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Dún Laoghaire gets go-ahead for 'urban beach' and floating pool

Coming soon to South Dublin, via Berlin…

VISITORS TO DÚN Laoghaire could soon be able to take a dip in a floating swimming pool at the harbour, after planning permission for an ‘urban beach’ was granted.

Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council’s decision to green light the project was taking a couple of days ago, and welcomed this afternoon by Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company (DLHC).

The ‘urban beach’ – part of the town’s 2011 Masterplan – will be constructed at the East pier of the harbour, according to a statement from the company.

Here’s what the proposal looks like:

dlhc Proposal for the 'urban beach' at Dún Laoghaire harbour. DLHC DLHC

The plan…includes a floating swimming containing heated and treated seawater, utilising a converted river barge which will be located within the harbour.
The facility will include an urban beach alongside the floating structure…
Changing and toilet facilities, a café, an administration area, and security features are also planned.

It’s all inspired by the urban beach at Arena Badeschiff on the Spree River in Berlin, which looks like this (sometimes):

badeschiff Arena Berlin Arena Berlin

The floating swimming pool looks something like this:

poolberlin Tintiucc Tintiucc

Now that planning permission has been granted for the south Dublin version, Dún Laoghaire harbour is on its way to becoming a “marine, leisure and tourist destination of international calibre,” according to DLHC chief Gerry Dunne.

Read: Dún Laoghaire to get floating swimming pool and urban beach>

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43 Comments
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    Mute Tony Stanley
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 6:49 PM

    What ever happened to Rainbow Rapids????

    Why not just bring that back???

    217
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    Mute Beano
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 7:50 PM

    Closed for health and safety reasons probably. The water there was bloody baltic. Half the kids there would go home with pneumonia

    67
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    Mute Mrs Shalakalananaka
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 6:49 PM

    I haven’t visited a beach since I realized that I was not in fact the only person who pissed in the sea.

    210
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    Mute Jonathan Callan
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 6:36 PM

    Great idea, but wrong place ! The baths would have been a much better location other than the pier !

    163
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    Mute Michael O'Connor
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 6:37 PM

    Isn’t Berlin land locked? Why would DL need an urban beach based on the one in Berlin? It’s by the sea!

    157
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    Mute Petra Madill
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 6:42 PM

    The sea is a bit nippy to swim in there though. By nippy I mean brass monkies.

    85
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    Mute Dave O'Hanlon
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 7:02 PM

    Sandycove is just too far for some to walk I guess

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    Mute Anne Marie Devlin
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 7:08 PM

    Does seem a bit superfluous when there’s a natural blue flag beach about 2 km away. I know where I would rather go

    56
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    Mute David Gilmore
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 8:38 PM

    First warm day…every HOWYA from around Dublin will land over to it and there’ll be murder!!

    154
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    Mute Darren Turner
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 6:36 PM

    Still going to be Baltic for 95% of the time it’s there

    123
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    Mute Figo murphy
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 8:41 PM

    I better start the auld sit ups.

    66
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    Mute David Murphey
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 8:53 PM

    Did you read the article?

    The sea water will be “heated and treated”.

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    Mute Darren Turner
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 9:39 PM

    Wasn’t necessarily talking about the water

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    Mute brian boru
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    Dec 3rd 2014, 5:51 AM

    Gerry Dunne has not one good move since being made CEO of the harbour company. He has managed to alienate all harbour users and turn the harbour into a ghost town. Awaiting him charging people to walk the pier. The sooner he moves on the sooner we see a return to a successful harbour.

    7
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    Mute Brendan Moriarty
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 6:39 PM

    You’d freeze your nuts off. Thank God DLR is so rich, otherwise people might think it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money

    87
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    Mute thetruth
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 6:46 PM

    Meanwhile. Citizens die in cold, dark doorways

    68
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    Mute Damien Moran
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 6:44 PM

    How about investing in and cleaning up all the real beaches we have in Dublin? Selling sand to the Arabs comes to mind.

