Skerries is one of those small places in Ireland that is not talked about much and yet – or precisely because of this – is particularly charming…
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Intro
How did we actually get to Skerries? We had never heard of the place before, even though we had travelled a lot in Ireland.
I think we were travelling to Northern Ireland by car and chose the coast road instead of the motorway. That’s always a good recommendation, by the way. Google Maps told us that there was a harbour town on the coast and we were hungry. We ended up in Skerries in one way or another.
We saw windmills from afar and became curious. A few hours later we had visited the windmills, taken a walk along the beach promenade, had a wonderful meal in a harbour restaurant, watched the water sports enthusiasts and seagulls and enjoyed the relaxed life of a small Irish town on a Sunday.
Full and satisfied, we sat by the sea and were too lazy and too relaxed to want to drive any further.
That’s how it can be in Ireland 🙂
We are originally from Germany, but have been living in Ireland, south of Dublin, for several years, where we run our motorbike rental business (https://www.easycruiser.tours) in the summer months and also offer guest rooms (https://www.the-view-accommodation.ie).
But let’s take a closer look at Skerries:
Introduction to Skerries
Skerries is a small harbour town north of Dublin. It’s only about an hour’s drive from Dublin City by car or train, so you can easily include Skerries in your round trip or simply visit it as a day trip from Dublin.
“Skerries” comes from the Irish Gaelic language and means rocky islands. You can actually see a few offshore islands close to the coast. The largest of these is St Patrick’s Island. There are the ruins of St Patrick’s Church, which date back to St Patrick. St Patrick landed on this small island around the year 432 and began founding a monastery shortly afterwards.
This very monastery was plundered by Danish Vikings in 797 and this was one of the first Viking depredations in Ireland! Many more followed…
On the neighbouring Shennick Island there is a well-preserved Martello Tower, a round fortified tower dating back to the Napoleonic Wars. The British, who ruled Ireland at the time, erected them in many places along the Irish coast as protection against attacks from the sea.
On a clear day, you can also see a lighthouse a little further out to sea, the Rockabilly Lighthouse. The rocky islands of Rockabilly are home to one of the largest breeding grounds of the rare roseate tern in Europe – who would have guessed that from a barren rock in the sea?
Skerries Harbour
The sheltered bay of Skerries not only gave Vikings a safe place to land their ships, but also fishermen of later times. For many years, Skerries was primarily a busy fishing harbour.
Later it also became a centre for embroidery and stitched textiles, but the harbour still defines the small town today.
At the harbour you will also find several pubs and very good restaurants where you can eat wonderful fish and seafood – or some other delicious meal.
Skerries Mills
The windmills, which are hard to miss, date back to the 19th century, have been lovingly restored and are now open to visitors.
There are two windmills, a watermill, a bakery with a café and several shops. You can also go on a guided tour or take a stroll around the beautiful grounds, browse the shops and visit the café. See: https://www.skerriesmills.ie.
What else you can see in the area
Skerries is not far from Dublin, where there are plenty of sights to see. But I’m assuming you’re just coming from Dublin and travelling north along the coast – and I have a few tips for you:
Loughshinny Beach
This is a nice beach in beautiful surroundings, a few minutes drive south of Skerries. You can get there via Tougher Hill and Baldungan.
Port Oriel
If you follow the coast northwards, past Drogheda, you will come to the small village of Clogherhead. The village’s small fishing harbour is Port Oriel. Small, nice and beautifully situated, it is well worth a stopover.
Ardgillian Castle
This beautiful 18th century castle is beautifully situated near the coast in the north of Skerries. In addition to magnificent residential buildings, there is also a beautiful park and flower and herb gardens and you can visit the castle and gardens. See: https://ardgillancastle.ie.
Newgrange
Near Drogheda you will find Newgrange. This is a very well preserved cult site that is over 5000 years old. In the same valley you will find two more, Knowth and Dowth. You can only visit the Newgrange and Knowth sites as part of a guided tour, which you should book well in advance. See: https://www.newgrange.com/visitor.htm.
Conclusion
Skerries is one of those nice seaside towns where you can spend a leisurely half day. It’s a lovely place, with a beautiful harbour and promenade, good restaurants and the windmills, which are really nice to see.
And it’s one of those places where you can relax and enjoy your time. Why be stressed about following a planned route – you’re on holiday after all!
Have fun on the north-east coast of Ireland and enjoy Skerries!
Below I have linked a few articles that might also be of interest to you:
More interesting articles for you
BELFAST AND THE BIG SHIPS
WEXFORD – SO OLD – SO NEW!
HOOK HEAD LIGHTHOUSE – THE OLDEST ACTIVE LIGHTHOUSE IN THE WORLD
WATERFORD AND THE VIKINGS
Picture credits cover picture: Skerries Mills, photo by Ulrich Knüppel-Gertberg (www.easycruiser.tours, www.the-view-accommodation.ie, www.irland-insider.de, www.ireland-insider.com)
