The Martello Tower is one of many towers that were built along the coast of Dublin during the 19th…read moreCentury. You can access it off of Abbey road in Howth. Just follow the small trail that leads upwards into a field. Built by the English during the time of the Napoleonic wars, it was a watchtower to fend off French invasion. The towers stands 12 metres high and is resistant to cannon ball fire. It was designed to to be an ideal platform for heavy artillery. Nowadays, the structure is in mint condition. Despite it being closed to visitors, it makes for an interesting historical site. The view from the tower is also spectacular. You see Howth harbour, Ireland's Eye and miles of sea.

A wonderful pub in Howth that is in a very convenient place! The service and staff are great, as…read morewell as good fun. I went during subs live music and, though it was crowded, it was a very good time!

The Bloody Stream - no not the pub the actual stream. I am sure a lot of visitors to Howth think…read morewhat a strange name for a pub but little do they know running beneath the train station is "The Bloody Stream" So here is the history bit . . . in 1177 there was a big battle between The Vikings who were the locals in Howth at the time and the Normans who arrived into the harbour to attack. The Normans defeated The Vikings and the blood from the dead and wounded flowed into the river giving it it's name. During many excavations weapons, armour and human remains were found around the site of the train station. The head of the Norman invaders, Sir Almeric Tristram, having won the battle became the first Earl of Howth and as the battle was won on the feast day of St.Lawrence he adopted St. Lawrence as his family name. His decedents, the St.Lawrence family still live in Howth Castle today. The stream runs down from the castle and then disappears under the main road - you will pass a little waterfall of the stream on the right just before you come into Howth. #yelpelite2016 #yelpelite

Gord and I came across St. Mary's Church while wandering around Howth Saturday afternoon…read more The first church built in Howth was on the site of Howth Abbey, in Howth village. It was founded by Sightrygg, King of Dublin around 1042. Around 1235, the old church was amalgamated with the church on Ireland's Eye and a new church was built - founded by Luke, Archbishop of Dublin on land granted by Sir Almeric St. Lawrence. Little remains of either of these churches and most of the present abbey dates back to the late 14th century or early 15th century.

If you are planning a day trip out to Howth or even just visiting the market this is a little…read moredetour well worth making. Not only for its historical value but it also has one of the best views in Howth out over the harbour to Ireland's Eye and Lambay Possibly the view is the reason King Sitric decided to build his Church here in 1042 but that structure is long gone and the current ruins are of an Abbey built by the St.Lawrence family in the early 15th Century - none the less it is an impressive site. The church was a indented in 1630's for a larger nearby church but a lot of the origami features like carvings and tombs remain. On the site there is also a little graveyard which has some interesting things to see. There is a section of the graveyard called the "strangers bank" which was for unidentified people who had died at sea. You may notice here there is a makeshift grave of tram rails. This marks the grave of a young Englishman who was working on the construction of the Howth tram in 1895. He had kept to himself so when he died suddenly his colleagues did not know his name or his family so they buried him here and made him a gravestone from the rail tracks The entrance is off abbeys street very close to both the harbour and the village - there are steps leading up to it just beside The Abbey Tavern

The Howth Cliff Walk in Howth, Ireland offers BEAUTIFUL views of the ocean, Irish countryside, and…read morein the distance, you'll see the Bailey Lighthouse that looks straight out of a storybook! (fyi, the lighthouse is on private property so you can't access the lighthouse up close) See pics/videos included w/ this review of the beautiful cliff walk. There are a few different routes you can do but my hubby and I did "The Howth Summit Walk" on Friday, 10/10/2025, which took us about 1.5 hr to complete & this was w/ us stopping to take in the beautiful view and taking lots of pics/videos along the route. This route was fairly easy going down, w/ only a few spots along the route when coming back up that got your heart rate up. I do recommend that you wear tennis shoes (even better hiking shoes) and comfortable clothing. We saw so many people not wearing tennis shoes and instead thought they were doing a fashion shoot on the trail & it did not look comfortable at all - not to mention, not safe! We did a day trip to Howth from Dublin and it was a straightforward and short trip. Fyi(s) - ---- There are a few portable toilets onsite and there is a private parking lot for those who drive themselves. ---- The was also a mobile truck onsite that sold coffee. --- It was cloudy on the day we hiked but the views were still so beautiful! -- - We started our hike around 12pm and despite there being plenty of people there, we were able to have the hiking trail to ourselves. Hope this info helps!

