The promenade
Dublin City Council describes the promenade from Fairview to the Bull Wall at Dollymount. Walk along the seafront for views across Dublin Bay. The seafront is younger than it looks: the land was reclaimed from the sea in the 1920s and the promenade was only finished in the late 1950s, which is why it runs so flat and straight. The Art-Deco shelters along the way were designed in the 1930s by Herbert Simms, the Dublin housing architect.
Check coastal weather warnings before setting out and keep back from the seawall in rough conditions.
Two sculptures break up the walk. ‘Sails’ by Eamonn O’Doherty went up in 1988, and ‘Maoi’ is a moai-style figure by Alejandro Pakarati that the government of Chile gave to Dublin in 2004. It catches a lot of people off guard.
Bull Island and Dollymount Strand
At Dollymount, North Bull Island is part of the Dublin Bay Biosphere. Dunes, saltmarsh and mudflats provide habitat for migratory and breeding birds and other wildlife, and spring and autumn are good times for birdwatching. Check the council’s reserve guidance and follow the signs. Keep dogs on a lead in the dunes and give resting birds plenty of room.
The wooden bridge to the island is owned by Dublin Port Company, which is said to close it for a day each year to assert that ownership. Check any posted restrictions before you drive across. On the seaward side, Dollymount Strand faces east into the Irish Sea, with the Poolbeg chimneys on one side and the Howth peninsula on the other.
The Battle of Clontarf
The battle of 1014 is the one date most people attach to the place. Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, defeated the Viking king of Dublin and his Leinster allies, and he died in the aftermath. The fighting spread well beyond the modern suburb, and the promenade today follows the modern shoreline, so there is no marked battlefield to walk. A century and a half of relative quiet followed until the Normans arrived in 1172, and the manor passed to Adam de Pheypo, who built the first Clontarf Castle; the Templars and later the Hospitallers held the manor and church.
Clontarf grew from two separate villages: the fishing settlement known as the Sheds, and the cluster around Vernon Avenue. By the 1800s it had become a fashionable seaside resort, with seawater baths and a coastal tram line bringing Dubliners out to the shore. Much of the green heart came later, when Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness bought up the surrounding land to form the St Anne’s Estate.
Bram Stoker’s birthplace
Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, was born at 15 Marino Crescent in Clontarf on 8 November 1847 and baptised in the local St John the Baptist Church. There is no museum, just the terrace itself, which is a private residential street, so look from the pavement and respect the residents.
St Anne’s Park
Shared with neighbouring Raheny, St Anne’s Park was carved out of the old Guinness estate. The rose garden is the reason to time a visit for summer. Beyond it are the Naniken River, an arboretum of mature trees and the Red Stables Arts Centre. GAA pitches and cricket grounds host local matches, and the cycle routes make it a natural second stop after the seafront.
Clontarf Castle
The castle site has been occupied since the late 12th century, but the building you see now is Victorian, designed by William Vitruvius Morrison in 1837. It operates as a hotel today and is a convenient base for the promenade and the wider Northside.
Where to eat
The Sheds, the old fishing village, and Clontarf Road have a mix of pubs, cafes and restaurants. Opening times and menus change, so check before you go.
Getting there and parking
Clontarf Road is the first DART stop north of the city centre, and several Dublin Bus routes serve the seafront and the Howth Road, so check current timetables. Parking on and around Clontarf Road is subject to local controls, so read the signs before you leave the car.
Walk the promenade end to end at least once: start at Fairview, follow the shelters north to the Bull Wall, and cross to the strand early on a bright morning.