Walks by Car - Great South Wall Walk

An easy walk of around 4km in total, out and back along the Great South Wall in the centre of Dublin Bay.

INFO:

The entire walk (out and back) is around 4km, over paved but slightly uneven surface.

Suitable for the whole family, but caution should be excercised with children, as the edges of the wall drop unguarded to the sea. The walking area is wide, so there is no need to walk too close to the edge. It is navigable by wheelchair, though more than a little bumpy.

Car-parking is free, valuables should be left out of site.

The wall is not lit, so return should be planned before darkness (as a reasonably unfit adult, it takes me 30-40 minutes to walk in one direction, so set off on the walk at least 80 minutes before sundown).

DIRECTIONS TO THE WALK:

From either the northside, or southside, head for the Eastlink tollbridge in the docklands area (very well signposted). From the city centre this can be reached along the North quays.

If travelling from the northside, cross the eastlink, and you will come to a large roundabout almost immediatly after the toll booths.

From the southside, follow the signs to eastlink, and you will come to the lerge roundabout just before it.

From this roundabout, take the exit which is directly opposite to the one leading to or from the eastlink. This is a wide road, with a number of caravans along it.

A short distance along the road (around 200m) take the large lefthand turn (if you go straight on, the road will end).

This lefthand turn is Pigeon House Road, and after a short distance it will turn sharply to the right.

You will now be heading through fairly bleak industrial landscape, with various scrapyards and ruined buildings on either side. A small sewage pond is also passed, so I reccomend keeping the windows closed at this point!

The road runs directly towards the huge ESB chimneys, and then zig-zags around the complex, shortly giving you a wonderful view of Sandymount strand and the distant mountains on your right.

Continue along here, being careful of drifting sand, and after a number of corners you will come to a car-park. The road continues on from here, and goes to the start of the Wall Walk a short distance further - there is parking along the road, and indeed you can drive the first quarter of a km along the bumpy wall to where there is another small parking area.

View from parking area - click on thumbnails for fullsize image

THE WALK:

From here, you can walk directly out into the middle of Dublin Bay along the wall, which is wide, and paved, though rough in places. About two thirds of the way out, the level of the wall increases, the wall needed to be higher here due to the force of winter storms.

At the end is the lighthouse, and stunning views in all directions. To the south is Killiney head and Dun Laoghaire, behind which can be seen the Dublin and Wicklow mountains. The RTE transmission tower at Donnybrook and the Belfield watertower may be seen if it is not too hazy.

Directly back along the walk can be seen the Pigeon House with its tall chimneys, and to the right of that, you can see for some distance up the Liffey towards the city, where Liberty Hall and the Spire may be seen in clear weather.

To the north we can see the shorter Bull Wall walk, and behind it Bull Island and the north city. Howth is seen to its best advantage from this point, as if at sea.

On this walk, shipping will frequently be seen coming in and out of the port - either the regular ferries, or various cargo ships, the latter usually accompanied by a small pilot boat.

GETTING BACK:

The exact reverse of your earlier walk/drive!