublin in the county of Dún Laoghaire - Rathdown, is the busiest port in the whole of Ireland.The town, which had been officially renamed Kingstown in 1821 in honour of a visit by the British King George IV, reverted to its ancient Irish name by resolution of the town council in 1921, one year before Irish independence. The name derives from its founder, Laoghaire, a 5th-century High King of Ireland, who chose the site as a seabase from which to carry out raids on Britain and France. Dún is an Irish word meaning "fort". King Laoghaire is famous for having allowed Saint Patrick to travel the country and preach Christianity.
The National Maritime Museum of Ireland is based in Dún Laoghaire; in the harbour, there are also the James Joyce Tower and the East Pier.
Dún Laoghaire is connected to central Dublin by the DART suburban railway, and a frequent bus service, and has a ferry connection, using the world's largest jet-engine propelled ferry, to Holyhead in Anglesey, Wales.
Dún Laoghaire harbour is home to four yacht clubs. From north (West Pier) to south (East Pier) they are the Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, the National Yacht Club, the Royal Irish Yacht Club, and the Royal St. George Yacht Club.
The area to the north of the West pier is heavily used year-round by windsurfers as a launch point, although occasionally dinghy schools use it in the summer.
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