Donabate

Donabate combines coastal scenery with historic sites and trails. Balcarrick Beach and the coastal path towards Portrane offer opportunities to explore by the sea; Newbridge Demesne and the village’s churches provide different points of interest. You can tailor your stay to the landscape, walks, or architectural and cultural history.

Beach and Coastal Path

Balcarrick Beach is 3.4 kilometres long and has sandy dunes and rock pools. The main access point is at the northern end of the beach, near the Waterside Hotel. It is about a 20-minute walk from Donabate village centre. The dunes are fragile: please do not walk on them or the surrounding grass, and do not play there. Local access conditions may change; check the information before your beach visit.

The coastal path from Donabate to Portrane runs east from the railway line at the Broadmeadow Estuary and passes north of Balcarrick Golf Course. Near Donabate, the path takes you to a Martello tower next to the Waterside Hotel. As an optional extension, the route can include a loop around Island Golf Club. This gives the path different landmarks from a stay at the beach: it continues along the coast towards Portrane. The route is shown on panels at Tower Bay Car Park and Beach Car Park in Donabate; as signage may change, check the directions locally.

Newbridge Demesne and Newbridge House

Newbridge Demesne is considered the only surviving, intact 18th-century demesne landscape in County Dublin. The grounds include around 370 acres of pastureland, woodland paths and a wildlife park. Newbridge House was completed in 1752; its interiors are among the best preserved in Ireland. Newbridge House and Farm are within easy walking distance of Donabate village centre.

The estate combines historical and agricultural features: Newbridge Demesne includes a working 18th-century farm and a modern adventure playground. The farm has Shetland and Connemara ponies, piglets, goats and chicks; the animals may change. Newbridge Traditional Farm also showcases old breeds of animals and machinery from earlier centuries of Irish farming. The Walled Garden is notable for its extensive orchards and collection of old Irish apple varieties. Those focusing on the landscape can distinguish these different areas, from the paths and pastureland to the garden and farm.

To reach Newbridge House and Farm, you can take northbound trains from Connolly or Pearse Street to Donabate station. Check current services before travelling.

Churches and Architectural History

Donabate’s St Patrick’s Church of Ireland dates from 1758 and stands on the site of the village’s medieval parish church. The Catholic St Patrick’s Church is more recent: the Gothic church was built in 1903 from red brick from Portmarnock. Its architectural details include an ornate rose window and a high altar made of Carrara marble.

The Catholic church’s stained glass also offers a specific insight into its art history. The two-light stained-glass window titled “Suffer little Children” was designed in 1925 by Harry Clarke and created by artists from his studio under his direction. Another historic site is Lanistown Castle: it dates from the mid-15th century and is one of three surviving tower houses on the peninsula. Together, these buildings represent different historical layers, without any single building type defining the village on its own.

For planning your day, the options are easy to distinguish: at Balcarrick Beach, the focus is on the coastal landscape and protecting the fragile dunes; the coastal path leads towards Portrane and can include the optional loop described above. Newbridge Demesne combines a house, landscape, farm and garden, while the churches and Lanistown Castle offer more architectural and cultural history.

Discover more destinations: Swords, Skerries, Portmarnock, Gormanston, Rush, Garristown, Lusk, Kilsallaghan.

For the wider travel overview: County Fingal.