One of my favourite harbours…read more It's peaceful, cosy and always something to see. The famous seals, seagulls fighting with them over leftovers from the fishermen, people buying their lobster for Sundays dinner, people relaxing... Or just watching the waves and enjoying the scenery.

Bulloch Harbour is one of a number of charming little harbours dotted along the coast of South…read moreCounty Dublin. Tucked away behind Bulloch Castle, Bulloch Harbour isn't crowded with tourists, despite it's proximity to the Dalkey Dart station. My first real acquaintance with Bulloch Harbour came late last year when I was looking for a location to shoot a short film. The locating of a location (ha! see what i did there?) for this film was fraught with difficulties, due to the fact that part of the action took place (a) in a boat, and (b) at night. A nighttime shoot in a boat, what could be more easy to organise? Nevertheless, the good folks who fish in Bulloch Harbour not only gave us a boat and brought us round in it (at nighttime, in the freezing depths of November), but also gave us the use of their little shack, offered to make tea... couldn't meet nicer people. And one of our key shots would have been ruined had they not provided us with an additional extension cord, so thanks a million lads. In non-filmmaking related points of interest, boats can be rented at Bulloch during the summer, and the harbour has a couple of resident tame seals. If Tony sees you with a camera out, he might get one of them to lumber up the steps to take a piece of fish from his hands. An overlooked little gem, just south of the city.

I love the walk along the cliff here especially on a quiet sunny day on the way to the beach. its…read morepeaceful and there is a great view of Howth head and Bull Island. The beach is not too sandy, has rather more stones than usual but is without any kind of commercial appendages unlike Bray for example. It has a few towers dotted here and there and there are some small private coves for the more adventurous. But have some care when climbing down as one slip and you're a goner! I was there yesterday and the sound of silence was wonderful. I met a few other people alone like myself and they seemed to have the same idea as me. At the end of the walk is the Waterside hotel that you could nip into for a coffee or glass of wine. I didn't as i don't wine alone but seemed nice and comfortable.

Ah Dollymount strand, sure is'nt it lovely all the same. Even on a crisp February day its a decent…read morespot for a longer than long walk... Your feet can take you a few miles or kilometres in either direction, coasting along aimlessly upon the grains of sand. If you walk far enough you can even begin to feel like Tom Hanks did in the movie Castaway. Its a very tranquil place, with beautiful scenery to boot. If your dog cannot be trusted off the lead then my advice would be to keep him/her on it - there are loads of sand dunes for little Fido, Max, Snoopy ( insert your dogs name HERE) to go missing in... You will also look like an absolute goon running awkwardly, screaming your dogs name at the top of your lungs. whilst they ignore you and keep running. Running up that hill... The parking is free along the road but be sure not to park up at the roundabout unless you have a valid disabled parking permit. I believe the fines are €125 euro from the Guards now. Enough to cripple anyones month and leave your wallet a bit lame. You have been warned!

Dollymount was the place to make Dublin childhood memories (so I've been told). Every summer "back…read morein the day" the long sandy stretch was packed with kids, dogs at the surf, and cars parked along the beach to act as a breaker for that incessant wind. Queues of cars lined the Clontarf road waiting to get across the single lane wooden bridge (still do!). It's still a lovely spot for an afternoon walk, just be sure to be off the sand by dusk unless you're a local or part of a crowd. During the day the strand is a haven for kite surfers, dog walkers (check the surf for spring-loaded retrievers bounding along the breakers in utter doggy delight) and photogs -in the evenings however an entirely different element takes over, their detritus liable to be found underfoot the next day in the form of used needles and assorted garbage. Translation: wear shoes.

Killiney Hill is an absolute must see if you're visiting the area. It's beautiful and flowing with…read morehistory. There's many different routes to get to the obelisk at the top, but you can't go wrong with any of them

One of my favorite spots in Ireland thus far! A total locals spot to go walking and see some…read morewonderful views. This place is incredibly dog friendly (off leash) so you will be greeted by dozens of furry pups running around. There is a slight uphill climb on the trail at one point but it is paved and not too bad overall. Once you get to the top there are wonderful 360 views of the city, and the water including a beautiful obelisk on the top of the hill. You can see Wales from a distance, the city of Dublin and the Wicklow Mountains. Highly recommend this spot, especially if you want to escape touristy Dublin.

