Dublin Tour - South Coast &
Gardens
Dublin's beautiful south coast is seen at its best from a
double-deck touring bus. Along the great sweep of Dublin
Bay, past Dun Laoghaire's elegant promenade and yacht-filled
harbour, to James Joyce's Tower at Sandycove, the sea views
are unsurpassed.
Turning inland, the tour climbs into the beautiful Wicklow
Mountains and continues through the enchanting old-world
village of Enniskerry to Powerscourt House & Gardens. The
estate, in its spectacular mountain setting, is among the
finest in Europe and has featured in many films including
Mel Gibson's 'Braveheart'. You'll have lots of time to
explore the grounds to see the Italian, Japanese and walled
gardens or browse the renowned Avoca Handweavers shop and
cafe.
Before returning to Dublin the tour passes through the
dramatic geographical fault known as The Scalp and the
ever-changing scenery of the Wicklow and Dublin mountains.
For private bookings contact
info@failtetours.com
Tour Highlights
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Entertaining Live
Commentary - Fáilte Ireland Approved Guides. |
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Visit to Powerscourt
Gardens. |
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Admission to
Powerscourt Gardens is included. |
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Unrestricted view from
your Double deck bus. |
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Places of Interest
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Dun Laoghaire
Perhaps Ireland's oldest town, Dún Laoghaire is
named after its founder, the High King of Ireland
who used the area as his sea-fort for raiding into
Britain and France. The harbour is notable for its
two granite piers. The East Pier is particularly
popular with walkers, while the West Pier is heavily
used year-round by windsurfers. Other features of
the town include the National Maritime Museum of
Ireland and a Martello Tower in nearby Sandycove,
known as the James Joyce Tower. |
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Sandycove
Sandycove is a pleasant little harbour where the
James Joyce Museum can be found in the Martello
Tower built in 1804. This tower was lived in briefly
by James Joyce and became famous as the setting for
the opening of Ulysses. The museum was opened in
1962, featuring memorabilia, letters, first editions
of Joyce's works and other Joycean memorabilia. |
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Dalkey
The name originates from the Gaelic "Deilig Inis"
or Island of thorns and a sense of history is
immediately apparent on entering the town. Once
known as the 'Town of Seven Castles' the castles
were built as warehouses to store goods. Two of
these: Goat Castle, which houses the Heritage Centre
and Archbold's Castle are still standing today. Both
can be seen on the main street of this attractive
village whose tight, winding roads and charming
villas give it a Mediterranean feel. |
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Enniskerry
The picturesque village of Enniskerry is located
east of The Wicklow Way. The heart of the village
retains its elegant Victorian feeling with its most
distinctive feature is the clock tower dating from
1843. It was erected as a memorial to the Wingfield
family then owners of the nearby Powerscourt Estate. |
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Powerscourt
Powerscourt House and Gardens are probably the
finest in Ireland, both for their design and their
dramatic setting at the foot of Great Sugar Loaf
Mountain. Richard Wingfield, the first Viscount
Powerscourt, commissioned the house and grounds in
the 1730's. It now incorporates a range of specialty
shops as well as a restaurant, golf course and
formal gardens.
Free Admission to Powerscourt Gardens |
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Bray
Bray, known as the Gateway to the Garden of
Ireland, is positioned in northeast Wicklow, just
south of Dublin. Today, Bray is a vibrant holiday
town and boasts fine hotels and guesthouse
accommodation, shops, restaurants and evening
entertainment. It has a safe beach of sand and
shingle, which attracts huge crowds in summer.
Anyone in search of peace and quiet can escape to
nearby Bray head, which rises steeply above the sea,
affording views of mountains and sea. |
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