Overview
Rathmichael packs several thousand years of history into a few leafy fields on the southern edge of Dublin: a hillfort, a ruined medieval church, the stump of a round tower and a small wood. If you have an hour, follow the woodland loop to the hillfort. The earthworks are still discernible, and the views over Dublin Bay, Killiney and Bray Head are the reason people keep coming back.
The name is a puzzle worth knowing. The modern Irish Ráth Mhichíl means ‘Michael’s rath’, but it is thought to be an English corruption of an older Ráth Mhic Táil, tying the place to the early saint Mac Táil rather than to Michael at all.
History and archaeology
The oldest feature is the hillfort crowning the hill, a large enclosure 120–140 metres across, ringed by a stone-and-earth bank with a ditch outside it. It may date as far back as the Late Bronze Age. A finely worked socketed spearhead was recovered here, the kind of find that marks a place of gatherings and ritual rather than everyday farming. At its centre is a smaller enclosure, possibly an early-medieval ringfort inserted into the older site.
The church ground nearby has its own long story. St Comgall of Bangor is said to have founded a monastery here in the 6th century, and the church that survives is believed to be dedicated to the saint Mac Táil. A round tower was added around the 10th century; only a two-metre stump remains, known locally as the Skull Hole after the disinterred bones once stored inside it.
The standing church dates from the 13th century, built over the earlier monastic site. Its real treasure is the set of Rathdown slabs, unusual Hiberno-Norse grave markers carved with herringbone and concentric-circle motifs found almost nowhere else in Ireland. Nine are set into the church walls; one lies inside the chancel. Just north of the woods, the 15th-century tower house of Puck’s Castle, built by Peter Talbot, is a separate site and is not part of the woodland walk. Local tradition has King James II sheltering there after the Battle of the Boyne.
The old church and graveyard are separate from the woodland loop. The Dublin Mountains community archaeology project covers the area’s church sites, crosses and hillforts.
The walk
Follow the green waymarks for the Rathmichael Walk, a 1.7 km loop through the woods. Dublin Mountains Partnership grades it moderate, with 40 metres of climbing and an estimated walking time of 30 minutes. It threads through mixed woodland and up to the hillfort, where the banks are still discernible. From the top, look north over Dublin Bay and south towards Bray Head and the Little Sugar Loaf. Stay on the path around the earthworks.
The yellow waymarks belong to the Dublin Mountains Way, which runs through the wood on its way between Shankill and Carrickgollogan. Follow the green markers to stay on the short loop.
Wildlife and nature
The mix of woodland and acid grassland supports a decent range of life. Early morning is quietest and best: you may see Sika deer that browse near the base of the hill, along with red fox and pygmy shrew in the undergrowth. Woodpeckers, tits and the occasional raptor work the canopy and ridge, and bumblebees and butterflies come to the grassland in late spring and summer.
Practical information
- Admission: Free.
- Opening hours: This is an outdoor woodland walk. Check the Dublin Mountains Partnership page for any current notices before you go.
- Parking: A small public car park sits at the trailhead off Puck’s Castle Lane. Leave entrances clear.
- Accessibility: The loop is graded moderate and climbs 40 metres. Take care on the woodland paths in wet weather.
Getting there
By car, use the small trailhead car park off Puck’s Castle Lane in Shankill. For public transport options, check current routes and timetables before you travel.
Come after a spell of dry weather if you can, as the woodland paths turn muddy fast, and the hilltop is exposed, so a windproof layer earns its place.