A talk to be held at 8pm on Tuesday 3rd February 2026 in The Druid’s Chair Pub, Killiney.
The three 19th century yacht clubs on the waterfront of Dun Laoghaire Harbour are beautiful classically inspired buildings, possibly unique in the world. Their history dates back to the early origins of yachting in Dublin Bay during the first half of the 19th century, when the harbour hosted magnificent yachts of various sizes at its annual summer regattas. The club houses with their neo-classical facades and fine interiors have been carefully maintained over the last 175 years and they are an integral part of historic Dun Laoghaire.
This talk will cover the Royal Irish, the Royal St. George and the National, formerly known as the Edward Yacht Club.
The talk will take place at 8pm in the upstairs lounge of the Druid’s Chair Pub in Killiney and admission is €5. All are welcome!
Peter is an historian, conservationist and noted artist with a lifelong commitment to the protection and enhancement of Ireland’s architectural heritage. As an artist, he has had solo exhibitions in Venice, Rome, London and Dublin. His love of older buildings led to his first book, Dun Laoghaire: Kingstown (1981), and later to his activism as a member of An Taisce and the Irish Georgian Society where he fought to save many historic buildings in Dublin and beyond. He initiated the Drimnagh Castle Restoration Project in 1985 and a survey and plan to save the Temple Bar area. He was a founder member of the Dublin Civic Trust, a member of the Heritage Council and is an honorary life member of the Dún Laoghaire Historical Society. Born in 1955, Peter was educated at Newpark School and Trinity College Dublin. His bestselling book Between the Mountains and the Sea, Dun Laoghaire- Rathdown County (1998) details the architectural heritage of the county; The Heart of Dublin (2000) charts the origins and planning of Dublin’s streetscapes from early times to the present day. Decorative Dublin (2002) explores the craftsmanship of Dublin, Of Sea and Stone (Gandon, 2014), records his work as a painter while his most recent book The Granite Coast (2022) explores the history of the Dun laoghaire and south county coastline. Peter lives with his wife, Phil, in Shankill.