Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the blind and aging Zosimus as your storyteller, you help guide him
down the ascetic alleyways. It's essential to book in advance, when
you'll receive the where (outside the pedestrian gate of Dublin Cas-
tle, opposite the Olympia Theatre) and the when (time varies accord-
ing to nightfall). The experience lasts approximately 1
1
⁄
2
hours.
28 Fitzwilliam Lane, Dublin 2.
&
01/661-8646.
www.zozimus.com.
€
10 ($12) per
person. Daily at nightfall, by appointment.
5 The Great Outdoors
BEACHES
Dublin has a good selection of fine beaches accessible
by either city bus or DART, since the tramway follows the coast
from Howth, north of the city, to Bray, south of the city in County
Wicklow. Some popular beaches include
Dollymount,
5.6km (3
1
⁄
2
miles) away;
Sutton,
11km (7 miles) away;
Howth,
15km (9 miles)
away; and
Portmarnock
and
Malahide,
each 11km (7 miles) away.
In addition, the southern suburb of
Dun Laoghaire,
11km (7
miles) away, offers a beach (at Sandycove) and a long bayfront
promenade that's ideal for strolling in the sea air. For more details,
inquire at the Dublin Tourism Office.
BIRD-WATCHING
The many estuaries, salt marshes, sand flats,
and islands near Dublin Bay provide a varied habitat for a number
of species.
Rockabill Island,
off the coast at Skerries, is home to an
important colony of roseate terns; there is no public access to the
island, but the birds can be seen from the shore.
Rogerstown and
Malahide estuaries,
on the north side of Dublin, are wintering
grounds for large numbers of brent geese, ducks, and waders.
Sandymount Strand,
on Dublin's south side, has a vast intertidal
zone; around dusk in July and August, you can often see large num-
bers of terns, including visiting roseate terns from Rockabill Island.
But for top birding and convenient location, your all-around best
bet is a bird sanctuary called Bull Island, also known as the
North
Bull,
which lies just north of Dublin city harbor. Actually, it's a mis-
nomer—not an island, but rather a 3km (2-mile) spit of land con-
nected to the mainland by a bridge. It comprises dunes, a salt marsh,
and extensive intertidal flats on the side facing the mainland.
Because of this unique environment, the North Bull attracts thou-
sands of seabirds—nearly 200 different species have been recorded,
and up to 40,000 birds shelter and nest here. In winter these figures
are boosted by tens of thousands of visiting migrants from the Arc-
tic Circle, as well as North American spoonbills, little egrets, and
