Dún Laoghaire Harbour welcomes 100,000th cruise passenger!

Today, Dún Laoghaire Harbour celebrated a significant milestone as it welcomed its 100,000th cruise passenger.

The lucky passenger, Melinda Berk from New York, stepped ashore this morning from the Norwegian Dawn Cruise Ship on her first visit to Ireland.

In honour of this momentous occasion, Melinda was presented with a hamper of gifts, including a beautifully crafted wooden replica of Dún Laoghaire Harbour.

Pictured, from left: Councillor Denis O’Callaghan, Cathaoirleach, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Melinda Berk and Matthew Murphy. Photo by Peter Cavanagh

Melinda and her partner Matthew – who also hails from new York – were warmly greeted by Councillor Denis O’Callaghan, Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Team.

Councillor Denis O’Callaghan, Cathaoirleach at Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said:

“We are delighted to see passengers coming to visit this unique Victorian Harbour and Town.

“The cruise industry contributes €50-70 million euro per year to the Irish Economy, with €10-15m per year to local economies like Dún Laoghaire.

“Dún Laoghaire Harbour has worked hard to maximise the benefit of cruise ship visits to the local area.

“While some passengers do indeed take pre-arranged tours, there are a growing number of visitors who carry out their own research for things to do on their arrival, and it is important that we showcase our local attractions to these visitors.”

Frank Curran, Chief Executive of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, said:

“In the current year alone, we have already welcomed 65 cruise ships to Dún Laoghaire, with an additional 20 expected to call in the coming weeks, bringing the total to 85 cruise ships for the 2023 season.

“This impressive number marks a significant increase of 20 ships from last year, and we anticipate nearly 100 ships in 2024.

“Our efforts to promote local attractions within the port have resulted in extensive branding, and we operate a dedicated tourism office catering specifically to cruise ship passengers.

“Additionally, we have established strong partnerships with the local business community and the dlr Chamber of Commerce to ensure we maximise the local benefit.”