48 Hours in Age Friendly Fingal
This suggested itinerary for a self-guided tour of beautiful Fingal can help you plan a relaxing and fun trip any time of the year. Whether you’re arriving by train, bus, bike, on foot or driving, Fingal is accessible to everyone. Look out for our age friendly purple parking spots. They offer convenient parking for the over 55’s and can be found throughout the County.
Day 1 – Start in Skerries and Balbriggan
At Skerries Mills (https://www.skerriesmills.ie/ ) you can enjoy a guided tour of three very special windmills and see the inner workings of the mill operation and bakery set among wetlands and pond.
Skerries Mills, and all other Fingal Heritage Properties, offer free guided tours for over 65’s on the first Wednesday of every month. End your visit with a picnic in the park or a treat at the cosy café where locals and visitors alike gather. If you’re bringing little visitors, you’ll be happy to find a fun playground and skate park alongside the Mill.
A short wander to the beach and you’ll join the St. Patrick’s Way Art Trail (https://www.fingal.ie/st-patricks-way-and-art-trail-skerries ) for a bracing seaside walk featuring a series of specially commissioned sculptures. Have fun spotting these art pieces and interacting with them as you take in the sea views along the beautiful coast of North Dublin.
End your Skerries morning with lunch at one of a host of fantastic local restaurants. Whether you’re a seafood lover or craving tapas, there’s lots of delicious options to choose from.
Just minutes away, an afternoon pit-stop at Ardgillan Castle (https://ardgillancastle.ie/ ) will delight any Irish history enthusiast, with 300 years of the Taylor family story to explore. Thomas Taylor was tasked by Oliver Cromwell with the creation of the Down Survey, which began at Ardgillan in 1656 and was the first detailed national land survey of Ireland.
Continue on to Balbriggan, home to the Irish Institute of Music and Song (https://www.irishinstituteofmusic.com/ ). With a packed schedule of music, dance, comedy and theatre performances you’ll be spoilt for a choice of evening entertainment.
Traditional music and cinema lovers can make a beeline for The Seámus Ennis Arts Centre (https://www.tseac.ie/) in nearby Naul, an intimate venue in an historic thatch cottage which offers a unique Fingal cultural experience.
Day 2 – Delights of Dublin 15
Off to experience Dublin 15 for day two in age friendly Fingal. Start the day with a bracing walk in St Catherine’s Park (https://www.fingal.ie/directory/amenities/parks/st-catherines-park ). Explore 200 acres of woodland and grassland, cut through by the River Liffey.
Walking not your preference? Book a free trip on our mobility friendly trishaw and take a spin around St Catherine’s Park in the safe hands of a trained ‘Cycling Without Age’ pilot (https://www.fingal.ie/activetravel/mobility/cycling-without-age-fingal ).
After all that fresh air you’ll be ready for a delicious lunch at the Castleknock Hotel (https://www.castleknockhotel.com/), or perhaps even an afternoon in the luxurious onsite spa. An afternoon of falconry or archery in the ground of the famous Luttrellstown Castle (https://www.luttrellstowncastle.com/ ) offers some thrills for those who enjoy learning new skills and for the gentler adventurers, fishing trips and tours of the magical 15th century castle are available too.
Shackleton Garden (https://www.fingal.ie/news/shackleton-garden-officially-opened-mayor-fingal ), a 1.5 acre walled garden of rare and exotic plants, is just a few minutes away and offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of lively shopping and dining in nearby Clonsilla (https://www.fingal.ie/visitor/locations/clonsilla) and Blanchardstown (https://www.fingal.ie/visitor/locations/blanchardstown ).
Castleknock village beautifully blends old and new as home to a host of sports clubs including Castleknock, Elmgreen and Luttrellstown golf clubs which all welcome green fee visitors. History and art fans will enjoy a visit to St. Brigid’s Church (https://blanchardstowncastleknockhistorysociety.wordpress.com/tour-of-st-brigids-church-castleknock/ ) with it’s Harry Clarke designed stain glass window.
No visit to Dublin 15 would be complete without a stroll along the banks of Dublin’s Royal Canal or The Liffey Valley Trail (https://www.fingal.ie/liffeyvalleytrail) . A haven for nature and watersports lovers, the Royal Canal joins the rivers Liffey and Tolka as they wind their way through Dublin 15 and the Strawberry Beds. The Royal Canal has been restored and developed for a range of recreational activities and is navigable between Dublin and Co. Longford.
End the day with a restful night’s sleep and dinner at the Crowne Plaza (https://www.cpireland.crowneplaza.com/dublin-blanchardstown ) hotel in Blanchardstown or one of the wide offering of great local restaurants in the area.
