Discover Howth: The Perfect Day Trip from Dublin

 

If you’re visiting Dublin and craving fresh sea air, dramatic cliffs, and a taste of authentic Irish coastal life, look no further than Howth (pronounced Hoath). This charming fishing village and scenic peninsula — just 15 km from Dublin city centre — offers a blend of history, mythology, nature, and world-class seafood.

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Where Is Howth and Why Visit?

Howth (Irish: Binn Éadair, meaning “Éadar’s Peak”) sits on the northern edge of Dublin Bay, forming the striking Howth Head Peninsula. Once an island, it’s now connected to Dublin by a narrow strip of land at Sutton.

Easily accessible by the DART suburban train or Dublin Bus routes H3 and 6, Howth makes for one of the best day trips from Dublin. Whether you’re into hiking, history, photography, or simply relaxing with a pint by the sea, there’s something for everyone.

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Things to Do in Howth

1. Hike the Famous Howth Cliff Walk

The Howth Cliff Walk is a must-do for any visitor. The trail loops around the peninsula, offering panoramic views of Dublin Bay, Baily Lighthouse, and even the Wicklow Mountains on a clear day. There are several route options, ranging from easy strolls to more challenging treks — all rewarded with breathtaking scenery.

Along the way, keep an eye out for wildflowers, seabirds, and seals basking on the rocks below.

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2. Visit Historic Howth Castle

One of Ireland’s oldest continuously inhabited homes, Howth Castle has stood watch over the village for more than 800 years. Built by the St. Lawrence family, descendants of the Norman knight Almeric Tristram, the castle is steeped in legend.

One famous story tells of Gráinne O’Malley, the 16th-century pirate queen who kidnapped the Earl’s grandson after being denied hospitality at the castle gates. Her ransom? A promise that uninvited guests would never again be turned away — a tradition that endures to this day.

The castle grounds are perfect for a peaceful walk, and the nearby Deer Park offers scenic gardens and golf courses.

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3. Explore Howth Harbour and Marina

The heart of the village beats along Howth Harbour, where colourful fishing boats and sleek yachts share the water. Take a stroll on the East Pier, enjoy the salty breeze, and watch the fishermen unload their catch.

This area is also a food lover’s paradise — from classic fish and chips to elegant seafood restaurants serving fresh oysters, lobster, and chowder. Don’t miss the Howth Market (open weekends) for handmade crafts, local produce, and artisanal treats.

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4. Take a Boat Trip to Ireland’s Eye

Just offshore lies Ireland’s Eye, an uninhabited island rich in wildlife and history. Seasonal boat trips depart from Howth Harbour, giving visitors the chance to spot seabirds, seals, and even puffins during the nesting season.

It’s a peaceful escape for nature lovers and photographers looking for that perfect coastal shot.

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5. Enjoy a Sunset at the Summit

End your day at The Summit, the highest point on Howth Head. From here, you’ll get 360-degree views of Dublin Bay, the Irish Sea, and beyond — especially stunning at sunset. Afterwards, unwind in one of Howth’s cosy pubs for a pint of Guinness and live Irish music.

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How to Get to Howth from Dublin

• By DART (Train): The easiest and most scenic route. Take the DART from central Dublin to Howth Station (about 30 minutes). The line ends right in the village.
  
  

• By Bus: Dublin Bus routes 31, 31a, and 31b also serve Howth from the city centre.
  
  

• By Car: Follow the R105 regional road — the drive takes about 30–40 minutes, depending on traffic.
  
  

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Best Time to Visit Howth

Howth is beautiful year-round, but the best time to visit is between April and September, when the weather is mild and the days are long. Summer weekends can be busy, so try an early morning or weekday visit for a quieter experience.

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Where to Eat in Howth

Howth’s restaurants are famous for their fresh seafood. Top spots include:

• Aqua Restaurant – fine dining with panoramic sea views.
  
  

• The Oar House – a local favourite for fish and chips.
  
  

• Beshoff Bros. – for a quick and tasty takeaway.
  
  

• The Summit Pub - great food and a wonderful view - on a clear day you may even see the Mountains of Mourne in Northern Ireland.
  
  

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Final Thoughts: Why You’ll Love Howth

From ancient castles and Viking legends to windswept cliffs and seafood feasts, Howth perfectly captures the spirit of Ireland’s east coast. It’s close enough for a half-day trip from Dublin, yet wild enough to make you feel miles away.

