Dun Laoghaire
Rathdown
Welcome to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, a lovely county south
of Dublin city where the visitor can explore many a delightful
village and town, enjoy a magnificent coastline, relax in
wonderful countryside or enjoy numerous leisure pursuits -
horseriding, golf, hill walking and many water sports can
all be experienced here.
Jump on a DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport) in the city
centre and prepare to view some of the most breathtaking scenery
as it makes its way along the coast to Bray. You will journey
past Booterstown Marsh, a wildlife sanctuary where a variety
of native and migrating birds can be spotted and a 15 minute
trip brings you right into the heart of the old Victorian
harbour town of Dun Laoghaire. Dun Laoghaire celebrated its
1500th birthday in 1998. People come from all over Dublin
to walk Dun Laoghaires two piers, the East Pier is 1,290 m
long, and the West Pier is 1,548m, each pier ending in a lighthouse.
Stroll out here at any time of the day and you will see a
tremendous cross-section of people, particularly on a Sunday
when the pier is fairly crowded.
Onward to Sandycove, a pleasant little harbour where the
James Joyce Museum can be found in the Martello Tower, featuring
memorabilia, letters, first and rare editions and many items
associated with Joycean Dublin. The nearby village of Glasthule
comes alive on June 16th, Bloomsday, so names after the main
character, Leopold Bloom, in Joyce's famous masterpiece Ulysses.
The stretch of coastline from Dalkey around the bay to Bray
is beyond compare for its unique views of majestic cliffs,
sandy beaches and shimmering sea. Sample the spectacular view
from Vico Road in Killiney which has been described as a northern
echo of the Bay of Naples.
Inland, lots of wonderful parks and hills lie close by. Visit
Marlay Park, the starting point for some of the Wicklow Way
walking trails, or drive up the Dublin Mountains through Sandyford,
Stepaside and Glencullen where you can take in fabulous views
of the whole of Dublin City and county.
Climb the hill of Killiney Park for spectacular vies of Killiney
Bay, Dun Laoghaire Harbour and Dalkey Island and Sound, or
stroll along the wonderful woodland and cliff walks located
there. The area around Dalkey and Killiney is well renowned
for it magnificent houses overlooking the sea and celebrities
such as Bono, Maeve Binchy, Damon Hill, Jack Nicholas, Eddie
Irvine, Lisa Stansfield and Chris de Burgh are rumoured to
reside in the vicinity.
The shopping enthusiast has a wide range of options to choose
from around the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown area, home to one of
the newest and brightest shopping centre in the Dublin region,
Dun Laoghaire itself offers the visitor a marvellous combination
of exclusive boutiques and popular high street stores. The
pretty town of Blackrock boasts a splendid array of retail
outlets, restaurants and pubs and on the weekend it hosts
a market with over 50 stalls offering everything from crafts
and antiques to gourmet cheeses. Other suburban villages such
as Stillorgan and Dundrum also provide a wide selection of
shops and restaurants to while away a few hours, with the
latter town dating from the 13th century, one of the chain
of villages built to protect Dublin from raiding Wicklow clans.
The county as a whole is not without its own interesting
historic past. Recently designated a heritage town by Bord
Failte - the Irish Tourist Board - Dalkey retains an old world
atmosphere with its many historical buildings. The castle
contains a new heritage centre with a varied collection relating
to the history of Dalkey and a 7th century church dedicated
to the local saint, St. Begnet. Today the medieval town of
Dalkey is a charming, quaint village with narrow winding streets,
fascinating gift shops and small restaurants and pubs with
plenty of atmosphere.
Monkstown, situated half a mile from Dun Laoghaire, derives
its name from Cistercian Monks who founded Monkstown Castle
in the 12th century. Monkstown Church, right in the centre
of the village, is built in a Moorish Gothic style and plenty
of Edwardian houses are scattered throughout the area.
And there are plenty of other activities that can be enjoyed
in the county. Come and see for yourself the delights to behold
in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown area.
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