Gord and I came across St. Mary's Church while wandering around Howth Saturday afternoon…read more The first church built in Howth was on the site of Howth Abbey, in Howth village. It was founded by Sightrygg, King of Dublin around 1042. Around 1235, the old church was amalgamated with the church on Ireland's Eye and a new church was built - founded by Luke, Archbishop of Dublin on land granted by Sir Almeric St. Lawrence. Little remains of either of these churches and most of the present abbey dates back to the late 14th century or early 15th century.

If you are planning a day trip out to Howth or even just visiting the market this is a little…read moredetour well worth making. Not only for its historical value but it also has one of the best views in Howth out over the harbour to Ireland's Eye and Lambay Possibly the view is the reason King Sitric decided to build his Church here in 1042 but that structure is long gone and the current ruins are of an Abbey built by the St.Lawrence family in the early 15th Century - none the less it is an impressive site. The church was a indented in 1630's for a larger nearby church but a lot of the origami features like carvings and tombs remain. On the site there is also a little graveyard which has some interesting things to see. There is a section of the graveyard called the "strangers bank" which was for unidentified people who had died at sea. You may notice here there is a makeshift grave of tram rails. This marks the grave of a young Englishman who was working on the construction of the Howth tram in 1895. He had kept to himself so when he died suddenly his colleagues did not know his name or his family so they buried him here and made him a gravestone from the rail tracks The entrance is off abbeys street very close to both the harbour and the village - there are steps leading up to it just beside The Abbey Tavern

A rare public convenience this. In Dublin, you usually have to sneak past the security guard in…read moreMcDonalds, go to a pub or just hang on until you get home. However, although it is convenient, it is not salubrious. The paint is chipping from the walls, and although the toilets are not on a par with the one in Trainspotting, they are not exactly sparkling with the recent kiss of the Toilet Duck. Of course, I can only speak for the Ladies'. The Men's might be a gorgeous oasis of Molton Brown soap and soft towels.

If you are in Dublin, do the side trip to Howth. It is about 30 minute bus or train ride from the…read morecenter of Dublin. Check to see if a festival is happening as it affects travel times. A Seafood Festival was happening when we were there so it was crowded. If you take the city bus m, it drops you at the top of the cliff walk and you can walk back down. We ended up walking up and catching the bus back to Dublin at the top. The trail we did was the easy one. It went through residential areas for the first half. As we got further up, we could see some of the views. When you get to the top, the view are amazing. You can see a lighthouse and the Eye of Ireland island. The trail was moderately strenuous. A restaurant/bar is about 5 minutes from the top. A parking lot is at the top. You can walk down on different trails. Some trails are along the sea. A small convenience store is across from The bus stop. We waited about 10 minutes for the bis.

The seaside cliff hike was absolutely breathtaking and one of the highlights of our trip. The trail…read moreis about 5K (around 3 miles) and offers stunning ocean views the entire way. The scenery was gorgeous, with lush green foliage surrounding the path and beautiful purple and yellow flowers blooming throughout the hike. The trail was well maintained and easy to enjoy at a relaxed pace while taking in the incredible coastal views. There were so many perfect spots to stop for photos and simply appreciate the peaceful atmosphere and fresh ocean air. If you enjoy nature, scenic walks, and beautiful seaside landscapes, I would definitely recommend this hike. It was such a memorable experience and a perfect way to spend a day outdoors.

A wonderful pub in Howth that is in a very convenient place! The service and staff are great, as…read morewell as good fun. I went during subs live music and, though it was crowded, it was a very good time!

The Bloody Stream - no not the pub the actual stream. I am sure a lot of visitors to Howth think…read morewhat a strange name for a pub but little do they know running beneath the train station is "The Bloody Stream" So here is the history bit . . . in 1177 there was a big battle between The Vikings who were the locals in Howth at the time and the Normans who arrived into the harbour to attack. The Normans defeated The Vikings and the blood from the dead and wounded flowed into the river giving it it's name. During many excavations weapons, armour and human remains were found around the site of the train station. The head of the Norman invaders, Sir Almeric Tristram, having won the battle became the first Earl of Howth and as the battle was won on the feast day of St.Lawrence he adopted St. Lawrence as his family name. His decedents, the St.Lawrence family still live in Howth Castle today. The stream runs down from the castle and then disappears under the main road - you will pass a little waterfall of the stream on the right just before you come into Howth. #yelpelite2016 #yelpelite

If you are ever on a 31 bus out to Howth, take care to keep an eye out towards the lefthand-side of…read morethe Coast Road for Kilbarrack Cemetery (it is the only one in the area, so you're unlikely to miss it). At one time, Kilbarrack Cemetery was, alongside Glasnevin, one of the pricncipal cemeteries on the northside of Dublin, and was referred to as "the healthiest graveyard in Ireland" due to it's proximity to the sea. While Kilbarrack does not have the same pedigree in interrees as the more famous Glasnevin Cemetery, its residents do include Gaelic League and Irish Volunteers founder Eoin MacNeill, and songwriter Padraic Colum, whose compositions include "She Moves Through the Fair". Don't think me morbid, but the cemetery is actually very pleasant to take a stroll around, as its location renders it quite picturesque, there's a ruined church, it's rather nice for a graveyard, really.

Highly recommend checking out this oddity! It is a tree eating a bench! You will never see anything…read moreelse like it!

This really is a fun landmark to check out. The hungry tree is named so because it is eating a…read morebench! It is found in the beautiful grounds of Kings Inn, it's makes for a great photo opportunity, just don't get too close to the tree or you could be gobbled up next... I know, cheesy but I had to get that in.

Not a business, strictly speaking, but a very nice 13th century Castle nonetheless. The best…read moretourism is free and this completely uncommercialised castle makes a nice change from some of the other brochure stands around the country. You could even make a day of it with a trip down to the Purty Kitchen, famous for its seafood, or any of the other restaurants in Monkstown village. Watch out though, kids like to drink in the Castle at night and they can give you no end of grief-the cheaky chappies.

Ireland is replete with ruined castles. It's the first thing that many visitors (particularly…read moreAmericans and Australians...200 years of history? Pah!) comment on, and something we Irish tend to take for granted. Monkstown Castle is one such place. Randomly perched on the edge of a roundabout, opposite CBC and next to the tennis club, most people don't even bother giving it a second look (except those wily teenagers always on the lookout for a good drinking spot). Apparently, however, it dates from the 12th/13th century, which makes it pretty frickin' old. And it is just kind of cool to have that history dotted around the landscape of a suburb. Of course, that could just be me...