Travel The Sunday Times May 2, 2021 15 Travel

Worlds away from home

With just over a week to go until we can travel across the country again, Dubliner 17 Yvonne Gordon discovers that there are still adventures to be had on her doorstep PANDEMIC PARADISE THE US VIRGIN ISLES he island looms on the distant lockdown and all my preparations to ARE A HAVEN ON A horizon; a small green land arrive here, you’d think we were going COVID-RIDDLED mass in the middle of a up the Amazon. Today’s expedition is Tsparkling blue stretch of water a gentle three-hour kayaking tour from PLANET below a cloudless sky. It looks Bullock Harbour, paddling to the island far away, and I feel tiny and low in the sea along a couple of kilometres of shoreline, as I paddle through the chop of the waves. hoping to meet seals on the way. black cormorants standing on a large The water is clear and I can see the I’m taking a socially distanced rock, holding their wings out to dry. outline of rocks below. There’s no sign preview trip guided by Jenny Kilbride of Kayaking across to Dalkey At Lamb Island, grey seals bask in the of movement beneath the surface — yet. kayaking.ie. As we leave the harbour she Island, with its wildlife and sun on bladderwrack-covered rocks. I In reality, the faraway island is less than tells me that Dublin Bay, where porpoises history, past seals basking am thrilled when some swim out to have 300 metres from the shore. It’s Dalkey and dolphins are sometimes spotted, is at Lamb Island, brings a a closer look at our kayaks, popping their Island, off the coast of south Dublin, and a Unesco-designated Biosphere. welcome change of scenery huge heads up at intervals — but they I’m less than half an hour from home. If “We are so close to the city but a world disappear every time I try to take a you went directly across from Coliemore away,” she says, listing the rare seabirds picture. It’s a maritime version of Harbour it would take five minutes to found in the bay, including Arctic terns whack-a-mole. As we near the island, cross the sound by boat. After months of and oystercatchers. We pass a row of Continued on page 16→ Travel16 May 2, 2021 The Sunday Times

The cliff path takes in views of Baily and Dublin Bay, left; below left and right, Dalkey Island and the St Begnet’s ruins; below centre, a sea cave beneath

