Howth is Magic - really

There aren’t many places in the East Coast of Ireland where you can find the variety of fish and seafood you will find in the fish shops of Howth’s Pier.

Just 30 min by train (you can check times at http://www.irishrail.ie/) from Dublin City, it is a popular day-trip for Dubliners and tourists alike. Going up on the Dart on a Sunday afternoon feels like being on a train of fleeing evacuees from some sort of conflict zone: crowded- very crowded. It almost makes you wonder if you are really in the right train and not on the way to Croke Park for a big GAA final.

It might be overly populated on a Spring Sunday afternoon but Howth is worth all the hassle. Of course, its Farmer’s Market is part of the attraction on Sundays, and the fact that all the fish shops along the Pier are open to the public. Sunday is a big market day in Howth: cakes, fish and chips, falafels, fruit and veg, curry sauces, fried calamari and all sorts of delicacies are on offer.

There are plenty of bars and restaurants along the Pier and the seafront (all of them cashing in with the fishy menu) but my favourite is The Oar House (http://www.oarhouse.ie/ ) not only for its wide variety of fish and seafood on offer at a fairly good price but also for its low key marine décor. While Aqua (at the end of the Pier) does have an amazing 360-degrees seaview, the menu is not quite as impressive as in The Oar House.

The initial mission that took us to Howth in the first place (a couple of months ago) was trying to get hold of an octopus we could cook Galician style. Third time around the mission has been accomplished and the octopus is now happily living in the freezer waiting for its time to come.

‘Howth is magic’ seems to be the tourist board’s motto for this peninsula so close and yet so far of Dublin city. And it really is…

The cliff walk (specially the long route, that will take you around 4 hours) is a refreshingly quiet affair (compared with the market flocks) and will give you some of the best views of Dublin Bay. Feeding the seals (quite obviously very well looked after by the tourists, judging by their size!) is another popular attraction for those strolling along the harbour.

The Best Of Howth:

The seafood

The Worst Of Howth:

The crowds