This is our fifth article of our Staycation Ireland 2020, and we share a cycling day trip to Skerries. This is a picturesque coastal town located about 25km north of Dublin. So far, we’ve enjoyed seeing the Irish nature, but also Irish towns and villages. These show the real character of this northern country and Skerries is such a place.
We went there on a Saturday afternoon by cycling, from Dublin. It took us roughly 2h and it was a fairly easy ride compared to others we’ve done, especially the ones closer to Wicklow mountains. The ride was smooth, the weather was pretty ok for Irish standards and on our way there, we passed through other towns and villages that are also worth a quick stop, Swords being one of them. We took a slight detour, and so we entered the town by the seaside. As we started to approach it, Skerries bay started to form in a distance in front of us and it felt like we had entered a bit of a fairy tale landscape. It looked so peaceful and cozy.

Skerries is an ideal place to visit for a day if you are based in Dublin, as it offers a great natural landscape and relaxed atmosphere. It is famous for its fresh seafood and restaurant scene, which we weren’t able to try, unfortunately. This is because now, after lockdown, most restaurants have an online booking policy in place. This means you need to know in advance and be quick in booking it. We decided to go there spontaneously and asked if they would accept walk-ins, with no success. We went for a coffee in town instead, which was pretty decent as well.
All in all, it was a well worth visit to this cozy town. Check below more in detail what you can do there and enjoy it!
What is there to see in Skerries?
Skerries offers a cozy atmosphere by the seaside, with a slower pace than Dublin. The town derives its name from the Norse word, which means a group of rocky islands. Being a fishing town, Skerries offers a bustling harbor and bay areas, where you can find plenty of restaurants and pubs to eat and relax. The view of its rocky beaches is quite nice, with the Mourne mountains (Northern Ireland) within sight. The town itself has a few restaurants, cafes & pubs, groceries, and cute thatched cottages, a typical sight in the Irish countryside and small towns (see our visit to the Irish town of Adare).
Further away from the harbor area, located on top of a hill there are the Skerries Mills. These are 2 windmills and 1 watermill, which are related to Ireland’s history of stone-ground milling dating back to the 16th century. They are in a closed-off area that you can visit inside via a guided and paid tour, which we chose not to do. The ticket prices differ, but for an adult, the cost is 6€. We decided not to go for the guided tour and took some pictures from outside instead. They looked quite majestic and well preserved. The visitor’s area, where the mills are located, also has a cafe, where you chill after the visit, a craft shop, and an exhibition space that you can access for free.
What else can you do in Skerries?
You can also visit Lambay island, located very close to the Skerries, which we didn’t do. This island has plenty of history (we won’t get into that here) and currently is a bird sanctuary that you need permission to visit. You can go there between March and November, for day trips or longer stays. For more details, there’s an entire website dedicated to this here.
Skerries is also famous for its water sports because of its location on the seaside. You can always try some Kitesurfing, sea kayaking, and even paragliding.

Where is Skerries?
Skerries is located about 30km away north of Dublin, on Ireland’s east coast, easily accessible by car (30min drive), train/bus (1h), or bike (1.30h-2h).
When to go?
We went in July, but the best would be to go in May or whenever the weather is best. Because we are based in Dublin it is not a trip you need to plan much for, but can include in our Ireland travels.
Check out our other Staycation Ireland 2020 series!
This is the fifth article in our Staycation Ireland series 2020. The first one was “3 Easy Cycle Routes in and around Dublin – Staycation Ireland 2020”, the second one a more advanced cycle day trip “Cycling to Victor’s Way Park- Staycation in Ireland 2020″, the third one “Cycling the Gap of Dunloe & Killarney National Park – Staycation in Ireland 2020“ and the fourth one “Cycling Day trip to Blessington Lake- Staycation Ireland 2020”
Stay tuned for the next one!
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