Tag Archives: County Dublin

Destination, Photography, Travel

HOWTH – COUNTY DUBLIN – REPUBLIC OF IRELAND #discoverireland

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Howth

Howth is a village and outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The district occupies the greater part of the peninsula of Howth Head, forming the northern boundary of Dublin Bay. Originally just a small fishing village, Howth with its surrounding once-rural district is now a busy suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development, quarries and wild hillside. The only neighboring district on land is Sutton. Howth is also home to one of the oldest occupied buildings in Ireland, Howth Castle. It has been the site of filming for many films.

Howth Castle
Howth Castle

Howth was the last stop on our whirl-wind, all the way around the emerald isle, Ireland vacation.  We didn’t get to explore the area much as we had just checked into our B&B and were in search of dinner.  We were not disappointing with our choice to dine here.  Crabby Jo’s seemed like a fitting establishment to find seafood.  The lobster and chips were divine.

After a delicious dinner we did have an opportunity to walk around the wharf.  It was quite chilly that evening and the wind was coming off the water 25 mph sustained with gusts a wee be more fierce.  That was no deterrent for us Minnesotans.  There was so much to look at and take in.  The colors and textures of the nets, rigging and boats were quite captivating.  We were delighted to see a seal in the harbor loitering about with not a care in the world.  Feeding the seals is not allowed for fear they will become dependent on humans for food.  Here are some photos from our walk around the wharf.

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Destination, Photography, Travel

THE WONDERFUL BARN – COUNTY KILDARE – REPUBLIC OF IRELAND #DISCOVERIRELAND

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The Wonderful Barn

On our way back towards Dublin from the Wicklow area, we chose a path around the city to the west.  We had no destination in mind and didn’t plan on visiting the landmark know as The Wonderful Barn ( See drone footage below for a birds-eye view of the grounds).  This unique structure was quite impressive in person.   There are a few different notions regarding its shape – a dovecote, gamekeepers tower, folly or a more practical explanation, a granary.  There was a center hole in each floor to support this theory.

The Wonderful Barn is a corkscrew-shaped building on the edge of Castletown House Estate, formerly of the Conolly family, in Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.

After checking into Ard Cill B&B (we chose this B&B for its close proximity to Dublin Airport), we headed out for one last little adventure.  We headed for the cost along the Irish Sea.  R106 brought us south through Laytown.  A picturesque beach meets you at the edge of the road.

Bremore Castle

A wee bit further down the road you will pass Bremore Castle.  See video below for additional views of this restored castle.

Bremore Castle is a large tower house located north of Balbriggan, County Dublin. Estimated to have been built in the 14th century, the Norman Barnewalls family held it from the time of construction till 1727, the year in which it was sold. However, the first mention of this castle or its location was in reference to William Rosel De Brimor, who held land in England and Ireland in the end of 13th century. Its deterioration began much before the sale, and by 1783, it was termed as “not many years ago inhabited” by Austin Cooper, a prominent antiquarian of that time. Presently, this grand structure has been reduced to ruins, with the remains standing in place since the mid and late 16th century.

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