Dublin 6 doesn't lack green spaces (Dartmouth Square, Mount Pleasant Square and Belgrave Square are…read morewithin five minutes' walk), but few are as secluded as this one. Economic with the use of backlands beside the Luas station and between Victorian lanes and 1970s apartment blocks, the park is an elongated pond with some pleasantly leafy spaces at either end. Come in and feed the ducks, the pigeons, even what looked like a water vole when I was in there... Maybe opt to get a take-away from Diep Noodle Bar and feed yourself too. Like any good city park, it manages to feel sufficiently open and enclosed all at once.

You have to pass under a massive stone arch to reach this place, and the result is a "secret…read moregarden" feeling. At first. Deeper, the park opens up a good bit and is overlooked by apartment blocks. So the secret is spoiled. But in return you get a lake sporting swans, ducks, and surprisingly large fish. I'll call it a fair trade. If you can catch a few moments of sunshine, this is a reasonably nice spot to grab some lunch. There are benches set around the water, but people tend to prefer the grass embankments that rise away from the pond. From up high it feels like you are in a stadium where people have gathered to watch to geese settle their differences. So, that's fun.

Get yourself to Malahide Marina Centre on Dublin's next sunny weekend. It is such a peaceful,…read morebeautiful area just 30 minutes north of Dublin and it is well worth the visit. For those into boating there are 350 berths at this marina, but I definitely recommend it even if you're not planning to set foot on a yacht. There is an amazing park right next to the marina which is great for family fish and chip expeditions and for relaxing with friends. The walk around to Malahide Beach is wonderfully picturesque and well worth the effort (and it's not far - only about 15 minutes). Malahide itself is a very relaxing village, with loads of cafes, bars and clothes shops to admire. A day at Malahide will make you feel like you've stepped right out of Ireland and into some Mediterranean seaside village. And anywhere in Ireland that can trick the mind in this way is definitely worth seeing!

This is a lovely place to visit and look at the boats and walk along the sea and take in the…read morerelaxed atmosphere or just having a coffee or ice cream and just enjoying the lovely view from the benches at the green! Easy to reach by bus or Dart! Malahide Castle just 5 min away, great for walks and big adventure playground for the kids.

What a great way to see Dublin! Ok we were very lucky with the weather and wind which probably…read morewould have changed our experience slightly but this was a blast. We did an evening cruise up and down the river. We had two double Kayaks and we were followed in a motorboat by our guide. Our guide was one of the happiest and enthusiastic people I have ever met in Dublin. He was super eager to help and his enthusiasm definitely made us feel a lot more comfortable on the water. He explained the history of the bridges both old and new as well as the history of the river. We went as far north as the Millennium bridge and then back out to the port where we were lucky enough to see a Mexican tall ship. The equipment was modern and we were all offered jackets and water proof pants. I get a lot of visitors from the states and I cant't wait to go back and take them on the river. The best part was looking at Dublin from the quiet waters! Highly recommend city kayaking!

Great city adventure that let's you experience city center through a whole new perspective! The…read morekayaking experience was fun, easy and we were able to get beautiful pictures (and awesome memories!). This experience is great for families, friends, couples, even solo! You get about 2 hours to explore a nice stretch of the Liffey (from Capel Street Bridge to the Samuel Beckett Bridge). Someone from the company is always at hand (they cruise around on a motor boat) if you need any help, but you're left up to your own devices, so you can enjoy the views, get a bit of a workout, float for a while, take some great pics and even interact with people on the bridges. Great fun! Highly recommended. The price is more than fair (€25 pp), the staff was responsive, friendly and knowledgeable, and the process (from booking to kayaking) was a breeze .

You can't beat the exhilaration of swimming in the Irish Sea, the blissful tingling sensation stays…read morewith you and makes you feel closer to nature, to life and to adventure. Bring a book, a flask of coffee, a cream bun and savour the moment. What a wonderful view of Dublin Bay with little smiling heads bobbing in the foreground. Go during the colder months, you won't regret it.

For a place that really is quite popular, I can't quite figure out why. There's no sand, but plenty…read moreof old people changing, disgusting toilets and the seaweed can stink up to high heaven. Needless to say, I'm not a fan. Yes, it's handy because it's on the DART line, but so are Killiney and Malahide, and they're in another league altogether. Seapoint's like the ugly one that tries desperately to fit in with the others, but just can't, no matter how hard they try. Oh, and it lost their blue flag, which was it's single redeeming feature. However, it's a popular bathing spot, and there are crazy diehards who swim here every day. Mad altogether, but Seapoint's actually OK if you are swimming as opposed to paddling. So I'm told anyway...why you would swim in Irish waters is beyond me.