Day Trips from Dublin

Would you like to discover the green side of Dublin? I’d suggest not leaving Dublin without visiting the Wicklow area. At the very least, you’ll get to see the region’s tourism importance and how well it’s preserved.

We didn’t stay in the city center of Dublin, but in Sandyford, a place mostly preferred by locals. Sandyford is one of the convenient areas for accommodation, with easy access to the city center and a large shopping mall.

Wicklow

Wicklow is one of the regions around Dublin where you can immerse yourself in greenery. In this area, we visited Glendalough, Powerscourt Waterfall, and Powerscourt House & Gardens. I’ll start with our favorite spot—Glendalough.

Glendalough

In Glendalough, you’ll find the remains of a medieval religious settlement, two lakes (Upper Lake & Lower Lake), and a walking path amidst trees. We strolled around the “Lower Lake” and, once again, experienced all four seasons within a few hours. Glendalough has also been a filming location for many movies; for example, the meeting scene from “P.S. I Love You” was filmed here.

The medieval religious settlement in Glendalough was founded by Saint Kevin—yes, you heard it right, the saint’s name is Kevin. While it sounds like a very modern name, Kevin is actually not modern at all; considering the city has survived for 1500 years, the name itself is quite ancient. The site includes several cathedrals, churches, a cemetery, and a tower built for both defense purposes and to help visiting monks find the city. Nestled in greenery, far from the crowds, you couldn’t ask for a more peaceful place to be a monk.

As I mentioned, we only walked around the Lower Lake, but you can also reach the Upper Lake by foot. If you have time, I’d recommend planning a longer duration here. It’s said that the Upper Lake is more magical and there are some dining options around it. You can also hike up to the hills and enjoy a view of the lake from above.

There’s almost nothing to spoil the view around the Lower Lake; a few houses by the lake blend so well with nature, making the landscape even more beautiful. Instead of saying, “Let’s throw in a couple of tables to make some money, or build a huge hotel,” they’ve decided to preserve it so that tourists keep coming.

Now for the highlight—if you’re lucky, you might spot some deer and fawns. Keep your eyes open; you never know where they’ll show up 🙂

Powerscourt Waterfall

At 212 meters, it’s the highest waterfall in Dublin. I think what’s more impressive here are the various types of towering trees. I don’t think I’ve seen such tall ones, even in the Black Sea region. Of course, photos can’t do justice to their magnificence—you only realize it when you stand next to them and look up.

When we visited, the waterfall wasn’t at its fullest; I guess it flows more vigorously in the spring, but visiting then may not be the best option for those of us used to warmer weather.

The sweetest thing about our visit was a tiny mouse that looked like it had popped straight out of a cartoon and came right up to us. They can be pretty cute in their natural habitat 🙂

There’s an entrance fee for the waterfall, and it’s worth checking the opening/closing hours depending on the season.

Powerscourt House & Gardens

This place, which reminded me of the Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens in Vienna, gave me the feeling that I was still in Europe on our last day. If you’ve seen palaces in Europe, it might not be as impressive for you, but the garden is quite large. Set aside a few hours if you want to see everything.

At the Avoca Terrace Cafe overlooking the gardens, you can enjoy tea and sweets while taking in the view.

There is an entrance fee, which varies by season.

Johnnie Fox’s Pub & Restaurant

If you’ve read my Dublin post, you’d know that I’m not much of a pub person, but when asked if we should stop by the oldest traditional pub in Glencullen, Dublin after our Glendalough trip, of course, I didn’t say no.

As soon as you step inside, you genuinely believe it’s been there for ages. Everywhere you look, there are old items, photos, and writings from long ago. The place is so old-fashioned that it might make you feel too modern and out of place. Thankfully, the young waiters break this atmosphere a little bit—they’re true Irish, and they seem like they wouldn’t hesitate to snap at you if you push them too hard.

The pub consists of several rooms, including a bar and dining areas. In our room, there was a group that we believed to be a gathering of young people from an Irish family. Their reactions as the food arrived were so enthusiastic that we eagerly awaited our own meals. There are many good options for lamb lovers. We opted for the classic fish & chips, which was a bit heavy compared to the one we had in Edinburgh. The portions are large, but the prices are a bit high.

Drogheda

We didn’t go to Drogheda for sightseeing but to see the sign in the city center. The sign contains a message of thanks from the Irish to the Turks.

In the 19th century, a potato blight caused a famine in Ireland, leading to the deaths of thousands of people. Sultan Abdulmejid wanted to send 10,000 pounds to Queen Victoria as aid, but the queen refused, as it exceeded her own allocated budget. So Abdulmejid loaded grain onto ships and sent it along with 1,000 pounds. This shipment saved many people from death. Years later, this event was uncovered from the archives by Taner Baytok, a member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Advisory Board between 1998 and 2001, and the sign was put up in Drogheda.

There’s also an additional part to this story. During the Lausanne Treaty negotiations, while European countries were voting against Turkey, the Irish representative consistently voted in favor of Turkey on every issue. Our famous poet Yahya Kemal, who was present during the negotiations, asked the reason for this, the representative mentioned the aid Turkey provided, stating that every Irish person is obliged to do so.

Perhaps this story has played a role in why Ireland is one of the places with the most Turks, and in the warm approach we received, even from a local lady who had never been to Turkey or had Turkish friends. It seems that just as the evils in history are not forgotten, the good deeds are also remembered.

Drogheda is about an hour away from Dublin, and we stopped there on our way from Belfast to Dublin.

Sandyford

Sandyford is where we stayed at the IMI Residence; but don’t be fooled by the photos you find online. Although it looks quite new and nice on the internet, once you enter the garden, you’re not sure if you’ve come to the right place—it feels more like a dormitory. Quiet and calm, but I still don’t understand how it got its 4-star rating; are stars given out for money here?

Luckily, while the hotel wasn’t great, the rooms were decent. Another plus was that Dundrum Shopping Centre was a 15-minute walk away, and it met our food, grocery, and shopping needs. I believe Primark (known as Penneys in Ireland) is the store that stays open the latest in this mall.Across the shopping center, there’s a tram to the city center, and you can reach it quickly, though it can be crowded. There are ticket machines at the station.

Another advantage of Sandyford is its proximity to the Wicklow area. I know it took less than 20 minutes because we timed it on our last day, worrying we’d be late for our tour’s departure 🙂

In conclusion, the districts around Dublin are as beautiful as the city center. If you have the time, you can explore more than we did and enjoy nature even further.

You might want to check out my post on “Things to Do in Dublin“.