Explore Dún Laoghaire and its coastal surroundings with local painter, historian and writer Peter Pearson as he reveals the story behind its transformation from rocky granite shoreline to grand Victorian ‘watering place’.

Peter Pearson is a Dún Laoghaire man, familiar with every brick and stone of the harbour and town. Here he traces the social, historical and architectural development of Dún Laoghaire, Sandycove and Dalkey, from a stretch of granite coastline with a small fishing village up to the present day.

Pearson tells the story of a harbour designed to be a refuge from storms. Begun in 1816, and built in Dalkey granite, it is one of the most attractive artificial harbours in the world. It witnessed one of the world’s first lifeboat services, the fastest mail and passenger boats of the day, and the arrival of the first railway line in Ireland. Pearson also examines the social dimension, from the early settlement and development of houses and villas, with evocative names like Sorrento and Vico, to the slum alleys of Kingstown and the first council housing.

With over 250 illustrations, including early maps and many previously unseen photographs and images, this is a fascinating journey through the history and heritage of Dún Laoghaire, Sandycove and Dalkey.

‘Beautifully illustrated … contains endless riches.’ The Sunday Tribune

‘[Pearson] writes with enthusiasm and knowledge about his subject.’ Frank McDonald, The Irish Times

‘Pearson’s is an infectious passion.’ Books Ireland

Our gift of choice ... it should be on every Christmas list

handsome and multifaceted

On the southern side of Dublin Bay, Peter Pearson in The Granite Coast turns his perceptive focus on a narrative sweep of life in Dun Laoghaire, Sandycove and Dalkey, marshalling a formidable array of information. He examines social change from the settlement and development of villas, with names such as Sorrento and Vico, to the slum alleys of Kingstown and the first council housing. The book is enhanced with more than 250 illustrations, including early maps, rare photographs, watercolours and sketches, a superb accompaniment to the prose

Peter Pearson is a 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, while his most recent book, Of Sea and Stone (Gandon, 2014), records his work as a painter. Peter lives with his wife, Phil, in Shankill.