Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [135]
There is a white, sandy beach, but it lies between the docks and a gravel plant; you’re better off heading 10km north to Brittas Bay or 7km south to the more sheltered Clogga Beach.
Sleeping & Eating
Plattenstown House ( /fax 0402-37822; Coolgreany Rd; s/d €49/98; ) This gorgeous traditional farmhouse is set in 50 acres of land about 5km south of town. Family antiques throughout this elegant 19th-century home, great views of the lovingly tended gardens and comfortable, well-appointed rooms make this place a terrific choice in the area.
Arklow Bay Hotel ( 0402-32309; www.arklowbay.com; Sea Rd; r from €69; ) This relatively modern place is the biggest hotel in town and comes with all of the facilities you’d expect from a business hotel, including a conference centre, spa and swimming pool.
Otherwise, there’s a fairly broad range of decent B&Bs, each offering comfortable rooms and a decent breakfast. Try Pinebrook ( 0402-31527; www.pinebrook.net; Ticknock Close, Briggs La; s/d €45/80; ).
Kitty’s of Arklow ( 0402-31669; Main St; lunch €9-17, dinner €23-26; noon-5pm & 6-10.30pm) An Arklow institution, Kitty’s serves a great version of the usual bar food choices during the day – from beef burgers to fillets of plaice – while the evening menu tackles some exciting seafood dishes and an impressive range of meat dishes. It’s not new cuisine, but it’s a fine take on the classics.
Jay K’s ( 0402-32253; Main St; mains €8-13; noon-8.30pm) The best pub in town for a decent meal, Jay K’s (not named after Jamiroquai’s front man) serves up good steaks, chicken dinners and tasty salads.
Getting There & Away
Bus Éireann ( 01-836 6111; www.buseireann.ie) operates bus 133 from Dublin, which serves Avoca via Bray, Wicklow and Rathdrum on its way to Arklow (one way/return €12.20/16.20, 2¼ hours, 10 daily); Arklow is also served by express bus 2 between Dublin and Rosslare Harbour (one way/return €14.90/20.70, 1½ hours, 12 daily). All buses stop outside the Chocolate Shop.
Iarnród Éireann ( 01-836 6222) serves Arklow from Dublin (one way/return €15.20/18.50, 1¼ hours, five daily) on the Arrow suburban line as well as by Intercity train to Rosslare Harbour – the price is the same no matter which train you take.
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COUNTY KILDARE
Once a backwater from Dublin, the lush green pastures of County Kildare (Cill Dara) are prime suburbia, and charming towns like Maynooth and Kildare have become commuter bedrooms, a reality reflected in the ever-expanding motorway network that seeks to ease the traffic burden.
Still, the county has some of the best farmland in Ireland and is home to some of the country’s most prestigious stud farms, many surrounding the sweeping grasslands of the Curragh. The northwest of the county is dominated by a vast swathe of bog. The county isn’t especially stuffed with must-see attractions, but there are enough diversions to justify a day trip from the capital or a stop on your way out west.
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MAYNOOTH
pop 10,715
Much of Maynooth’s (Maigh Nuad) life comes from the university (National University of Ireland Maynooth; NUIM), which gives this tree-lined town with stone-fronted houses and shops a dynamism that belies its country-town appearance. It’s within easy reach of Dublin by public transport, thanks as much to the university as to the legions of barristers and other swells who make the town their home.
Orientation & Information
Main St and Leinster St join and run east–west, while Parson St runs south to the canal and the train station (accessed via a couple of footbridges), and Straffan Rd runs south to the M4.
Sights
ST PATRICK’S COLLEGE
Turning out Catholic priests since 1795, St Patrick’s College & Seminary ( 01-628 5222; www.maynoothcollege.ie; Main St) was founded to ensure that aspiring priests wouldn’t skip off to seminary school in France and get infected with strains of republicanism and revolution. It became a Pontifical University in 1898 (granting control of the college’s theological courses to the Holy See) but in