Introduction to Clontarf
Clontarf is a suburb of Dublin City the Capital City of Ireland and is situated in the north west of Europe which is between 5 and 10 degrees west and between 51 and 55 degrees north. Clontarf is approximately four miles from Dublin City Centre. Travelling in an easterly direction by car or Dublin Bus you pass through the North Strand and Fairview.
Passing Fairview Park, this 49 acres park is noted for its seasonal bedding displays but also has valuable playing fields and tree-lined walks. Originally a tidal mud flat in the early 1900s, the park was developed in the late 1920s with Bye Laws formally adopted by the Corporation in 1934. .
Then under the twin railway arches to arrive in Clontarf Looking to your right, in a southerly direction, the harbour port of Dublin and the Dublin Mountains catches your eye. Looking ahead Howth Head Sutton and Dublin Bay are a striking view.
“The name – the Plain of the Bull – derives from the rumbling noise which was made by the sea as it rolled over the sandbanks in the Inbhear Dubh-linne, the bay of Dublin. The bellowing sound however is heard no longer, as the construction of the North and South Walls completely changed the environment.”
The History of Clontarf is particularly noted for its famous battle in the year 1014, in which Brian Boru defeated the invading Norsemen. A full history of Clontarf is available in the Book The Meadow of the Bull written by historian Dennis McIntyre.
If you are fond of walking or cycling, the Promenade ( 40 metres wide and is approx. 64 acres in extent. Which was reclaimed from the sea in the 1920s and finally completed and landscaped in the 1950s) of this seaside town takes you past
Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club, one of the oldest yacht clubs in Dublin Bay to the Bull Island mapped by Captain Bligh of Bounty fame.
The Nature Reserve, and beach.
Among other visitors that arrive in our North Dublin suburb are the Brent Geese, which migrate to the Bull Island every Winter from Baffin Island in Northern Canada and return home in Springtime.
The island has an Interpretative Centre with facilities to study the nature of the area.
To add to the splendour of this area you will find two Links Golf Courses; Royal Dublin Golf Club and Saint Anne’s Golf Club. Royal Dublin Golf Club, to the informed golfer, has staged the Irish Open on many occasions, attracting some of the world’s top golfers; Bernhard Langer, Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman and our own Christy O Connor. But if you prefer a parkland course, Clontarf Golf Club on the Malahide Road will surely test your skills.
Another notable feature of Clontarf is
Saint Anne’s Park which was left to the people of Dublin by Lord Ardliaun, a Parlimentarian and Philanthropist, and is now under the control of the Dublin Corporation Parks Department. Located in Clontarf & neighbouring Raheny, it covers an area of over 200 acres. Contained within the park itself are numerous playing fields for a variety of many sporting fixtures. But the ‘Jewel in the Crown’ is its exquisite Rose Garden which is acclaimed world wide in the science of Horticulture and is available to the public free all year round. This is a must for any visitor to North Dublin.
The heart of Clontarf is its old fishing village, located at the junction of Vernon Ave and Clontarf Road. It is here that the main business of Clontarf is focused, and if you want to quench your thirst, drop into the Sheds (Connolly’s) where you can enjoy a glass of Guinness or other beverages. On leaving the Sheds you have a choice of restaurants only half a minutes walk away.
Eating out
Clontarf has a quality hotel. The Clontarf Castle Hotel, and many approved lodgings (B&B’s) to add to the comfort of your visit. Whether you are passing through our town, or intend to stay a while, every effort will be made by the locals to make your stay an enjoyable one, and you will not leave our North Dublin Town without some memory, which will hopefully encourage you to return sometime in the future.
Thank you for joining us on this brief journey and we hope you enjoy your stay.