Bull Island

Dunes and sand abound here. A view of Howth and the towers of Poolbeg are in evidence and it’s only a short walk from St Anne’s park another favourite place of mine.
Bull island has been a wildlife santuary for a while so dogs are advised to be on a leash. There are some rare bird species but not easily found.
Nothing as beautiful as walking through the dunes or along the beach on a sunny day. When the weather is as good as it’s been this weekend it’s simply heaven.

Maybe the largest beach around Dublin city centre. Great place to go for a walk or for a bath. The beach is sandy and clean despite the big amount of big ships coming into the port every hour.

One of my favourite things about Dublin is it’s parks. You’re never too far from one in the city centre. Two DART stops or a quick stroll and your surroundings go from grey to green.
Bull Island nature reserve /​beach /​geographical wotsit is one of the best places for a long walk in Dublin. The new dunes and views are beautiful, there’s wildlife everywhere, and it’s well set up for dog-​walks too. Just perfect.

Even though I live in East Wall and I have been in the Clontarf area some what often I discovered this place much later than what you would think.
Without knowing about Bull Island, what it is and what qualities it has I went for a walk with some friends to the star of the sea (Realt na Mara) and now I know that I only saw the tip of the iceberg.
Bull Island is a fascinating place, it is beautiful in a very strange way. It is flat, sandy and a bit smelly but that it is so flat is fascinating in a very beautiful way (I an from Denmark I love flat landscapes). Furthermore the Island is freakishly windy so make sure to dress appropriately.
I need to go discover some more!

This island, which lays parallel to the shore off Clontarf (including Dollymount), Raheny, Kilbarrack, and facing Sutton, is a recent addition to the coastline as it was formed from the ongoing silt deposits along the early nineteenth century man-​made creation of the Bull Wall.
Take either bridge over the water from the main road and enjoy your time looking out into the water.
Today there’s not only 2 golf courses on the island but a famous statue of the Virgin Mary called, Star of the Sea (Realt na Mara).
P. S. The island is approximately 5 km long and 1 km wide

Bull Island is where I go to fly my kite. Now you might think that that’s something only children do, but my kite is an awesome sports kite and it takes practise to master some of the more tricky moves so it’s perfect for adults as well. And since Bull Island tends to be pretty windy as Jo pointed out, it’s perfect for kites. The beach tends to be pretty empty when it’s windy outside so that’s even better.
Bull Island is beautiful for a walk as well, when you feel like you need you need to get a bit of fresh air, the wind is sure to clear your head.

Bull Island is unique in that it is a UNESCO Biosphere reserve very close to the centre of a capital city. It is also a Wetland of International importance. The island’s mudflats, sandmarshes and dunes are home to a number of rare bird species.
So as a nature and wildlife reserve it is of major significance. It is also of major importance to Dublin’s kitesurfing crowd. When the weather conditions are just right you will be able to spot the hoards of kitesurfers from the mainland at Clontarf.
I quite enjoy picnicking on the beach at Bull Island (although please note — it is very windy here, even on a fine day, and the sand is of the very fine variety and WILL get into your sandwiches.) Ewww!

Bull Island is somewhat of a geographical oddity, as it is a sandspit, but one that extends out from a man-​made object.
Bull Island is (in geological terms) a very recent addition to the Dublin coastline. Early in the nineteenth century, the Bull Wall was constructed in order to stop Dublin Port from silting up. An unforeseen side-​effect of this decision was that the silt began to deposit against the Bull Wall, at a rate that within fifty years, a sizeable sandspit had built up, which is what we know today as Bull Island.
Evidence of the island’s growth over time is to be found just behind the sand dunes: at one point on the island, there is a submerged Lifeguard’s hut. When it was built, this structure would have been just yards from the sea; now it half-​submerged, and a line of sand-​dunes blocks it’s view of the water.
It’s difficult to imagine that a landmass of this scale could grow from nothing to the island’s present size in less than a hundred years. The island is big enough to contain a wildlife reserve, two golf clubs, a scouts den, a load of sand dunes and miles of gently sloping beach.
The wide, flat beach is very pleasant to take a stroll along on a sunny day, and the area behind the sand dunes is great to do some cross-​country training.
There are a lot of rabbits to be seen behind the dunes as well, and keep an eye out for the seals that sunbathe on the landward side of the island’s tip.
No doubt there’s loads of stuff that I am leaving out but Bull Island is a fantastic amenity, and a place well worth checking out.

Nature havens are lovely places but North Bull Wall is more — a nature reserve — a national nature and wildlife reserve of unspoilt peace and tranquility. Here you can look out at the Irish sea, see the wonderful Howth Peninsula in all its splendour, in the near distance, while walking at your leisure. But most of all, the island gets visits from more wildlife than any other part of Ireland per hectare of ground. You’ll see Buzzards and some Oyster catchers, insects and even mammals, as if in a royal hermitage of their own. Relax and sample the wonders all around this island on Dublin’s North coast.