⚓ Cruise Port

Dun Laoghaire

Currency
Euro (EUR). Cards accepted everywhere; Ireland is largely cashless.
Language
English (Irish/Gaelic is an official language but English is universal).
Time in Port
Ships generally berth 7am to 6pm; some sailings allow up to 10 hours ashore.
Pier Location
The cruise terminal is at Dun Laoghaire Harbour — the DART train station is a 10-minute walk, giving direct access to Dublin city centre (25 min) or Howth (45 min).
Best For
Dublin city culture, Guinness, literary history, coastal walks, and Irish hospitality
About Dun Laoghaire

Dun Laoghaire (pronounced "Dun Leery") is Dublin's cruise port, a graceful Victorian harbour town 12 km south of the capital connected by a fast DART commuter rail. Most visitors make a beeline for Dublin's pubs, Trinity College, and the Guinness Storehouse, but Dun Laoghaire itself rewards a linger: its granite piers stretch into Dublin Bay, the seafront promenade is one of Ireland's finest walks, and the picturesque fishing village of Howth is a direct DART ride away. Ireland's wit, warmth, and liquid hospitality are on full display however you spend the day.

💡
Insider Tip

The DART rail day ticket is the smartest move: it gives unlimited hops between Dun Laoghaire, central Dublin, and Howth for under 12 euro — far cheaper than a taxi and faster than a bus during peak morning hours.

Highlights
🍺
Guinness Storehouse, Dublin
A seven-storey interactive museum inside the original St James's Gate Brewery, crowned with the Gravity Bar's 360-degree panoramic view of Dublin — and a complimentary pint poured at the top. Book online to skip queues.
📚
Trinity College & the Book of Kells
Ireland's oldest university (founded 1592) in the heart of Georgian Dublin houses the illuminated 9th-century Book of Kells manuscript in its Old Library — one of the greatest medieval treasures in existence.
🦞
Howth Harbour & Cliff Walk
The fishing village of Howth on Dublin Bay offers the best fresh seafood in the region (try the prawn chowder or fresh crab on the pier), plus a dramatic cliff walk with views across the bay to the Wicklow Mountains.
🚶
Dun Laoghaire East Pier Walk
A brisk walk out the Victorian granite East Pier, past the bandstand and lighthouse, takes about 20 minutes and gives spectacular Dublin Bay views — entirely free and a perfect way to stretch sea legs before or after a train trip.
🏛
Dublin's Georgian Streets & Merrion Square
The Georgian Quarter south of the Liffey — Merrion Square, Fitzwilliam Street, and St Stephen's Green — shows Dublin at its most elegant, framing some of Europe's finest 18th-century townhouse architecture.
Local Food & Drink
  • Full Irish breakfast — bacon, sausages, black and white pudding, eggs, and soda bread; the definitive pre-excursion meal at any cafe in Dun Laoghaire or Dublin.
  • Irish seafood chowder — thick cream-based soup packed with smoked fish, prawns, and mussels; best eaten at a Howth pier restaurant overlooking the boats.
  • Soda bread with Kerry Gold butter — Ireland's signature bread, slightly tangy from bicarbonate, served warm in nearly every cafe.
  • Guinness stout — a proper pint poured slowly in two stages; the Storehouse Gravity Bar or any traditional Dublin pub is the place.
Shore Excursion Ideas
1 Dublin city day — DART to Pearse or Tara Street, Guinness Storehouse and Book of Kells, then Temple Bar, then DART back.
2 Howth coastal walk and seafood lunch — DART all the way to Howth, 45-minute cliff loop walk, lunch on the pier.
3 Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough — guided tour into the glacial valley and 6th-century monastic site, about 1.5 hours from Dun Laoghaire.
4 Literary Dublin walking tour — Joyce, Wilde, Beckett, and the pubs they haunted, guided through Georgian streets.
5 Kilkenny medieval city day trip by coach — 90 km southwest, with Kilkenny Castle and the medieval mile.
Sailings to Dun Laoghaire
Upcoming Royal Caribbean & Celebrity cruises that visit Dun Laoghaire
View all →
Celebrity
British Isles
Celebrity Eclipse · 12 nights
Amsterdam · July 3, 2026
From $1,799/pp
 Celebrity
British Isles
Celebrity Eclipse · 12 nights
Amsterdam · August 2, 2026
From $2,125/pp
 Celebrity
British Isles
Celebrity Eclipse · 13 nights
Amsterdam · May 6, 2027
From $3,499/pp
 Celebrity
British Isles
Celebrity Eclipse · 12 nights
Amsterdam · August 8, 2027
From $3,303/pp
 →View all sailings
Ships That Visit Dun Laoghaire
Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships with sailings to Dun Laoghaire in our database
Celebrity
Celebrity Eclipse
View guide →
 →View all sailings

Track Prices for Sailings to Dun Laoghaire

Monitor beverage packages, specialty dining, and excursion prices for cruises visiting Dun Laoghaire. Get alerted when prices drop.

Start Tracking Free →