7 Monkstown Gate

The centrepiece of Dublin's coastal towns, Dún Laoghaire built its identity around a harbour so vast that Victorian engineers spent thirty years constructing its twin piers. The ferry to Holyhead may be gone, but the East Pier walk endures as a cherished Sunday ritual. The town centre has reinvented itself around independent cafés, the Pavilion theatre, and a growing seafood culture. Apartment living here comes with genuine sea views — a combination Dublin rarely offers.