So, lace up your walking shoes, hop on the DART or the bus, and let Howth’s mix of history, nature, and coastal charm sweep you off your feet.

Samhain: The Celtic Festival Where the Veil Grows Thin

Every autumn, as the last of the harvest is gathered and the evenings stretch longer, Ireland and Scotland begin to hum with an ancient energy. On the night of October 31st, before the clocks and calendars and modern Halloween, the Celtic world celebrated Samhain — the moment when light and dark traded places, when the living and the dead walked closer than ever before.

🌾 The Turning of the Year

Samhain (pronounced SOW-in) marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, the “darker half” of the Celtic year. It was both a farewell to abundance and a greeting to mystery. The Celts didn’t divide their year with January resolutions; for them, November 1st was the New Year’s dawn, and its eve a time to honor ancestors, light great bonfires, and prepare for the cold months ahead.

Across the Gaelic lands — from Ireland’s green valleys to the misty Scottish Highlands — Samhain was one of four great seasonal festivals, alongside Imbolc, Bealtaine, and Lughnasa. Bonfires blazed on hilltops, cattle were driven down from the summer pastures, and families gathered to feast, tell stories, and reflect on what they had reaped — and what they might lose.

👻 When Worlds Collide

To the ancient Celts, Samhain was a liminal night — the veil between the world of the living and the Otherworld grew thin. Spirits, fairies, and ancestors could cross more easily, bringing both blessings and mischief. Offerings of food and drink were left on doorsteps to appease the aos sí, the “good folk” of the hills, while bonfires were believed to protect and purify.

To walk home alone on Samhain night was risky business. People turned their coats inside out or carried iron or salt to ward off unseen forces. Others disguised themselves as spirits, hoping to trick the Otherworldly beings into mistaking them for their own. Sound familiar? It’s the ancient root of our modern Halloween costumes.

🪔 Fire and Feast

In Ireland’s Boyne Valley, at the sacred site of Tlachtga (the Hill of Ward), druids lit the Great Fire of Samhain. Every household extinguished its hearth and rekindled it from the sacred flame, symbolizing renewal and unity. Nearby, at the Hill of Tara, the “Mound of the Hostages” aligns perfectly with the sunrise around Samhain — a Neolithic monument 5,000 years old, suggesting that this festival predates even the Celts themselves.

Feasts were central to the night’s magic. Tables were laid with extra places for ancestors returning home. Food for the dead was shared with the poor, and the bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into the communal fire — the origin of the “bone-fire,” or bonfire.

🎃 From Samhain to Halloween

As Christianity spread across Europe, Samhain merged with All Saints’ Day (November 1st) and All Souls’ Day (November 2nd), becoming All Hallows’ Eve — or Hallowe’en. Yet the ancient customs refused to die. The Irish and Scottish carried their traditions to America in the 19th century, where the jack-o’-lantern replaced skull lanterns, and trick-or-treating echoed the old practice of leaving food for wandering spirits.

🌍 Echoes Across Cultures

Curiously, at the same time of year, half a world away, Hindus celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights — another festival marking victory of light over darkness and the start of a new year. It’s a reminder that humanity, in all its diversity, has always found meaning in this threshold between seasons, between the known and the unseen.

🗺️ Visiting Samhain’s Sacred Heart

Today, travelers seeking to connect with Ireland’s ancient soul can visit Tlachtga near Athboy, County Meath, where locals still gather each year to light ceremonial fires on Samhain night. The nearby Hill of Tara, with its mystical mounds and panoramic views, hums with history and legend. As the mist rolls in and torches flicker in the night, it’s easy to imagine the druids, the spirits, and the ancestors still lingering — waiting for the veil to thin once more.

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✨ Travel Tip:
If you find yourself in Ireland in late October, skip the plastic pumpkins and haunted houses. Instead, head to the Boyne Valley for the Festival of Fire — a revival of the original Samhain ceremony. You’ll experience storytelling, Celtic music, and the rekindling of the great flame that once united the clans of Ireland.

The Poolbeg Chimneys

 

Rising proudly over Dublin Bay, the Poolbeg Chimneys are among Ireland’s most recognizable landmarks — two towering red-and-white stacks that have come to symbolize the capital itself. Though once purely industrial in function, they now hold an enduring place in the cultural and visual landscape of Dublin.

