Below the hilly headland at the northern boundary of Dublin Bay lies the small fishing village of Howth. There are so many things to do hereabouts – an angler’s dream, cod and ray are commonly caught here as fishing trawlers weave in and out of the harbour. All the while, restaurants along the seafront serve up the catch of the day to hungry hikers fresh off the Howth Head walk.

Open on weekends and Bank Holidays, Howth Market is home to an array of Irish crafts, delicate handmade jewellery, and vintage antiques; perfect for gift shopping. While you’re there, be sure to sample the wide selection of organic foods on offer, like olives, cheeses, nuts and of course, delicious chocolate and cupcakes. Or if you’re feeling peckish grab a burger, stir-fry or gooey pastrami melt sandwich for a picnic.

It is also a great place to spot seals in the harbour area.

The Baily Lighthouse was built in 1814 on a rocky promontory on Howth overlooking Dublin Bay. It was at this location that the Norse Vikings fled to regroup after the Battle of Clontarf in 1014 and was also the point where they boarded their longboats and left Howth for the last time after the Normans invasion in 1177. The lighthouse looks out over the main shipping channel between Dublin to Britain. Over the years hundreds of ships and thousands of lives have been lost to the sea, including The Dublin Packet Steamer in 1846 which ran into nearby cliffs. In 1667 it was decided to build a light signal here to warn ships of the danger at night. The Bailey Lighthouse as you see it today was built in 1814 and its tower stands 134 feet above the sea. A fog bell was later added in 1853 as a result of the Queen Victoria shipwreck where over 80 lives were lost. In 1996, the lighthouse was converted to automatic operation, and the last of ‘The Keepers’ left in 1997, making The Baily the last Irish lighthouse to go automatic.

This is a nice place to watch the sunrise or alternatively have an evening stroll around sunset or blue hour. My recommendation is to go via car and park directly here: at the The Summit Car Park 53°22'15.2"N 6°03'19.6"W

This is a lovely (and tough, at times!) 4km stroll that’s perfect for kick-starting an active weekend.

Although the Great South Wall Walk is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows that’ll make your visit that bit more enjoyable.

You’ll find Poolbeg Lighthouse on the Great South Wall (the South Bull Wall) where it has been since way back in 1768. It’s around a 20-minute drive from the centre of Dublin City.

There’s two different versions of the Poolbeg walk – a long one and a short one. The first starts from the car park on Pigeon House Road, and takes between 40 and 60 minutes to complete. The second kicks-off from Sandymount Strand and takes around 2 hours and 20 minutes.

If you’re doing the short version of the Poolbeg Lighthouse Walk, park in the car park on Pigeon House Road (53°20'27.0"N 6°10'37.4"W) or in the nearby Shelley Banks Car Park (53°20'18.6"N 6°10'57.1"W). If you’re doing the longer walk, try and nab a spot on Sandymount Strand here or here.

Some of Dublin’s most famous residents are the fallow deer that live in Phoenix Park, here’s your guide on how to find them!

Even though Dublin is a small city, only about a million people live there, it can get a little too hectic, so during your visit to Dublin, Phoenix Park is the perfect place to escape and surround yourself with nature.

The deer have been living in Phoenix Park since the 17th Century when they were introduced to the park for hunting, but fortunately, these days the deer live out a peaceful life in the park.

Even though there are about 600 deer, finding them can sometimes be difficult as they are wild animals, and are free to roam the huge 707 hectare (1,750 acre) park!

I think the best time to find the deer is early morning, as there aren’t many people there and the deer aren’t anxious. You can watch them peacefully having their breakfast.

If you come in the main entrance, go along the main road until you get to the cricket field and then keep an eye out on your left in the wooded area there to see if you can spot them.

I realized the best spot to see them is around here: 53°21'07.8"N 6°18'52.3"W

The best time to see the Kingfisher in Ireland is around April and May, before the trees start getting leaves. The spot that is marked here usually has a Kingfisher nest every year according to expert knowledge from a local photographer who is shooting only the Kingfisher. You will need to spend a good amount of time there probably between 1-2h to have a chance to take a snap but they will come out every so often. Best times to take a photo there are the early mornings.