Discover Alone
“Vikings and plagues. Cheers.”
Dalkey. It’s not just a pretty suburb, it’s a proper thorn island, which sounds way cooler than it is. Vikings dropped anchor here, turning it into a medieval port that basically invited trouble. And they say the plague came through these very docks in the 14th century, which is a great way to start a holiday. You’ve got the county’s wealthiest district vibes, but with a history of disease. That’s a mix. Writers like Shaw and Maeve Binchy lived here, probably writing about how much they hated the damp. You see the old harbour, the hills, and houses that cost more than my entire life. It’s fancy, but don’t let the wealth fool you. It’s got character. Or at least, it had before everyone bought a villa.
Photo: William Murphy, CC BY-SA 2.0
Then Tom went looking for the oddest places around it.
Stop 2 · A few steps on
Archbold's Castle
“Sheep judging the moat.”
Archbold's Castle in County Dublin has the local sheep giving it strong opinions on its architectural choices. They probably think the moat is just a big puddle for summer. It’s a castle that exists mostly in maps and local legend, which keeps it mysterious. Take a mate and argue about what it was for.
Archbold's Castle is recorded as a castle in County Dublin.
From OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) w237916676Photo: Kevin Forkan, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Stop 3 · 5 minutes down the road
The Muglins
“Sandwich heritage lunch.”
The Muglins are rocks with a reputation for being tricky, and I bet the last cow that tried to buy them got stuck in the tide. They’ve got a beacon that looks like a stone cone, which is basically their way of saying 'mind your step.' Have a sandwich here and call it a heritage lunch.
The Muglins is recorded as an islet in County Dublin.
From OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) w34679659Photo: David Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Stop 4 · A 10-minute spin away
Glendruid Dolmen
“Satnav has a meltdown.”
Glendruid Dolmen in County Dublin would order the large chips with extra gravy and complain that the portal is too narrow for its knees. It’s a prehistoric kitchen table that never quite got cleaned up after dinner. Perfect detour when the satnav has a meltdown.
Glendruid Dolmen is recorded as an archaeological place in County Dublin.
From OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) n3894925003Photo: Wanfried-Dublin, CC BY-SA 4.0
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The whole day on one map
See everything else around Dalkey →
Over a million places across Ireland and Britain, all free. Explorer Tom has a story for nearly every one.