Howth

Howth is a destination in Leinster, Ireland. Howth is a town/place in Leinster, Leinster, Ireland. This charming locale offers visitors a genuine glimpse into Irish life, with its own unique character and attractions. Whether you are passing through or planning a longer stay, Howth provides an authentic experience of Irish hospitality and culture.

By Car

The most practical way to reach Howth is by car. Leinster has Ireland's best road network, with motorways connecting all major towns to Dublin. The M50 ring road encircles Dublin, while the M1 serves the northeast (Dundalk, Drogheda), the M4/M6 serves the midlands (Mullingar, Athlone), the M7/M8 serves the south and southwest (Kilkenny, Carlow, Portlaoise), and the M11/N11 serves the east coast (Bray, Wicklow, Wexford).

By Train

Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann) operates frequent services from Dublin Connolly and Dublin Heuston stations to all major Leinster towns. The DART commuter line serves coastal suburbs from Howth to Greystones, and commuter rail extends to towns like Dundalk, Drogheda, Mullingar, Athlone, Portlaoise, Carlow, Kilkenny, and Gorey.

By Bus

Bus Éireann and private operators like Dublin Express, Aircoach, and Citylink provide extensive intercity and regional bus services. Bus connections are often more frequent and cheaper than rail, though journey times can be longer.

By Air

Dublin Airport (DUB) is Ireland's largest and busiest airport, with flights to over 200 destinations worldwide. It is located about 10 km north of Dublin city centre and is accessible by bus, taxi, and the Dublin Bus Airlink service.

Howth is compact enough to explore on foot. For exploring the surrounding countryside and nearby attractions, a car or bicycle is recommended. Leinster has a well-developed network of regional roads, and the flat terrain of much of the province makes it ideal for cycling. Local bus services operate in most towns, though schedules can be limited on Sundays.

Howth Harbour is the second biggest commercial fishing port in Ireland and also contains a leisure marina. There are excellent views along the coast from the East Pier and a stone lighthouse at the tip of it. The West Pier just beside the Dart Station is lined with restaurants and there's an imprint of the footsteps of King George IV, who landed here on a visit to Ireland in 1821. (Yes, the cement was wet at the time, he was notoriously heavy but not that heavy.) In July 1914, 900 rifles were landed at Howth by Erskine Childers to arm the Irish nationalists; many were put to use in the Easter Rising and Anglo-Irish war.

St Mary's Abbey is just a masonry shell within a cemetery. It dates back to 1235 though much modified over later centuries. Enter the cemetery from Church Street: the Abbey ruin itself may be locked, enquire locally about access, or just admire the setting with the old gravestones and views over the harbour and Ireland's Eye.

Howth Castle .

Closed .

The castle dates from 1450 but was extensively re-built by Lutyens in 1911. The castle estate or desmesne includes much of Howth Head, with the outlying areas (eg the clifftop walks) having free public acce

Walk: a firm trail goes east of town along the cliffs all the way round to the south of the peninsula, passing Bailey Lighthouse. A complete circuit takes 3-4 hours.

• The lighthouse can also be approached by a 15-min walk from The Summit pub, but the lighthouse and its precincts are closed to the public.

• Inland trails loop over the hills, but you need stout boots and waterproofs, the "Bog of Frogs" route is well-named.

Maps for these and other loop walks are displayed by the Dart Station and available at the Tourist office in the Old Courthouse.

Beaches: at low tide a long sandy beach stretches along the north shore from Sutton to Howth Harbour. Dogs are welcome. The rising tide separates it into Burrow Beach to the west, Hole in the Wall in the middle, and Claremont Beach next to Howth Harbour. The far side of the harbour is Balscadden Bay, quite stony, then it's rocks and cliffs east of there. South tip of the peninsula is Jameson or Drumleck beach, small and not worth the extra distance. There are one or two beautiful little sandy coves on the south side of the Howth peninsula, accessible from the cliff walk which starts close to Sutton dinghy club.

Play golf at Deer

Harbour restaurants are Aqua (below), Octopussy , The Pierhouse , Crabby Jo's, Beshoff's , Leo Burdock , Findlater , Mamó and Loft Bar and Grill.

Aqua Restaurant ,

West Pier D13 H2V4 ,

☏

+353 1 832 0690 .

Tu 5:30-10PM, W-Su 12:30-3:30PM & 5:30-10PM .

Fine dining at the end of West Pier. Seafood restaurant with lunch and à la carte menus available.   ( updated May 2024 )

The Bloody Stream ,

Howth Dart Station D13 N8K7 ,

☏

+353 1 839 5076 .

M-Th 11AM-11:30PM, F Sa 11AM-2:30AM, Su noon-1AM .

Great seafood.   ( updated May 2024 )

Dog House

( Blue's Tea Room ),

Howth Dart Station D13 EY10 ,

☏

+353 1 839 5188 .

Daily 11AM-11PM .

Cafe and restaurant, comfortable and child-friendly, with indoor and heated outdoor seating.   ( updated May 2024 )

Summit Inn ,

Thormanby Rd, Howth Summit D13 XK50

( hilltop terminus of Bus 31 ),

☏

+353 1 832 4615 .

M-F noon-11:30PM, Sa Su 9AM-11PM .

Good seafood at reasonable prices. Perfect for a stop after a hill walk.   ( updated May 2024 )

King Sitric ,

6 East Pier D13 F5C6 ,

☏

+353 1 832 5235 .

Restaurant M Th-Su 12:30-9PM .

This harbour restaurant serves freshly caught fish but i

Abbey Tavern ,

28 Abbey Street D13 E9V4

( next to Abbey ),

☏

+353 1 839 0307 .

Su W Th 12:30-11:30PM, F Sa 12:30PM-12:30AM .

Trad pub with authentic fireplace and decent food. Occasional live music.   ( updated May 2024 )

Others are Harbour Bar, O'Connell's and McNeil's .

Most visitors just day-trip from around Dublin, and there is limited accommodation here.

King Sitric Restaurant has rooms, see above.

Hazelwood B&B ,

2 Thormanby Woods D13 P938 ,

☏

+353 1 839 1391 .

 

Cornerville B&B ,

83 Offington Ave D13 C1P0 ,

☏

+353 1 839 3585 .

 

Gleann-na-Smoi ,

Kilrock Rd D13 FP46 ,

☏

+353 1 832 2936 .

Small, homely B&B south end of town.

B&B double €140 .   ( updated May 2024 )

Marine Hotel ,

13 Sutton Cross D13 P3Y8

( train to Sutton ),

☏

+353 1 839 0000 .

Comfy hotel with its lawn rolling down to the shore of Dublin Bay. Facilities include a swimming pool, sauna, restaurants and bar. Close to Howth Village.

B&B double €200 .   ( updated May 2024 )

Martello Tower along the east coast is available for self-catering.

Connect

As of May 2024, Howth and Sutton have 4G with Eir and 5G with Three and Vodafone.

Supervalu is at Sutton Cross, open daily 8AM-10PM.

Howth Market is on Harbour Rd next to the DART station, held Sa Su 9AM-6PM.

Centra ,

Main Street .

7AM - 10PM .

Convenience store with a Deli counter.   ( updated Feb 2025 )

Dublin city centre has many attractions and amenities, with more pubs than you could shake a stick at.

Malahide to the north has a castle with rich 18th- and 19th-century furnishings.

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