A Dublin Day Hike – Two Cliffs /Two Hills
These 4 intriguing hikes in the environs of Dublin, along the coast of the Irish Sea, from Howth to Greystones, in aggregate, equal an extreme day hike.
The city of Dublin itself was not part of the hike, but rather some interesting communities north and south of it, connected by a very efficient local train called DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit):
* Howth Cliff Walk
* Killiney Hill
* Bray Head Hill
* Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk
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Starting to the north, take the DART in the early morning to Howth and hike the cliff trail around the pennisula, ending up at the Sutton station. Allow 4 hours including DART. |
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Killiney Hill |
From the Sutton station take the DART to Dalky and hike up Killiney Hill heading for this pictured obelisk. Views include Dublin, the Howth Pennisula, and ferries arriving from Wales into Dun Laoghaire. Take the trail on the southeast side of the peak down to the Killiney village, home to many international pop and movie stars. Take the DART to Bray. Allow 2 hours including DART. |
View from seafront promenade looking south at Bray Head.
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Walk south towards Bray Head, along the promenade, turning right up a steep 790′ hill and head for the cross. The last 100′ are not obvious and a bit of a scramble. With views of the Wicklow Mountains, Bray Bay, and Wales 60 miles a way on a clear day (about 4 times a year). Allow 2 hours including DART |
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Top of Bray Head
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Bray to Greystones Cliff WalkReturn down (north) the same path (don’t try to walk south directly towards Greystones … thorn bushes everywhere) and turn right onto the trail to Greystones, a dramatic, twisting and turning cliff walk about 5 miles long, but flat and easy. The path hugs the tallest cliffs on the Irish east coast and overlooks spectacular drops. There are some warning signs which relate to cliff erosion, and some state the trail is closed, but it is not true. When you reach Greystones, a nice fishing village with a lovely round harbor, ask where the DART station is for the 40 minute return to Dublin. If you need to wait, find a pub and have a Guinness beer, and coupled with this day’s cliff and hill hiking, you will have rounded off one perfect Irish day! Allow 2 hours.
Total time: 10 hours
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