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Origins on the Poolbeg Peninsula

The chimneys are located on the Poolbeg Peninsula (Irish: An Poll Beag), an artificial extension of land projecting from Ringsend into Dublin Bay. The area’s development dates back to the 18th century, when engineers began constructing the Ballast Office Wall, later known as the Great South Wall, to protect Dublin’s harbor.
As silt from the River Liffey gradually built up around the wall, the resulting sandbars were filled with rubble, creating the peninsula that now hosts several Dublin landmarks — including the Poolbeg Lighthouse (completed in 1767), Irishtown Nature Park, and the Poolbeg Generating Station.

The name Poolbeg itself originates from “Poole Begge”, a tidal pool once surrounded by sandbars near the harbor entrance. This area became home to the lighthouse that gave the peninsula, and later the power station, its name.

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The Poolbeg Power Station

The Poolbeg Generating Station (Cumhachtstáisiún an Phoill Bhig), colloquially known as The Stacks, is owned and operated by the Electricity Supply Board (ESB). Construction began in the 1960s, with the first two units completed in 1971 at a cost of £20 million. A third unit followed in 1978, and a modern combined-cycle gas plant was added in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Today, the site houses six generating units with a combined capacity of 1,020 megawatts, making it one of the most significant energy producers in Ireland. Though the original thermal station ceased operation in 2010, the newer gas-fired units remain active, ensuring Poolbeg continues to play a vital role in Dublin’s power supply.

Adjacent to the modern facility lies the historic Pigeon House — Dublin’s first power station, commissioned in 1903, which was also the first in the world to generate three-phase electricity. The name “Pigeon House” dates to 1761, when caretaker John Pidgeon opened an eatery to serve workers building the Great South Wall. Over the centuries, the site evolved from a rest stop to a fort, and eventually, into the birthplace of Dublin’s electrical power.

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The Twin Chimneys: Construction and Design

Constructed in 1969 and 1977, the two Poolbeg chimneys stand at just over 207 metres tall (680 feet), making them among the tallest structures in Ireland. Their distinctive red-and-white bands were painted for aviation safety but have since become a defining feature of the Dublin skyline. Visible from almost anywhere in the city, they serve as a navigational landmark for both residents and visitors.

Though purely functional in design, their scale and stark symmetry have given them a sculptural presence that contrasts dramatically with Dublin’s generally low-rise cityscape.

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Cultural Icon and Public Controversy

When the ESB announced plans to demolish the chimneys in 2014 — citing maintenance costs and safety concerns — public reaction was immediate and passionate. Dubliners rallied to protect the towers, viewing them as symbols of the city’s industrial heritage and cultural identity. Following widespread outcry, the decision was reversed, and the chimneys were officially listed as protected structures in July 2014.

Their cultural impact extends beyond Dublin. The chimneys have featured prominently in Irish music and media, most famously in U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love)” music video. They also appear in photographs, films, and artwork, embodying a gritty yet poetic vision of Dublin’s industrial era.

As Dublin City Councillor and historian Dermot Lacey observed, the chimneys represent “a vital part of the city’s story — both industrial and emotional.”

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Poolbeg Today and Tomorrow

While the original chimneys no longer function, the surrounding area continues to evolve. The Poolbeg West development, covering 34 hectares, is set to transform the peninsula into a new urban district featuring 3,000 homes and workspace for 8,000 people. A €30 million bridge is also planned to link the area with Dublin’s South Docklands, though construction has yet to begin as of 2024.

Despite these changes, the chimneys remain untouched — a steadfast reminder of Dublin’s industrial past amid the city’s rapid modernization.

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Enduring Symbols of Dublin

The Poolbeg Chimneys may not be conventionally beautiful, yet their silhouette against the Dublin sky evokes both nostalgia and pride. To their detractors, they are relics of a bygone industrial age; to their supporters, they are irreplaceable emblems of Dublin’s character — stark, resilient, and unmistakably authentic.

As the city grows around them, the Poolbeg Chimneys continue to watch over Dublin Bay — enduring symbols of the capital’s history, its ingenuity, and its soul.

