Arrived at Dublin this morning to a wind-driven rain storm. Plan A was a kayak trip at Dalkey to see the seals in Dublin Bay. Easterly winds at 25 knots had kicked up the surf on the Irish Sea, so the kayak trip was cancelled.
A walk along the sea wall with a crashing sea might be fun, so I set off southbound from Dun Laoghaire after the short train ride from Dublin on the DART (1). The sky brightened and the rain stopped on the walk through the posh (2) sea-side suburbs south of Dublin.
After a few miles (and a few glimpses of blue sky), Killiney Hill beckoned. Rising steeply 500 feet above the Sea, the hill is surrounded by a public park with trails leading to the summit (3). The park seems popular with people out walking their dogs. The sun appeared through the scudding clouds as I neared the summit, offering fine views over the Irish Sea glistening below in the sporadic sunshine.
Dalkey Hill was visible to the North and was accessible via rougher paths. After summtting Dalkey Hill, I descended to the town along puddled paths through an old quarry, passing a dog walker who commented on the favorable turn of weather. About a 7 mile walk/hike, fortuitously during the driest part of the day.
The rain began again as I reached Dalkey town, where a short DART ride returned me to Dun Laoghaire. My hotel for the night previously hosted Queen Victoria and Charlie Chaplin. A powerful lighthouse was visible out to sea, presumably the Dublin landfall light with a pattern of two flashes every twelves seconds.
(1) Dublin Area Rapid Transit, somewhere between a subway/metro system and a commuter rail.
(2) Originally meaning "port out, starboard home" for the better side of the ship on a trip from England to India.
(3) Unlike hiking in the mountains, the park is laid out more like Park Mount Royal in Montréal (a), with well-groomed trails designed to encourage urban dwellers to enjoy the outdoors.
(a) The park in Montréal was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, creator of the field of landscape architecture, who also laid out Central Park in NYC.
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