Overview
Killiney Hill gives you a fine view near Dublin for modest effort. Rising to about 153 metres above Dublin Bay in a public park shared with Dalkey Hill, it looks towards Bray Head and the Wicklow coast, and from the higher paths you can see north over the city and the bay. It is the lower of the twin hills above Dalkey, and the centre of Killiney Hill Park.
If you only do one thing, walk up to the obelisk and back. Everything else, the woodland paths and the coast road, is a bonus on top of that one view. Check Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council for current park and access information before you go.
The obelisk and the wishing stone
The stone obelisk on top is not decorative. John Mapas (the name also appears as Malpas) put it up in June 1742 as relief work during the famine of 1740–41, the brutal winter Irish remembers as Bliain an Áir, ‘the year of the slaughter’. Its inscription says so plainly: ‘Last year being hard with the poor, walks about these hills and this were erected by John Mapas, June 1742.’ The many old walls criss-crossing the hilltop were built for the same reason, to give the destitute paid work.
A few metres away is a small stepped pyramid from 1852, known locally as the Wishing Stone. View the structures from the path and leave the stonework undisturbed.
One quiet detail worth knowing: the summit used to be higher. Through the 19th century stone was cut from the hill, the great granite face on the north side is Dalkey Quarry, and a lot of it went into building the pier at Dún Laoghaire, lowering the peak in the process.
Dalkey Quarry and the walks
Dalkey Quarry left sheer cliffs on the north side of the hill. Keep away from the quarry edges and use the established paths, which let you take in the geology from a safe distance.
Visit Dublin describes both hills and their monuments. For a longer outing, link Killiney Hill with Dalkey Hill next door, through meadow and woodland with views down over Dalkey village and harbour. The park has different approaches and some steep paths and steps, including the steep ‘Cat’s Ladder’, which are uneven and not suited to buggies or wheelchairs. The park also drops down towards Vico Road.
Getting there and practical information
The hill was dedicated to the public in 1887 by Prince Albert Victor of Wales, for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, and briefly renamed Victoria Hill; the land passed fully to public ownership in 1891. It is run today by Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council.
- By DART: the easiest way in is from Dalkey or Killiney station. Check the uphill route from either station before setting out.
- By car: check the council’s park page for current parking and access arrangements, as spaces can be limited on sunny weekends.
- Facilities: check the council’s park page for what is currently available. Some of the older stone steps and quarry paths are steep and rough.
- Cost: entry to the park is free.
Pick a clear day for the sharpest visibility and bring a windproof layer even in summer, as the top is exposed. Early morning or evening light is best if you can manage it.