Things to do in Howth
Attractions, heritage sites and walks around Howth, drawn from open data. Distances are straight-line from the town centre.
In brief
Howth is a town in County Dublin about 14 km from Dublin city centre. Open datasets list 46 Fáilte Ireland visitor attractions within 10 km, eight national monuments open to visitors within 20 km, 14 nationally rated heritage buildings in the town. Everything below comes from published sources, refreshed regularly.
Attractions near Howth
Visitor attractions listed by Fáilte Ireland within 10 km (top 12 of 46).
- The Ye Olde Hurdy-Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio is located in the Martello Tower in Howth, County Dublin, and houses a collection of exhibits chronicling the history…
- Howth Castle and the adjoining estate, the home of the Gaisford -St Lawrence family since 1177, has been sold to developers with a view toward upgrading the Deer Park…
- The National Transport Museum of Ireland, in Howth County Dublin, is Ireland’s only comprehensive assembly of public and commercial road transport vehicles. The…
- Velvet Strand, Portmarnock is a long sandy beach, backed by wonderful dunes which harbour fascinating flora. It is located in Portmarnock, County Dublin and is…
- Bull Island is a low lying island in the northern part of Dublin Bay, County Dublin. It contains a range of natural habitats including sand dunes and salt marshes.…
- The former home of the Guinness family, St Anne's Estate provides extensive public parklands and rose gardens just outside Dublin city centre. Covering 112 hectares,…
- St Doulagh’s Church is the oldest stone roofed church still in use in Ireland. It occupies the site of a 7th century monastic settlement established by its namesake.…
- The Garden House is a premium garden centre located in Malahide, County Dublin. It offers a curated selection of stylish outdoor furniture, BBQs, plants and homeware.…
- Visit Casino Model Railway Museum, home to Cyril Fry's collection of model trains, in the refurbished thatched Casino Cottage located in the heart of Malahide…
- Enjoy a 2 hour boat trip from Howth Harbour, County Dublin, with Fingal Sea Safari. Travel around Lambay Island and view seabirds, seals and beautiful scenery from…
- Malahide Castle and Gardens is on 250 acres of parkland in the pretty seaside town of Malahide in County Dublin. It was both a fortress and a private home for nearly…
- Visit Howth, write, stay, take an adventure in new places and old story. You are invited to write and explore the unique fishing village.
Heritage and monuments
National monuments open to visitors within 20 km, plus nationally rated buildings in Howth from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
- The Casino was designed by Sir William Chambers as a pleasure house for James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont.
- Today Monkstown Castle is situated in the suburbs of Dublin. In medieval times the castle here was the centre of a large farm owned by the Cistercian monks of St.
- St. Mary's Abbey is one of Dublin's best kept secrets. It was once the wealthiest Cistercian Abbey in Ireland. Today only two rooms remain - the Chapter House and the Slype.
- Sited in the heart of the walled medieval city, St Audoen's Church is the only remaining medieval parish church in Dublin. It is dedicated to St Ouen the 7th century bishop of Rouen and patron saint of Normandy.
- The old church of Tully near Cabinteely is situated on a low hill overlooking much of south county Dublin and has fine views of the Dublin Mountains.
- One of the largest unoccupied gaols in Europe, covering some of the most heroic and tragic events in Ireland's emergence as a modern nation from 1780s to the 1920s.
- Lusk Heritage Centre comprises of a 9th century round tower, a medieval belfry and a 19th century church. They form a unit, although they were built over a period of almost a thousand years.
- The original castle at Rathfarnham dates back to the Elizabethan period and was built for Archbishop Adam Loftus, an ambitious Yorkshire clergyman, who came to Ireland as chaplain to the Lord Deputy and quickly rose to…
Walks and nature
Waymarked trails from Sport Ireland's National Trails Register and NPWS parks and nature reserves, starting near Howth and across Co. Dublin.
- Ireland's largest national park and the only one in the east, almost 23,000 hectares of blanket bog, heath, oak woodland and upland lakes south of Dublin.
- North Bull Island Nature ReserveA UNESCO biosphere on a sandy island in Dublin Bay, internationally important for wintering wildfowl and waders.
- Rogerstown Estuary Nature ReserveA tidal estuary near Rush that is a key roost for Brent geese and other wintering birds.
- Baldoyle Estuary Nature ReserveA sheltered north Dublin estuary and saltmarsh, important for wintering waterfowl.
Plan around Howth
- What's on across Leinster this week, refreshed every Monday.
- Thinking of moving here? Living in Howth covers prices, rents and schools. Median sale price €780,000.
- See every nationally rated heritage building and monument in our heritage guide to Co. Dublin.
Attraction data from Fáilte Ireland Open Data (CC BY 4.0), last refreshed 13 July 2026. Monuments from the National Monuments Service and heritage buildings from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (both data.gov.ie, CC BY 4.0). Trails from Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. Parks and reserves from the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Opening hours and admission can change; check the linked site before travelling.