President Higgins visited Dun Laoghaire to launch the programme of events celebrating the harbour’s 200th anniversary.
Construction of the harbour began in 1815 and the foundation stone for the harbour's new granite piers was laid in 1817. In his speech marking the 200th anniversary of the harbour, the President focused on the changing nature of the harbour and the society around it, and thanked all those involved in the harbour's preservation and operation.