Plan aims to turn Dun Laoghaire into `Dublin's Riviera'

The coastal zone of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown should be developed as "Dublin's Riviera", with a wide range of recreational facilities, according to a plan presented to the county council.

The plan, drawn up by Dublin's Riviera Ltd, which describes itself as a community tourism company, aims to market Dun Laoghaire as the capital's premier "resort".

"Instead of looking to Holyhead for tourists, we should be looking at Dublin city and trying to persuade them to DART out to Dublin's Riviera," said the plan's principal author, Mr Michael Merrigan, of the Genealogical Society of Ireland.

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is favourably disposed. At its annual general meeting last year, a motion was passed calling for a study to be undertaken of the seafront area with a view to adopting an "appropriate" development plan.

The "Riviera plan" was to have been launched this evening in the County Hall, but the event was postponed due to the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Apart from a maritime watercolour by Veronica Heywood on the cover, the 36-page document contains no images or maps. What it aims to do, however, is to "brand" Dun Laoghaire by developing "a leisure, recreational and heritage tourism product".

The first phase, extending from the city boundary at Booterstown to the Forty Foot bathing place at Sandycove, would incorporate a causeway on the seaward side of the DART line from Merrion gates to Blackrock baths to cater for walkers and cyclists.

The plan envisages developing Carlisle Pier in Dun Laoghaire as a major leisure, recreational and entertainment complex, possibly modelled on an "ornate and reasonably authentic" tiered and multi-decked Mississippi riverboat.

It also proposes a "state-of-the-art" municipal museum and art gallery on the old fire station site in Dun Laoghaire as well as acquisition by the State of the landmark Mariners' Church.

Mr Merrigan accepted that "Dublin's Riviera" - first referred to as such by the Saturday Herald in 1914 - has a far from Mediterranean climate most of the year.

"But we hope to put in place leisure facilities that will give us the atmosphere, if not the weather, of the Riviera".

The plan is available on the Internet, at www.dublinsriviera.com/coastal plan/