Custom House, Dublin

 Custom House 

The Custom House is a neo-classical building located on the north banks of the River Liffey, close to Dublin’s financial district. When an older Custom House was deemed no longer fit for purpose in the late 18th Century, John Beresford (Ireland’s first commissioner for Revenue). James Gandon (1743 - 1823), the English-born architect, was appointed in charge of the project. While this was Gandon’s first major commission, he was later involved with other works, such as the Four Courts and Kings Inns in Dublin, and Emo Court in Laois. 

The new Custom House was originally unpopular with Dublin Corporation and many of the city’s merchants, as it was felt it shifted the axis of the city, and would leave insufficient room for shipping. 

Construction started in 1781, and was completed in late 1791, at an estimated cost of £200,000 - a considerable sum at the time.

The four facades of the Custom House are decorated with coat-of-arms and sculptures by Edward Smyth, representing Ireland’s rivers. Another artist, Henry Banks, created the statues around the Custom House, including the one on the top of the dome.

Just east of the building, the dock and swing bridge were also designed by Gandon, and building of these was finished in 1798. In the 1940’s the old dock was filled in and the swing bridge removed, to be replaced by an extended quay, and later to be replaced by Memorial Road. 

Over time the port of Dublin moved downriver, and the Custom House became obsolete for it’s intended purpose of collecting customs duties. After this it became headquarters for the Local Government Board for Ireland.

During the War of Independence in 1921, the Irish Republican Army burned down the Custom House, in order to destroy tax records and thereby disrupt British rule in Ireland. The original interior of the Custom House was completely destroyed as a result, and the central dome collapsed. Important historical records were also lost in the fire. Despite the fire achieving the Irish Republican Army’s objectives, they lost a lot of Volunteers in the attack and when falling back. 

After the Anglo-Irish Treaty (signed in December 1921), the Irish Free State government restored the building. This restoration work is still evident on the building today - the dome was rebuilt using Ardbraccan limestone, instead of the original Portland stone, which was lighter in colouring. 

In November 2021, a Visitor Centre was opened in the Custom House, and it reveals the story behind this wonderful building and it’s place in Irish history. It is well worth a visit, and the staff are very welcoming and knowledgeable.

The GPO

 

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  The GPO

  History of the General Post Office (GPO), Dublin

  The GPO is one of Ireland’s most famous buildings in Dublin city centre.

  It is the headquarters of An Post, the Irish postal service, and plays a huge part in Ireland’s history. It served as the headquarters of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, who were fighting against British rule in Ireland. It also has the distinction of being the last great Georgian building erected in Dublin and was designed by Francis Johnston, an Anglo-Irish architect. The foundation stone was laid in August 1814 by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Charles Whitworth and was completed in 1818, at a cost, depending on sources of between £50,000 and £80,000. 

  It is located on O’Connell Street, which at the time was called Sackville Street, and is the main thoroughfare in Dublin, as well as it’s widest street. Up until 1966, the GPO was faced by Nelson’s Column, until it was blown up by a bomb allegedly planted by Republicans. In it’s place stands the Spire, a monument which itself appears to be loved and hated amongst Dubliners. The Spire stands at 120 metres tall and can be seen from a variety of points throughout the city.

  At the time of the 1916 Easter Rising, the GPO, and Sackville Street itself, would have been seen by some as representative of the British elite, due to their ostentatious nature.

  To mark the start of the Easter Rising, the Irish flag was raised and Padraig Pearse (Commander-in-Chief of the Irish Volunteers) stood in front of the GPO and read out the Irish Proclamation which declared Ireland a sovereign nation. The following number of days saw massive bloodshed and violence around the city, with remnants of some of the bullet holes still visible in the front of the GPO. While much of the GPO was destroyed during this violence, the grand pillars at the front of the building remained and the building was rebuilt in 1929. 

  While the GPO still functions as the headquarters of An Post, it also hosts a museum telling the story of the 1916 Easter Rising through a variety of mediums. The museum can be seen on your own, or through one of it’s guided tours. The museum also contains artifacts relating to Irish culture. There is a bronze statue of Cu Chulainn there, once described by Eamonn DeValera as ‘a beautiful piece of sculpture, the creation of Irish genius, symbolizing the dauntless courage and abiding constancy of our people’. Another piece of art worth viewing is the sculpture ‘They are of us all’, which commemorates the loss of 40 children during the Easter Rising. 

  This building and it’s museum is worth visiting when on a trip to Dublin, to appreciate it’s architecture and beauty, as well as the huge part it played in Irish history.

  For information on opening times, please see the GPO website.