Howth Head

Howth Head is a peninsula northeast of Dublin that makes a wonderful destination for runners. It’s the location where Leopold Bloom proposes to Molly in James Joyce’s Ulysses. With cliffs, summits, and interesting sites, there are great trails and roads for hiking, walking, and running. It’s also easily accessible by public transport — take the DART line to Sutton or Howth. Note: Most of Howth Head is a challenging, hilly trail run.  Spme running options for Howth Head:

Around Howth Head. Doing the Howth perimeter is a scenic but challenging trail run. The first 2 miles along Strand Rd. are the easier section, opening up to some nice water views (note: no sidewalk in some sections). Then from Shielmartin Rd. south, it’s more of a coastal headland walk on a fairly narrow trail in sections, and quite hilly. The footing is generally good. The challenge will be rewarded with fantastic views. It is possible to run around the entire perimeter of Howth Head, but the 1.7 miles between Howth Station and Sutton Station isn’t great. We suggest the 11.5 km around the perimeter of Howth Head from Sutton Station to Howth Station, on a combination roads and trails. Then, take the 5-minute train from Howth to Sutton.

• Good Detours:  0.4 miles one-way to Baily Lighthouse, 0.5 miles one-way to Howth Lighthouse, 0.4 miles one-way to W Pier from Howth station. Also, lots of additional trail options, Howth village, and other landmarks in area.

Shorter Option. Another option from Howth DART is ~5.5 miles past the harbour and up through Howth Village up to Balscadden Road where you get on the cliff walk trail, ending at Red Rock in Sutton. From there, a bus runs every 30 minutes to the Howth DART station.

Non-Trail Options:  If you don’t want to run on the trail, there’s a ~2 miles along Strand Rd. on the west side. Also, 3-4 miles that can be put together on the east side from Howth Station, out W Pier, to the Howth Lighthouse, and along Balscadden Road.

Run from Dublin to Howth: From the Dublin Docklands, it’s 8.7 miles, almost all along the water. The Clontarf Promenade is a nice pedestrian path between Clontarf and St. Anne’s Park. Nice detours along the way: 1 mile into Bull Island over a wooden bridge, and 3 miles of lovely paths around St. Anne’s Park. Shorten the run to 7 miles one-way by starting at Clontarf.

• Do it one-way, using the 20-minute train out or for the return.