    65
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    Mute Bill Rooney
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 6:47 PM

    Wot mind?

    /o\

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    Mute Peter Pan
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 6:59 PM

    Global warming, them say in 10 years Dublin could be as hot as Ibiza…………… lets make it happen.

    62
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    Mute Francine Totti
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 8:31 PM

    Maybe in thousand yrs buddy :)

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    Mute Peter Pan
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 11:33 PM

    You are obviously too young for Ali G

    14
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    Mute Frank
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 7:10 PM

    Over a period of approximately twenty five years, up to one thousand workers each year laboured in extremely difficult and dangerous conditions to build the magnificent Harbour we enjoy today.

    And now over the last twenty five years it ends up getting destroying it by filling it in with private yacht marinas and now a swimming pool.

    Give it another 25 years and there will not be much left of it.

    Can they not move this facility to the former Dunlaoghaire Baths?

    51
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    Mute David Burke
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 8:03 PM

    It was 42 years.

    Try and get it right when you want to moan.

    20
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    Mute Francine Totti
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 8:32 PM

    Burke are u not in bed for school yet

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    Mute Frank
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 8:50 PM

    David Burke ..According to Dunlaoghaire Harbour Company it was 25 years.

    http://dlharbour.ie/historical/

    Elsewhere 42 years as you say.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%BAn_Laoghaire

    20
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    Mute Jenny Doyle
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 8:03 PM

    The money should be put into doing up the old baths, and the west pier. Silly idea for a urban beach not needed.

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    Mute Bill Rooney
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 6:36 PM

    Is this near the new Wetherspoon pub – the 40 Foot? That’d be great!

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    Mute Geraldine Lawlor
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 8:51 PM

    Yes just across the road

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    Mute Random_paddy
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 7:03 PM

    Good idea. Now if they could just demolish that new library eyesore and locl up the officials behind its construction….

    39
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    Mute Snorre Sturleson
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 6:54 PM

    Sooooooo Cooool the rich get the beach and the poor freeze to death….Jezzus we love ya End A many”

    39
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    Mute Snorre Sturleson
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 7:03 PM

    Dún Laoghaire gets go-ahead for ‘urban beach’ and floating pool…and they die of the cold in the inner city what a scab dail

    38
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    Mute Ruth
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 6:40 PM

    Solar powered I hope.

    35
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    Mute Marlon Brando
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 8:50 PM

    Wait till all the Dublin yobbos come over and ruin it for everyone else with their behavior. Happens all the time with the beaches around there..

    34
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    Mute Marko Burns
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 7:59 PM

    Jeez – new swish library, and now an urban beach. Meanwhile we’re stuck with the decrepid ilac yoke and cryptosporidium…

    33
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    Mute Christa Johnson
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 10:48 PM

    A folly of a library, now a ridiculous urban beach. Meanwhile, the town decays into a mulch of nothing.

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    Mute Trevor croft
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 9:33 PM

    Any chance of the pool floating over to the Northside when youser finished with it.

    17
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    Mute James Connely
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 8:25 PM

    Seems like a great idea. Obviously all of the begrudgers come out of the woodwork.

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    Mute redmarauder
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 6:57 PM

    Maybe they could also add a new sun with the package and free sunblock..

    12
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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 10:06 PM

    I have no objection to this. Its great.
    But in the context of areas where such money could go, not sure at all.

    8
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    Mute ted hagan
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 7:09 PM

    Is that Obama gettin’ on down on Dun Laoghaire beach?

    8
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    Mute Watcher-on-the-Wall
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    Dec 2nd 2014, 10:01 PM

    Bad idea – obviously from the GIF, this will only encourage further water-balloon based violence on the streets of Dublin…

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    Mute Greg Malocca
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    Dec 3rd 2014, 7:10 AM

    The area from the pier to sandy cove should be transformed into a beach. It would be great for South Dublin.

    4
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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Dec 3rd 2014, 6:08 AM

    What’s the parking arrangement,s

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