THE GREAT SOUTH Wall in Dublin Bay, which is home to the famous Poolbeg Lighthouse, is undergoing repair works that will cost €2.5 million. 

The sea wall sustained heavy damage during Storm Bram, which hit Ireland in December.

The five-week programme of works will involve replacing lost rock armour at the roundhead near Poolbeg Lighthouse, Dublin Port said in a statement announcing the project. 

A section of the wall, approximately 100 metres from the Poolbeg Lighthouse, is temporarily closed to the public while the works are underway.  

Built between 1720 and 1795, the wall is more than 230 years old and still stands in its original form, providing shelter to the shipping channel into Dublin Port.  

Dublin Port said that while Storm Bram was particularly severe, increasingly stormy winter weather more generally has done damage to the wall. 

The Poolbeg Lighthouse on the Great South Wall. Dublin Port Dublin Port

“With increasing wave heights there has been an exponential increase in the power of these waves,” said  Cormac Kennedy, head of commercial at Dublin Port.

“That means the wall will continue to encounter more frequent and more damaging storms, and we need to move swiftly to remediate recent damage. What we are doing now is the first phase of works, with more extensive rock armour placement planned over the coming years.”

Kennedy said the impacts of climate change are “built into the design” of all the port’s projects. 

“These remedial works are part of our environmental and conservation responsibilities, which recognise the potential impacts of changing weather patterns and sea level rise. With this work, we are seeking to protect Dublin Port and to continue to safeguard shipping operations.” 

Port engineer Eamon McElroy said that regular scanning and 3D modelling of the wall has shown some movement in the rock armour, which needs to be addressed now. 

“As storms become more severe, we need to work quickly to protect this crucial piece of marine infrastructure,” he said.