Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [128]
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THE COAST
Wicklow’s coastline is not nearly as scenic or dramatic as its mountains and inland marvels: its largely unassuming towns and small coastal resorts have a subtle kind of charm that isn’t immediately apparent and virtually disappears on a rainy day. Most attractive of all are the fine beaches of Brittas Bay, a wide lazy arc of coastline between Wicklow and Arklow. Running alongside it is the N11 (M11) from Dublin to Wexford, a busy road that cuts through a great glacial rift, the Glen of the Downs, carved out of an Ice Age lake by floodwaters. There’s a forest walk up to a ruined teahouse on top of the ridge to the east. If you’re looking for quieter and more scenic coastal byways, we recommend the coastal route through Greystones, Kilcoole and then along country lanes to Rathnew.
Bray
pop 27,041
Described in its 19th-century heyday as the ‘Irish Brighton’, Bray’s genteel, Victorian charms may have faded, but there is more to this seaside resort than the amusement arcades and ice-cream vans that have fuelled the desperate needs of many an Irish child over the decades. The handsome promenade and wide beach are great for an afternoon stroll, while its proximity to Dublin on the DART line means that there’s no reason to overnight here. There’s also a great scenic walk from here south to Greystones.
INFORMATION
The tourist office ( 01-286 7128, 01-286 6796; www.braytourism.ie; h9.30am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Sat Jun-Sep, 2-4.30pm Oct-May) is in the courthouse (built in 1841) beside the Royal Hotel at the bottom of Main St.
SIGHTS
Top of the pretty small heap is the heritage centre ( 01-286 7128; Old Courthouse; admission €3; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat) above the tourist office, where you can explore Bray’s 1000-year history and examine the lengths to which engineer William Dargan (1799–1867) went to bring the railroad to Bray. Your kids will hate you for it.
You can make it up to them at the National Sealife Centre ( 01-286 6939; www.sealifeeurope.com; Strand Rd; adult/child €10.95/7.50; 11am-5pm Mon-Sat, from 10am Sun). The British-run aquarium has a fairly big selection of tanks, stocked with 70 different sea and freshwater species.
About 3km south of Bray on the Greystones road are Killruddery House & Gardens ( 01-286 3405; www.killruddery.com; Killruddery; house & gardens adult/child €10/3, gardens only €6/2; 1-5pm May, Jun & Sep). A stunning mansion in the Elizabethan Revival style, Killruddery has been home to the Brabazon family (earls of Meath) since 1618 and has one of the oldest gardens in Ireland. The house, designed by trendy 19th-century architects Richard Morrisson and his son William in 1820, was reduced to its present-day huge proportions by the 14th earl in 1953; he was obviously looking for something a little more bijou. The house is impressive, but the prizewinner here is the magnificent orangery, built in 1852 and chock-full of statuary and plant life. If you like fancy glasshouses, this is the one for you. The TV series The Tudors, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, is filmed here.
ACTIVITIES
One of the most beautiful coastal walks in Wicklow stretches from the southern end of Bray’s promenade over Bray Head and down to the tiny commuter town of Greystones, 7km further south. The path is pretty smooth and easy to follow, but you can make a detour and clamber up Bray Head (240m) through the pine trees all the way to the large cross, erected in 1950. The head is full of old smuggling caves and railway tunnels, including one that’s 1.5km long. From the top, there are fine views of the Great Sugarloaf Mountain. Back on the coastal path, you approach Greystones via a narrow footbridge over the railway, after which the path narrows until you hit the lovely harbour in Greystones. Here you should relax in Byrne’s (Greystones Pier), better known as Dan’s, which serves a gorgeous pint.
FESTIVALS
The Bray Jazz Festival (www.brayjazz.com) brings some pretty decent players to the seaside town over the May Bank Holiday – the first weekend of the month.
EATING
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