Development of Dun Laoghaire seafront

1888 – Floating Swimming Bath
Kingstown, Dublin, Ireland

including upper deck plan & midship detail
W. Kaye Parry C.E. ~ Architect

LE, for the last time, my points re RBB were political and questioned his motives, not necessarily the substance of his argument. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day

Drove by the Baths last evening; ther’s a map/ plan of the proposal fixed to the western side of the baths building. Some wag has obliterated “Sandy” from Sandycove and replace it with Mosney and Disney. Nonsense about the 40 Foot silting up, the tide flows past there at 2-3 knots two hours into the flood/ebb.
K.

Boyd Barrett and his kind will be defeated, if I have to do it myself, damin it!!

It just shows you when you have a socialist cosying up to some of the most reactionary property owners in Dun Laoghaire and Sandycove what you can get, the silent majority will defeat the rabble in the long run.

it made a big loss didn’t it. and is a bit ridiculous isn’t it an icerink, isn’t this waht we talking about here building things appropriate to the climate, ie not creating an beach where’s there’s no sun.

so you were fan of the original carlyle building plan? sunnydub.

Dun Laoghaire baths plan ‘a waste of money’
Mark Hilliard

http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news/article/2008/oct/19/dun-laoghaire-baths-plan-a-waste-of-money/

Dun Laoghaire council slammed over development plan on restricted land

Dun Laoghaire baths: over 1,000 submissions have been received in relation to the two proposed developments

COUNCIL officials in charge of the controversial redevelopment plans for the Dun Laoghaire Baths in south Dublin have been accused of wasting public money on the project before securing guarantees that substantial development is even possible.

It has been claimed that any redevelopment at the seafront area in Dun Laoghaire could run into problems as there are significant “restrictions” attached to leases covering the area.

The revelation has caused disquiet amongst local politicians who claim management at Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council have spent thousands of euro of tax payers’ money on both consultancy fees and the marketing of two proposed developments for the seafront area.

Both of these schemes – which involve a major rejuvenation of the seafront area and the now defunct public baths – are in public consultation phase. Plans for a major development on the coastline sparked local objections which reached fever pitch in 2005 with public marches and demonstrations.

The leases on the shoreline are held by the Department of the Marine, which entered into discussions with council officials to amend the paperwork in 2001, to pave the way for future works.

However, the Sunday Tribune has learned that these discussions were never finalised and restrictions on development remain in place.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council confirmed it took part in “negotiations with the relevant government departments but the negotiations were not concluded”.

The council also confirmed that the two schemes proposed for the seafront now undergoing public consultation “have not been examined in light of these old leases as no decision has been made by the council at this stage to proceed with any scheme”.

However, it would not shed light on the nature of the restrictions and said it was not possible to estimate the money spent on planning and promoting the two schemes.

“The council is not in a position to give an estimate as work is ongoing and final invoices have not been submitted,” said Bernie Gilligan, senior executive officer at the economic development and planning department. However, while confirming that the “restrictions” on the leases have not yet been addressed despite discussions with government seven years ago, Gilligan said: “We are confident that any difficulties associated with these restrictions can be overcome”.

Over 1,000 submissions have been received in relation to the two proposed developments and a report on the consultation process is expected by the end of the year. At that stage, the council’s elected members will decide the future of the project. However, the council’s spending public money on producing the concepts before ensuring the lease restrictions were amended has proved controversial.

“I think it’s a bad way to handle public money and people have told the council they don’t want this fantastic ‘Disneyfication’ of the sea front,” said local Green councillor Gene Feighery.

While I think the Tribune story on issues regarding shoreline leases is a bit of a red herring, the alternative seafront concepts put forward for public consultation were always predicated on the availability of central Govt funding, and were far more ambitious that a straightforward “Dun Laoghaire Baths” solution.

It’s now abundantly clear that the necessary central Govt funding for either scheme is unlikely to materialise. Indeed, it was always a very long shot that it would, even if the country wasn’t in recession.

The “Lagoon Beach” element of Concept A, priced at c. €32m, is fairly close to my original “Dun Laoghaire Plage” proposal ( for which I’ve received none of the €23.7m in consultancy fees) and – surprise, surprise – I’m still in favour of that element progressing.

The worst possible outcome would be a wasted investment in re-instating the baths, broadly as they previously existed. Better to bulldoze the entire structure into the sea and let the winos, seagulls, feral cats, urban foxes, buddleias etc colonise the site.

@lostexpectation wrote:

It was the first underground railway in the British isles (if not the world) But they didn’t really know what they were doing back then and it caved-in shortly after it opened. As a result they just left it as it is now.

I’ve never heard that one before

@Bago wrote:

Anyone ever heard much of the Dublin underground planned and ready to start construction in 1914,.. until franz ferdinand took a bullet. Wrong thread but…..
https://www.tribune.ie/article/2003/nov/23/metro-plans-back-on-track/
edit, it wasn’t planned and ready… but planned!

Ah yes the Abercrombie plan – would certainly have made for an interesting Dublin

decision-on-dun-laoghaire-baths-delayed
http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/decision-on-dun-laoghaire-baths-delayed-1599940.html
However, the Sandycove and Glasthule Residents’ Association circulated a newsletter at last night’s county council meeting, outlining their objections to the plans. The statement raised questions about the feasibility of creating a sand beach which could be washed away and said that development on the seashore would devastate the ecosystem.

“It is not relevant to the aspirations of the community,” the statement read. “There is no way to realise financially or practically the project.”

battle-in-polls-to-loom-on-public-baths
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/battle-in-polls-to-loom-on-public-baths-1598260.html
The latest report the 48th by the sub-committee received over 1,200 submissions from the public, including over 500 from the Save Our Seafront campaign, but rules out simply restoring the outdoor baths which one source described as a “sentimental connection to the past” which does not recognise the fact that people’s leisure habits have changed.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/public-baths-set-for-major–revamp-1599617.html
A committee of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has recommended the existing bath building be extended and revamped to provide a public swimming pool.

The move comes despite county manager Owen Keegan warning that such a facility, which would include outdoor swimming pool and the possibility of an indoor facility, was “unlikely to attract significant patronage and at best will operate for a very limited season”.

An analysis of submissions found that most people favoured neither one proposal nor the other, which consultants said was to be expected.

so it still crawling along and now a new set of plans…