Dún Laoghaire celebrated its 1500th anniversary in 1998. However, antiquities around the county point to evidence of an even earlier history. Travel by rail and sea has always been important to the development of the region, contributing to Dún Laoghaire's current status as one of Ireland's busiest ferryports.

A Brief History Of Dún Laoghaire

View of Dalkey Island and Sorrento, from the Vico Road. Drawn for Gaskin's Irish Varieties (1869).

It is the aim of the Local History Department to collect, preserve and make available for reference, material on the history of the county.

Local History Strategic Plan (pdf 31kb)

The collection, which is housed in Dún Laoghaire Library , includes directories dating from 1798, council minutes from 1888, newspapers from 1819, and surveys and maps from 1730. The department also holds such genealogical resources as Griffiths Valuation, census returns from 1813-1911 and the Tithe Applotment Books.

The photograph collection covers prints and drawings from the 17th century to date. Highlights are copies of the Lawrence Collection, the Civil War (Ireland 1922-23) series, and the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Collection.

Further Details on the Collection

localhistory@dlrcoco.ie