What's up: Wrapping up my trip with one last hike/walk. Since I was in the Swords area, Howth was…read moreone of the places I wanted to check out due to its views. Transit: From Swords, I took Go Ahead Ireland 102 from Forest View bus stop to Sutton Station bus stop and then transferred over to the DART Howth from Sutton Station to Howth Station. If arriving by car, there is a small parking area available right before the trailhead. Environment: There is a single outhouse near the parking area before you head out on the trail. Since it rained overnight, the route was a bit muddy. And as expected, the view was not great lol. However, the trail was well marked and had markers with colored arrows directing your way; I followed the Green Loop. While I didn't get much of a view due to the fog and cloud coverage, the trail did take me past historical marker Eire 6 which is an aerial recognition sign (that was kinda cool). And towards the end, it did clear up and I was able to get a view of Ireland's Eye. The end of the Green Loop will take you into the residential area to loop you back towards Howth Station. Yay/Nay/Meh: Yay, this was a nice hike along the cliffs. There are also benches along the way. Overall, it was a nice hike.

My review of Ireland's Eye is a little biased considering the weather I got while here. So it's a…read moresmall Island just a few minutes by boat from Howth harbour (so easily accessible from the city by DART). The Island has a nice beach, 7th century castle, Martello tower (climb up the rope to get inside!) and small cliffs that are popular with rock climbers. It's a perfect spot for a picnic and day out in the sun, you will not believe you are still in Dublin. OK, so lets talk about the ultimate way to see this island! On those rare calm days, don your wetsuit, grab a SUP (Stand Up Paddle board) and venture out from Howth harbour. Ok, so most of us can't just do that, but if a calm spell is coming contact the guys in Puremagic (Clontarf Rd). They are a super friendly group and they organise SUP lessons and SUParis around the Island. I went out on a SUP with Puremagic on a Friday evening and it was one of the most amazing things I've done in my 27 years in Dublin. As you approach the Island you will see curious seals starting to pop there heads out of the water. Before you know it you'll be surrounded by over 20 of them, some continued to follow us around the island. The side of the Island facing away from the coast is beautiful cliff face with large nesting bird colones. As I passed peacefully on my SUP just meters from the cliff face I could see thousands of birds flying, diving and skimming along the water. My favorite bird was the razorbill, they seem to struggle flying out of the water and spent most of the time skimming along on there belly, they looked like a cross between a penguin and a flying bird. There are also a few small caves along the cliff that a pretty cool to venture into. There is a sandy beach on the Island and when the tide is in there are a few spots from the rocks that provide a good spot for a bit of diving. So I've rambled, but I can not recommend SUPari around the Island more, so if you get the chance, DO IT!

If you ever fancy doing something different than hanging out in the pub, then why not head down to…read moreHowth and visit Ireland's Eye. Ireland's Eye is an inhabited island that is accessible during the warmer months by motor boat. The boat leaves from the main pier and the journey lasts 15 minutes or so. The island itself is a pleasure to explore. It is home to several different species of birds and seals. Anyone nature lover will enjoy hiking up and down its thorny trails. But avoid doing so if you're not dressed appropriately. I made the mistake of wearing flip flops and a skirt and I got scratched by every imaginable bush. I also nearly fell in a badger hole and got hissed at by the notoriously vicious animal. Besides hiking and animal watching, you can also suntan on the sandy shores and have a barbecue or picnic. However, last time I did this I was surrounded by rowdies. Still, the whole experience was quite an amusing adventure.

Visited Howth Castle briefly while I was in the area. I didn't see all of the castle on parts of…read morethe front. I wish I had a chance to see everything. I always pictured an Irish castle to look like the castle in the move "Brave" where an Irish princess named Mèrida running around! Howth Castle is not as extravagant as other castles like in Prague but it's still beautiful. Worth a stop if you're ever in Howth!

The Rhododendeon Garden is the most magical and surprising woodland I've ever visited. Think Secret…read moreGarden mixed with Sherwood Forest and a sprinkling of Lilliput. It's truly special when all the trees are blooming (from May onwards). The trees are unexpectedly tall and because they grow along uneven paths, you're completely nestled in a blaze of colour. The skyline is a crescendo of magenta, violet and cream. The fiery hues shelter your journey along pathways and caves littered with silken petals. There are small copses where you can relax, and you never know whats around the corner. We were lucky enough to go on a warm day, and even then there were so few people around, it was bliss. You honestly feel like you're in a solitary, magical kingdom. View the photos to see what I mean.

