Howth harbour

Howth harbour at sunset
Howth (from Old Norse: Hovuð meaning "head", called in Irish: Binn Éadair) is located on the peninsula of Howth Head, on the north side of Dublin Bay.
You can reach Howth using the DART, a fast train service, from Dublin's city center, or take the Bus 31 or 31B just off O'Connell Street.
Originally just a small fishing village and surrounding rural district, Howth is now a busy suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development and wild hillside, all on the peninsula of Howth Head which is connected to the rest of Dublin via a narrow strip of land. Howth is also home to one of the oldest occupied buildings in Ireland, Howth Castle.
The island of Ireland's Eye, Special Area of Conservation, lies about a kilometre north of Howth harbour, with Lambay Island some 5 km further to the north. A Martello tower exists on each of these islands with another tower overlooking Howth harbour and another tower at Red Rock, Sutton. These are part of a series of towers built around the coast of Ireland during the 19th century.
There is a walking trail starting east of the town that follows the cliffs all over to the southern part of the peninsula. Take the leftmost road from the harbour. The cliff's trail is indicated to the left a bit further. The view is breathtaking and it's really worth the walk. Along the way, you'll come across Dublin's most visible lighthouse, the Bailey Lighhouse (open for tours once a year during the summertime Howth Peninsula Festival). The southern part gives a great view of Dublin's bay and the city itself. The whole tour takes between 3 and 4 hours.