Dublin Marinas

FWIW Malahide has more and nicer restaurants than either Howth or Dun Laoghaire ("done leary"). Dun Laoghaire does have more facilities in terms of shops/super markets and cinema. All the Dublin marinas look to be safe and secure. I do think you will find Dublin more expensive than the UK, even taking into consideration a favourable exchange rate. Pint of beer will be min €4.20 or so up to €5.50 :)
 
I have a swing mooring at malahide,so I think the place is great(which it is). There is a bar at the enterance but it does not seem to restrict motor craft. 2/3 feet at low tide most of the time. There are a number of people who have done this over the years. It is only 15minutes from Airport,20mins to town, and some have joined Yacht club and kept their cars there.Dunlaoghaire is 40mins away by DART(train).Howth is a club marina and welcomes visitors but does not rent berths other than to members long term.
 
cid said:
Howth is a club marina and welcomes visitors but does not rent berths other than to members long term.
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I would say Howth has suffered the same faith as any boating establishement (marina, broker etc.) in Ireland and won't refuse the business.
 
malahide village has a more lively night life, better value fees & helpfull staff, getting over the bar in a mobo will only effect your timing occasionally.
howth & dunlaoghaire are only a short hop away
 
Alboretto said:
Cork too far for my boat Oceanfroggy and I don't fly.
Is Dublin and cruising within 50 miles an unattractive proposition in your opinion?

I am told that Carlingford, Strangford, Howth and the city dock are lovely for a weekend.
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No Dublin bay is great and being on the western side of the Irish sea is very sheltered from the westerlies. Short hobs between Dun Laoghaire, Poolbeg, Malahide and Greystones. Longer runs to Carlingford, Strangford and Wicklow nice. If feeling adventourous Kilmore Quay and Waterford city is a nice trip for a week. Kilmore Quay has a small marina and close to Rosslare ferry. Cork just has a lot more short hop destinations near it, but too far for your purposes.
 
Thank you all. This is beginning to look like a runner. I have decided to delay this seasons launch until the end of April so I will make arrangements to visit Dublin in the meantime.
My friend has offered to take the boat across for me if we move. He laughed when I gasped at the thought of being out of site of land for two hours saying 12 would be the norm for him :)
 
A bit off topic, but believe it or not, the most popular area in Ireland for motor boat cruising are the vast inland Loughs Derg, Ree and Lower Lough Erne. Derg and Ree are on the Shannon and therefore connected to the sea via Limerick. There are quite a few UK owned boats based on Derg and Ree. Marina rates are a fraction of UK South coast, on sheltered non tidal waters with dozens of cruise destinations within an hour or two of most marinas and public harbours. No swell. Lough Derg is 40km long by 15km wide, Ree and Erne just slightly smaller. They are effectively inland seas rather than lakes. Very popular with mobos, scenic and loads of yummie eateries and pubs. Particularly Derg based mobos regularly cruise the awesome SW coast taking in areas like Dingle, Bantry and Kenmare Bays, not to mention access to the Cork/Kerry mountainous coastal delights. With the recession there has been a migration in recient years from the Dublin Marinas to Shannon Marinas.
 
I spent a week cursing the Shannon river and Ree a few years ago but it didn't give me the same feeling as the sea. The scene was good but some anti social people especially late at night was scary. Speaking of scary, some of the speed berthing at various visitors pontoons should be on you tube. I remember sitting in the cockpit and my wife would shout INCOMING and we would have a battle with fenders :)
 
With thanks to contributors to my thread we are flying over to Dublin in a couple of weeks to look at the suggested marinas. After looking at flights and ferries it turns out that I can be in Dublin within three hours of closing my front door. It takes that to get to the boat now and much longer during peak times.
If we decide to move the boat then the plane and car rental is the best choice for bi weekly commute.
 
Great to see some incoming boaters to Ireland!

