Dublin is not a massive city so you can get to most places on foot. Phoenix Park is a bit of a trek but well worth it. A walk round Merrion Square is a lovely escape and several walks around the Temple Bar area are inevitable. So my tip is pack trainers!

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Bull Island is man-made - well, formed as the result of sand building up against the (man-made) harbour wall. A stunning long sandy beach with an important bird sanctuary at one end, and a quaint wooden bridge, harbour wall, and monument at the other. If you aim for the middle section, you'll avoid the boy racers (they're not intimidating - just a bit annoying). On a windy day you'll have some impressive kitesurfing to watch, too.

Look out for the Bull Island if you come in on the plane. The northern approach often takes you directly overhead.

Bus routes 103, 104 and 130 run next to Bull Island (ask the driver), or Clontarf Rd DART (suburban rail) station followed by a 20 minute walk along the sea wall

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Almost a stone’s throw away from St Stephen's Green, this little park is a quiet little getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. While full of office workers during lunchtime on summer days, you'll nearly have the place to yourself when they're in work. A real hidden treasure.

Entrance is on Clonmel Street, off Harcourt Street.
Nearest Luas (light rail) stop: Harcourt Street and St Stephen's Green

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Howth is 25 minutes on the DART from the City. It is a working fishing harbour, and on the (wet) Sunday we visited, had a farmers' market, as well as two fishmongers and an awful lot of boats. Of the pubs, I'd recommend the Bloody Stream for its fantastic local seafood - try the chowder - and a great pint. Despite the good food, it isn't expensive or pretentious. Just good beer, and good food in nice surroundings. Best of all, it is underneath the DART station, so you can keep checking when the next one's due. We prolonged our stay by about 2 hours this way, in twenty minute intervals. Howth is a good option for a Sunday afternoon, if you want a break from the City. (Try The Abbot as well)

14 West Pier (just below the DART station), Howth;
tel: 01 839 5076;
www.thebloodystream.com

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You can walk to the next station through the path, which is next to the mountain. It is a little bit far away, but you can enjoy great views of the beautiful beach and cliffs. Those are fabulous scenes.

It's an easy walk: not too steep those make you healthy, for sure. Go there and enjoy fresh air.

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Outsiders are not, frankly, welcomed in Dalkey or Kilinney, so stay on the Dart until Greystones! Nobody I know would even let their dogs onto a beach like Malahide.

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Poolbeg Lighthouse is located at the end of the South Bull Wall and is a great place to go for a bracing walk. The wall sticks out into the bay and you can get a 360 degree view of Dublin bay and the mountains. It feels like you're on an island and sometimes you can be really lucky and see a seal. Plus there are loads of sea birds and even a tiny unspoilt beach. It’s a real escape from the city.

South Bull Wall is located in Ringsend/Irishtown, in the heart of the industrial centre of Dublin. The easiest way to get there is by travelling down the quays on the southside. The nearest landmark is the powerstation with its red and white striped towers.

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This grand old public park, on the outskirts of Dublin's southern suburbs is a great way of escaping the mayhem, walking off that hangover and acts as a gateway to the beautiful Dublin and Wicklow hills. A wander through the Victorian grounds, forest, Saturday market and model railway for kids is extremely rewarding.

For one of the outstanding views of Dublin, follow the yellow marker posts for about an hour on a climb into the nearby woods. This view (on the Wicklow walkway) looks north taking in Dublin city, the bay and environs.

For even more stunning scenery follow the track for another hour up the hill and the city disappears to reveal open Irish hillsides and rolling forests. If you’re lucky, you will see some native deer and mountain goats.

Take the 48A bus from Dame Street (city centre near O'Connell Street) for 1/2 an hour, the last stop is Marley Park. To get to the viewing points follow the yellow markers in the main carpark. A map and information are also provided. For more details on the Wicklow way see www.wicklowway.com

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TTo clear your head the morning after a night on the Guinness, hop on the Dart to Dun Laoghaire and take a stroll down one of its two piers. The east pier is a mile long and the west even longer. You will be rewarded with a breathtaking view over the Irish Sea.

On sunny days when the sea is a deep azure and the sky scattered with gauzy clouds you'll share the pier with families and lovers and little boys fishing. On colder winter days, when the water is iron grey, and the cumulus clouds and watery sun do battle over the roof tops and church steeples, the only sounds will be the rushing wind and the clanging of harboured boats. You might pass other pink-nosed hardy souls or even spot a few seals watching you silently from the choppy waves.

Nothing like it for a hangover.

DART to Dun Laoghaire station

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Less energetic than walking up Killiney Hill: take the Dart to Killiney and then walk back along the coast road to Dalkey. The views over the bay are lovely. Further along, look out for Coliemore Harbour and Dalkey Island. Finish off with drinks or food in Dalkey, before taking the Dart back into town.

Dart to Killiney

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This hidden gem is considered by many to be one of Europe's finest memorial gardens. It was designed by the great English architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. It's dedicated to the Irish dead of the first world war. It is beautifully maintained, a real little oasis by the River Liffey, across from Phoenix Park.

South Circular Road, Islandbridge. It's about 10 minutes walk from Heuston Station (Intercity rail and Luas stop)

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One of the nicest walks in easy reach of Dublin. Get the Dart train to Howth village (about 25 minutes from the city centre), turn left and walk past the harbour (also a lovely walk and has a great restaurant called Aqua).Keep following the coast and you will find yourself on a wide unpaved path that runs along the southern part of Howth Head. Get ready for a bracing walk with fantastic views over Dublin Bay on a nice day. If you keep walking for two to three hours you eventually arrive in Sutton. Keep walking along the coast and you will end up at the Marine Hotel. You can get back to Dublin from the Sutton Dart station.

Howth Head, north Dublin

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The Great South Wall is located rather unappealingly by Dublin's largest sewage works. Despite the occasional bad smell (!) it is a great walk, and not well known even to Dubliners. Walk along the nature reserve from Sandymount Strand to the wall, and then out to the lighthouse on the end. Birds, boats, the odd seal and the ubiquitous cranes on the Dublin skyline: nature in an industrial setting.

www.birdweb.net/poolbeg.html

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