Fresh air, unforgiving winds, and waves that swell right at you…read more It almost puts you off balance, the sea being cut at half like that, its motion at odds; separated by the pier, one side is rough, green, and full of motion and the other is calm, blue, and virtually still. I still find it fascinating. Even though it was so deep and so rough, I wanted to be in it. It must have hit golden hour when we were there, because that light? Nothing quite like it. And once you reach the end --so what about the long walk home-- you can stare out for days at the sky kissing the sea. Or, at least, stopping to greet it.

The Poolbeg Lighthouse is the reward for walking along all the Ringsend nature trails. Situated at…read morethe end of a stone pier, it overlooks Dublin Bay. Many fisherman hang around the lighthouse, hopeful that they will catch a meal. But it's also a wonderful spot to watch the big ships come in. There's also an amazing view of Howth, Dun Laoghaire and of course, the Dublin Port. Built in 1768, the lighthouse was redesigned in 1820. Since then, it has maintained its present form. Unfortunately, visitors are not granted access to the inside.

Ben of Howth is a hill on Howth Head that has the most breathtaking view of the sea, Ireland's eye…read moreand the neighbouring golf course. It's 171 metres high and on a sunny summer's day, I can think of no better place to drive to. There isn't much to do here, only hike and enjoy the sights. Yellow rhododendrons and purple heather grow on the hillside which makes the place idyllic. This is a great spot for first time visitors to Ireland. It makes the country seem rugged, wild and beautiful.

On a clear morning, we hike up to the Ben of Howth. From there, if you bring your binoculars (or,…read morelike me, are particularly keen-sighted) you can see Wales to the East and the Isle of Man to the NNE. Just scan the horizon slowly, as if you were looking out for Viking raiders. If you'd ever met any Viking raiders, you'd be up there now trembling in your moccasins. Scan slowly and you'll see tiny bumps on the horizon. Amazing. That's Wales. You have most of the Irish Sea covered. Then it's just a short stroll down the hill (exit by the quarry entrance) and you're having breakfast down in the Village (that's where the big church is, and it's an Assumption (joke).

The Bull Wall, or the North Bull Wall, if you will, was built in the 19th century in order to stop…read moreDublin Port from silting up. It was designed by, among others, Captain William Bligh, he of Mutiny on the Bounty fame (he was also on one of Captain Cooks voyages, but this fact is often overlooked in view of his later notoriety). The Bull Wall consists of a wooden bridge (in order to let water into the lagoon) as well as the wall itself, which is finished off with a statue of the holy mother at the end (though this is a more recent addition, relatively speaking). It's pleasant to take a walk out along the Bull Wall, as an end in itself or as a precursor to taking a walk out along Bull Island. It's great to jump off the wooden bridge at high tide during the summer, and as you head out along the wall, there are two sets of swimming baths, one for the men, one for the ladies. I say swimming baths: they're actually a type of open to the elements concrete hut, but they are handy for leaving your clothes in when going for a dip. And once you walk down the baths' steps, you're about chest-high in water, so this is for serious swimmers rather than paddlers. And not for the squeamish "it's too cold" variety of swimmer, either; the water is usually pretty damn cold until late summer, and if you don't put your head fully under, the old men who swim there, winter and summer, will laugh at you and call you a softie. Yep, the Bull Wall is pretty tops. One teeny little quibble though; the wooden bridge itself is the property of Dublin Port rather than Dublin City Council, and for some complicated legal reason, Dublin Port are obliged to close the bridge for one day a year to assert their title. There's nothing wrong with the bridge, they just close it. It is only for one day a year, but if you decide to use the bridge on this particular day (as I once did), you can't, so watch out for that. Definitely worth a stroll along.

The Bull Wall is one of my favourite walks in Dublin. It's absolutely beautiful…read more Come down here on a windy day and be prepared to have every single last cobweb blown off you! As you cross the bridge there's no shelter from the wind, which is fine if you're dressed for it. The Bull Wall leads to Bull Island, a bird sanctuary with many different species hiding in the dunes. Not just birds though, there is so much diversity in the plants, grasses, insects and small animals that nature lovers will be kept amused for hours. The best part of The Bull Wall, to me, is Realt na Mara. I've always felt safe out sailing knowing she is there...mainly because as a child I believed she could somehow animate herself should you ever get in trouble!