Other in County Dublin

Howth Head is a dramatic rocky peninsula that juts into Dublin Bay just twelve kilometres northeast of the city centre, offering an extraordinary combination of clifftop walking, maritime history, wildlife watching and seafood eating within easy reach of the Irish capital. The headland rises to around 170 metres above sea level, and its clifftop paths provide sweeping views across Dublin Bay, south towards the Wicklow Mountains and north across the Irish Sea towards the Mountains of Mourne in Northern Ireland. The cliff walk around the headland is one of the most popular walks in the Dublin area, following paths that wind along the southern and eastern edges of the peninsula through gorse, heather and dramatic rock formations. The full circuit of the headland takes around three to four hours and passes through some genuinely wild and exposed coastal scenery. In late spring the gorse blazes yellow and the air carries a faint coconut scent that makes the headland feel almost tropical despite the Irish Sea wind. Seabirds including kittiwakes, fulmars and guillemots nest on the cliffs during the breeding season, and grey seals haul out on the rocks at the headland's tip. Howth village at the base of the headland has been a fishing port since medieval times and its small harbour remains genuinely active, with fishing boats landing catches each morning. The village has developed a strong reputation for seafood restaurants and fish stalls around the harbour, making lunch or dinner here an essential part of any visit. The Saturday farmers' market along the pier is a popular local institution for fresh produce and artisan foods. Ireland's Eye, a small uninhabited island visible just offshore, can be reached by ferry from Howth Harbour during the summer months and is worth the short crossing for its seabird colonies, dramatic rock arch and the ruined medieval church on the island. The island was the site of a notorious Victorian murder trial and retains an atmospheric, slightly eerie quality. Howth Castle, partially visible from the village though not generally open to the public, has been the home of the St Lawrence family for centuries and its walled gardens, including a rhododendron garden spectacular in May, can be visited during the flowering season. The ruined Corr Castle and the ancient dolmen known as the Cromlech of Howth are further reminders of the headland's long human history. Getting to Howth from Dublin city centre is straightforward by DART train, which runs frequently and drops visitors directly at the village harbour, making this one of the most accessible day trips the Irish capital offers.

Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin is one of the most significant and emotionally charged heritage sites in Ireland, a former prison that served for more than a century as the primary detention centre for those who challenged British rule in Ireland and is now one of the country's most visited museums. Walking through its cells and corridors is to move through the physical fabric of modern Irish history, from the United Irishmen's rebellion of 1798 to the execution of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. The prison was built in 1796 and its architecture reflects the then-fashionable philosophy of prison reform: large, naturally lit wings designed to allow prisoners to contemplate their behaviour in relative isolation. The east wing, added in the 1860s, has a striking Victorian panopticon design with an iron-and-glass ceiling that floods the central space with light while allowing guards to observe every cell from a central position. The contrast between the forbidding exterior and the relative brightness of this interior always surprises first-time visitors. Among those imprisoned here were Robert Emmet, executed in 1803 after his failed rebellion; Charles Stewart Parnell, the great Home Rule leader, detained for his land reform agitation in 1881; and leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, including Patrick Pearse, James Connolly and thirteen other signatories of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, all of whom were executed by firing squad in the prison yard following the rising's suppression. James Connolly, wounded during the fighting, was brought to the yard in a chair because he was too injured to stand. The small stone yard where these executions took place is perhaps the most sobering space in Ireland. The prison also held figures from the later War of Independence and Civil War. Éamon de Valera, who would go on to dominate Irish political life for decades, was imprisoned here and was the last prisoner to leave before the jail was closed in 1924. The complex human stories of the people who passed through these walls are told in an excellent museum within the prison itself. Guided tours are the only way to visit, and booking in advance is strongly recommended as the tours are consistently popular. The guides bring genuine knowledge and passion to the history of the site and the individuals connected to it. The visit typically takes around an hour and is suitable for older children and adults.