Howth Fishing Village

Howth is a genuine working fishing port - one of the main ones on the east coast - as well as a Dublin day trip, and the combination is what makes it worth the train. Boats land at the West Pier and the fishmongers there sell what came in, with the fish counters open through the day and a row of seafood restaurants and a smokehouse alongside. Grey seals gather at the pier waiting for scraps and are close enough to photograph without a lens, though feeding them is discouraged and they are large wild animals. A market runs at the harbour on weekends. The village also has the cliff walk around the head, a castle with its own history, and Ireland's Eye offshore. The pier is busy with traffic and working vehicles, and the seafood restaurants along the front vary from very good to indifferent - the ones with the queues are generally the ones to join.

What you actually see

• The working pier - boats landing and fishmongers selling on the quay.
• The grey seals - gathered at the pier, close and habituated.
• The weekend market - food and craft stalls at the harbour.
• The smokehouse and restaurants - the seafood row along the front.

When to go

Any season; the DART from Dublin takes thirty minutes. Weekends bring the market and the crowds. Fishmongers sell through the day; mornings have the fullest counters.

Honest expectations

A working port with lorries and machinery on the pier - it is not a picturesque quay. Restaurant quality along the front varies widely. Do not feed the seals; they are wild and have bitten people.

Nearby

The Howth cliff walk starts in the village; Ireland's Eye is offshore.