→Continued from page 15 Kilbride explains how Dalkey was once a walled town with seven castles and the now uninhabited island a trading post. We reach the shore, and pull the kayaks up between rocks and seaweed on a tiny sandy beach. Underfoot the grass is full of rabbit holes and droppings — there are wild rabbits and goats, as well as herring gulls and plenty of other birds. It’s peaceful, the only sound a distant hum, perhaps from a boat engine. There’s a promontory fort, the ruins of St Begnet’s Church and a Martello tower, one of a series built in the early 19th century to defend against a possible invasion by Napoleon. Kilbride says that escape into a jungle of giant ferns and coast. Even within the county he county Deilginis — the Irish name for Dalkey — rhododendrons, their trunks twisting of Dublin there are so many other outdoor translates from the Norse for “thorn up to bursts of pink flowers. adventures. You could cross the bay island” and Vikings once inhabited it. Howth We stop at Aideen’s Dolmen, a stone between Dun Laoghaire and Howth with The whole bay sparkles around us in Muck Rock tomb that dates from about 5,000 years Dublin Bay Cruises, or try a traditional the sun, with the blue silhouette of Bray ago, and trace along mud paths and sailing ship with Dublin Under Sail. Head and the Sugar Loaf in the distance through tunnels of rhododendron For something calmer, Big Style across Killiney Bay. It’s a special DUBLIN Jameson’s Pool branches. O’Doherty points out some teaches stand-up paddleboarding in experience to be here on a rare sunny “magic steps” carved into the rock and Dun Laoghaire harbour, or you could and calm day. “It looks different every says that the hills are full of forgotten learn to sail there with the Irish National time,” says Kilbride. “The light and the Dublin Bay trails. We arrive at Muck Rock, with its Sailing and Powerboat School. To see weather, the time of year — the sun is in sweet-smelling yellow gorse. There’s beneath the surface, licensed divers can a different place in the sky.” Dublin Bay is a view down over Howth Harbour and go with Oceandivers to Dalkey Island dotted with the white sails of slow-moving Bullock Harbour back to Dublin Bay, and we can even make (you need a recognised certificate or boats. The Poolbeg chimneys stand tall Dun Laoghaire out the Mourne Mountains to the north. you can train with them), where you in the distance and the Howth peninsula Lamb Island Our next hiking terrain is coastal, might get to interact with the seals. marks the bay’s most northerly point. Coliemore Harbour along the south cliff path, with views of Mountain-lovers could tour the It’s about 10km across the bay and Dalkey Island the Baily Lighthouse, over Dolmen Bay Dublin Mountains with Hilltoptreks or 30km by road to Howth. The cliff walk and down to Jameson’s Pool, created in go horse trekking from a stable such as and harbour are well known, but after 2km the late 19th century to catch seawater for Carrickmines Equestrian Centre. For my island adventure, I explore the swimming. We walk down onto a stony rock climbing or abseiling, head to peninsula further on a hike with Shane years of history through its habitats, beach. The gentle sound of the waves Dalkey Quarry, which is where granite O’Doherty of Shane’s Howth Adventures. nature and wilderness.” He goes back lapping on the shore is soon joined by for Dun Laoghaire piers was hewn. “riverrun, past Eve and Adam’s, from to legends of Tuatha Dé Danann, the the rumbling of a ship heading to Dublin Dane Galligan from Go Beyond swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us mythological race, and how they left Port in the distance. It’s low tide, so we Adventure says that the quarry is suitable by a commodious vicus of recirculation There was a stories and signs in the landscape, go into a cave under the cliff. for all levels of climbing experience. back to Howth Castle and Environs.” disconnect including the old Irish name for Howth, I haven’t left Dublin but I feel as though “People are pleasantly surprised by the O’Doherty says that the opening lines of Binn Eadair, which means Éadar’s peak. I’ve been to the Galapagos, to exotic location,” he says. “You get amazing Joyce’s Finnegans Wake are directions to between We talk through the Celts, the Fianna, jungles and the sea cliffs of ’s west views out over Dublin Bay to Howth Howth Castle. “Joyce was much inspired people the early Christians and how the first Head, especially on a sunny day. On by Howth, as was WB Yeats,” he says. Viking ships came to Lambay Island. summer evenings you get incredible We start our tour at the castle, stepping and nature After that, it’s the Battle of Clontarf and THE BRIEF sunsets over Dublin city.” over fragrant petals under a magnolia tree for such a the Normans. The entire story of Ireland As well as the hiking and kayaking, to stand beneath Grace O’Malley’s Tower. really is here. Three-hour guided kayaking and I learnt about history and nature on In the 1500s, Connacht’s pirate queen long time — Our next stop on the grounds is the sunset tours (€59) with kayaking.ie; each outing. One of the good things to came to the gates of this tower looking now there’s rhododendron gardens, planted in the Four-hour Howth hiking tours (from come out of Covid-19 is that people are for hospitality and provisions but the mid-1800s by the 3rd Earl of Howth, €49) with shaneshowthadventures. reconnecting with the environment, Earl of Howth told his men to lock the a different who brought in everything including com. See also: dublinundersail.com; and city dwellers are connecting more gates and turn O’Malley away. She feel about the soil. We walk past the Deer Park dublinbaycruises.com; inss.ie; with their county. “There was such a kidnapped his grandson; one of the Hotel, through rows of cherry blossoms bigstyle.ie; oceandivers.ie; hilltop disconnect between people and nature terms of his release was that nobody the place and along a bramble-lined path, inhaling treks.com; carrickminesequestrian.ie; for such a long time,” Kilbride says. would be turned away again. the aroma from a patch of wild garlic. gobeyondadventure.ie. Activities start “There’s a different feel about the place “The story of Ireland is written within Birdsong mixes with the strains of jazz from May 10 — check opening dates now. People are having a drink outside, the landscape of this small peninsula,” drifting from the hotel’s takeaway café. and Covid guidelines in advance. or swimming in or walking by the sea. O’Doherty says. “You can tell 10,000 It’s an appropriate backing track for this They remember that it’s here.”