Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [114]
IRELAND’S EYE
A short distance offshore from Howth is Ireland’s Eye (Map), a rocky sea-bird sanctuary with the ruins of a 6th-century monastery. There’s a Martello tower at the northwestern end of the island, where boats from Howth land, while a spectacularly sheer rock face plummets into the sea at the eastern end. As well as the sea birds overhead, you can see young birds on the ground during the nesting season. Seals can also be spotted around the island.
Doyle & Sons ( 831 4200; return €12) takes boats out to the island from the East Pier of Howth Harbour during the summer, usually on weekend afternoons. Don’t wear shorts if you’re planning to visit the monastery ruins because they’re surrounded by a thicket of stinging nettles. And please bring all your rubbish back with you – far too many island visitors don’t.
Further north from Ireland’s Eye is Lambay Island, an important sea-bird sanctuary that cannot be visited.
Eating
Oar House ( 839 4562; www.oarhouse.ie; 8 West Pier; tapas €5-12, mains €10-24; 12.30-10pm) A feast-o-fish is what the menu is all about at this newish restaurant – particularly the locally caught variety. Par for the course in a fishing village, but this place stands out for both the way the fish is prepared and that you can get everything on the menu in smaller, tapas–style portions as well as mains.
The House ( 839 6388; www.thehouse.ie; 4 Main St; mains €16-22; 9am-3pm Mon-Fri, 11.30am-3pm & 6pm-11pm Sat & Sun) One of our favourite new openings in Dublin is this wonderful spot on the main street leading away from the harbour. In the handsome, airy dining room you can feast on dishes like crunchy Bellingham blue cheese polenta or wild Wicklow venison stew, as well as a fine selection of fish.
Aqua ( 832 0690; www.aqua.ie; 1 West Pier; mains €29-32; 12.30-3.30pm & 5.30-10.30pm Tue-Sat, 4-8.30pm Sun) Another contender for best seafood in Howth, Aqua has been serving top-quality fish dishes in its elegant dining room overlooking the harbour, in a building that was once home to the Howth Yacht Club.
There’s also a wonderful organic market every Sunday (see the boxed text, Click here).
Getting There & Away
The easiest and quickest way to get to Howth from Dublin is on the DART, which whisks you there in just over 20 minutes for a fare of €2.20. For the same fare, buses 31 and 31A from Lower Abbey St in the city centre run as far as the Summit, 5km to the southeast of Howth.
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MALAHIDE
Malahide (Mullach Íde) was once a small village with its own harbour, a long way from the urban jungle of Dublin. The only thing protecting it from the northwards expansion of Dublin’s suburbs is Malahide Demesne, 101 well-tended hectares of parkland dominated by a castle once owned by the powerful Talbot family. The handsome village remains relatively intact, but the once-quiet marina has been massively developed and is now a bustling centre with a pleasant promenade and plenty of restaurants and shops. A great way to see Dublin from the sea is by boarding a speedboat run by Sea Safaris ( 806 1626; www.seasafari.ie; Malahide Marina; per hr €30) and going for an hour-long trip around Dublin Bay.
Sights
MALAHIDE CASTLE
Despite the vicissitudes of Irish history, the Talbot family managed to keep Malahide Castle ( 846 2184; www.malahidecastle.com; adult/child/student/family €7.50/4.50/6.30/20, incl Fry Model Railway €11.50/7.50/9.50/31; 10am-5pm Mon-Sat, 11am-6pm Sun Apr-Oct, 11am-5pm Sat & Sun Nov-Mar) under its control from 1185 to 1976, apart from when Cromwell was around (1649–60). It’s now owned by Dublin County Council. The castle is the usual