A suggested walking route around Dalkey, Dublin, Ireland, which takes you around the castles and sights of Dalkey, along by the sea, and through Dalkey Village.
| Start: | Dalkey DART (Railway) Station |
| Finish: | Killiney Hill Park |
| Time: | Allow three hours for the walk. |
Dalkey is a very pleasant coastal suburb located 13km (8mi) from Dublin City Centre. It is accessible by DART (Suburban Train) which run every 10-15 minutes to/from the city (25 minute train journey)
Route
- The Village: Begin your walk at Dalkey railway station and continue down the hill, towards the main street, Castle St. Dalkey’s countless pubs, cafés and restaurants offer an excellent selection of food to cater for all tastes and budgets. Down the street is a castle (opposite the church) where you can find the Town Hall and Heritage Centre. A little down and across the road is Archbold’s Castle, another of Dalkey’s seven castles (3 remain). Double back towards the train station and take a left at the end of the main street (beside Maxwell’s Chemist) and then an immediate right, then fork left onto:
- Coliemore Road: This is Dalkey’s main coast road and makes pleasant walking. The small Coliemore Harbour was once Dublin’s most important and provides scope for fishing. Here you may take a short boat ride across to Dalkey Island. This uninhabited island is of historical importance. There is an ancient church, a promontory, a Martello Tower (built around 1800 to watch for a French invasion) and an old artillery battery to defend the southern end of Dublin bay. The island is the ideal spot for a picnic, looking out at the seals and birds
- Continue up Coliemore Road to the top of the hill until you come to a large terrace. Take a right and then a left onto the:
- Vico Road: Along this road splendid views of the Wicklow Mountains, Killiney Bay and Dalkey Island are in plentiful supply, as well as home to Bono and Enya, among many other famous names. Continue up to Killiney Village at the top of the hill. Stop for a drink or ice cream here and continue up to:
- Killiney Hill Park, on your right. At the top there is an obelisk built in the 1700s by the poor for relief work. This familiar landmark can be seen from much of Dublin, and so you can see most of Dublin city from here. Brilliant Views! The park is a wonderful place to relax and walk. If you continue through it to the quarry you will see where the rock went (used to construct Dun Laoghaire Harbour). Make your way down the hill, through the car park and onto the road and take a right. Down the hill and to your right is Dalkey Village and Train Station.