I was berthed at Malahide for 1 month last year when purchasing current boat. We loved it. We considered it a home from home. Unfortunately the marina is much quieter now as not as much of a social ring as there used to be, but there's still plenty of boats there. Malahide is a lovely village, too (but not cheap to eat out etc.)

Howth certainly welcomes visitors but it is definitely a sailing marina - I was one of the few powerboats there.

I cannot comment much on Dun Laoighre - I only visited there a few times but did like it. But as a home base, i'd still rate Malahide

If you have any more queries, do ask on the forum... plenty of Irish posters here
 
Alboretto said:
With thanks to contributors to my thread we are flying over to Dublin in a couple of weeks to look at the suggested marinas. After looking at flights and ferries it turns out that I can be in Dublin within three hours of closing my front door. It takes that to get to the boat now and much longer during peak times.
If we decide to move the boat then the plane and car rental is the best choice for bi weekly commute.
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If flying Malahide may suit as it is close to the Airport, if getting the HSS ferry you can't do better than Dun Laoghaire. Poolbeg is small but walking distance to city centre locations as its right opposite Dublin port, great friendly YC atmosphere. At Dun Laoghaire or Malahide you have close access to the Dart commuter rail so city centre is easy to get to.
 
I have managed to free diary for a week so SWMBO and I are heading to Dublin on Tuesday to check out the boating area.
The response from marinas has been mixed so far. I have contacted 5 and asked to speak with manager. One was in Majorca and the rest are busy. Left messages in each case. Only two have called me back. I called the others again this week but still waiting :(
In any event we stay until Saturday and are looking forward to the break.
 
Enjoy. If you have decided flying will be your mode of getting over rather than ferry, take another look at Cork marines as it has an airport serviced by quite a few low cost carriers. The vast Cork harbour area has better and more varied cruising than east coast. Lots of close by overnight destinations.
 
Good point Oceanfroggie and I might consider Cork in due course. Although I hate flying it is by far the most convenient way for us to travel from home. Birmingham airport is only 40mins and it looks like Malahide is only 20mins from Dublin Airport. I've checked out the flights and we can be on the boat in Malahide quicker than North Wales. Only complaint so far is Malahide haven't returned any of my calls and I hate chasing companies to give them my hard earned :(

While we are in Dublin can you recommend some nice areas to visit this week within one hours drive. SWMBO will drag me around the shopping streets for sure but I would like to take the opportunity to see the countryside and enjoy the hospitality.
 
surprised you havn't had any response from the manager (Damian) though i guess this is his busy time, he's a hands on kind of guy & spends time in the yard.
i'd agree with oceanfroggie about cork , if i had a choice i'd be there but malahide is 25 mins from me
malahide village is a busy spot 3 main watering holes, gibneys, fowlers & duffey's, plenty of eatery's most have early bird specials.
cruzo's resturaunt which overlooks the marian has closed down but appears to being refurbished
the usual tourist spots in dublin would be temple bar, the guiness factory tour,grafton st for shopping. nice places within an hour (costal) howth, skerries ,dalkey,killiney. (inland), slane, hill of tara, avoca
app an hour & half should bring you to carlingford , (potential weekend sailing trip) or up the wicklow mountains to laragh & sallygap
hope you get good weather
 
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Hi Albiretto, its difficult to recommend places to visit without knowing your interests. However I'd recommend the Guinness store experience (needs 1-2hr), Trinity College Dublin, a drive through the Phoneix park, Powerscourt Gardens Enniskerry, a walk around St Stephens green and Grafton street, avoid temple bar at night, a binge drinking puke and vomit zone at night. if there is a decent show on, the Bord Gas Theatre in the Grand canal basin is nice. A walk around Dun Laoghaire pier is nice if visiting that marina. You can get the Dart from city centre to Malahide or Dun Laoghaire. Dublin bay was surveyed by Capt William Bligh of bounty fame and so accurate was his chart it is still the current BA chart in use today (with updates obviously for the shipping channel).
 
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