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Howth

A few miles north of Dublin city center, on a rugged outcropping of land rising above the Irish Sea, lies the charming town of Howth, a favorite destination of locals seeking cultural events as well as tourists gawking at history and stunning scenery.

For the avid walker, the best way to take in the town and surrounding scenery is to start on the well-marked five mile coastal cliff path which runs the entire perimeter of the peninsula. My personal preference is to begin in Sutton, on the southeast side. The path winds gradually from a street of quaint Victorian and Queen Anne houses, past a small yacht club, into undeveloped land.

A few hundred yards on, you pass a refurbished, re-purposed Martello Tower which is now a residence on a cliff overlooking crashing surf. Looking south from here across Dublin Bay, the entire urban sprawl of Dublin is visible, including the smoke stacks of the Poolbeg Generating Station, which some may recognize from the original version of U2's mid-1980s video "Pride in the Name of Love".

Moving further on, the landscape becomes increasingly barren and windswept, sporting heather hedges and blackberry brambles. The path winds through some boggy areas which can be full of midges in warm wet weather. You may catch a glimpse of the ferry to Stranraer, Scotland or a large cargo ship chugging into heavy waves.

For the intrepid, there are places along the path which, at my last visit, still offered, albeit difficult to pick out and in places quite dangerous due to erosion, access to hidden coves along rocky beaches. These are havens for beachcombers in search of seaglass and small shells. In this area there is also an intriguing, weathered wooden signpost, diamond-shaped, which reads "Trans-Atlantic Telegraph".

About midway around the peninsula, the Old Bailey Lighthouse, a modern complex of white block buildings, appears on your right. Although it certainly feels like the middle of nowhere, there are actually many homes just out of sight to the left, including some of the most exclusive residences in all of Ireland, home to musicians and broadcast personalities. The path winds again into long stretches of heather and brambles where blackened roots and stumps still offer evidence of a brush fire which occurred in about 1999.

At last you pass a large, striking residence called "Tara Hall", perched on a cliff rimmed by a stone wall, and emerge at the end of Balscadden Road. Not much further along you'll see a signpost on a white-washed residence declaring it the former home of famous poet William Butler Yeats, which overlooks Howth Harbor and Ireland's Eye, a small barren monastic island just off the coast.

Balscadden Road descends past 19th century homes and shop fronts into the village of Howth itself. On the left, three piers extend into the sea, defining Howth Harbor. The sailboat and pleasure craft set are sheltered between the first two piers, while a colorful if rustic fishing fleet fills in between the second and third.

On the right hand side of the road, all manner of shops and restaurants vie for business with facades painted bright shades of blue, yellow, green and red. Numerous art galleries are also found here. The historic section of town lies on a street which climbs a steep hill behind the waterfront. Here you will find the second Martello Tower and the moody grounds and cemetery of St. Mary's Abbey.

For those who prefer to skip the walk due to health or fitness concerns, there is a DART line which terminates at Howth Station on this, the west, side of town.

Learn more about this author, Tammy Winand.
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