Seapoint

Parking is a bit tricky in the area — you have to leave the car in one of the neighbouring streets and walk a little to reach your destination, but believe me, it is definitely a place worth visiting.

Brilliant. Mesmerised by the food here. Coconut encrusted monkfish is mindblowing. Staff here are so friendly and are the perfect combination of attentive but relaxed. They have a great outdoor area where they offer blankets on chilly evenings. Cool décor also.

Trying out a new spot. Good burgers. Overall. Pretty good food. Spinach side yummy. Mashed potato not too flavourful. good fries. Descent service.

You can’t beat the exhilaration of swimming in the Irish Sea, the blissful tingling sensation stays with you and makes you feel closer to nature, to life and to adventure.
Bring a book, a flask of coffee, a cream bun and savour the moment. What a wonderful view of Dublin Bay with little smiling heads bobbing in the foreground.
Go during the colder months, you won’t regret it.

If you want to lie in the sun and maybe have a paddle, go to a beach.
If you want to dive in off the rocks, go to the forty foot.
But if you want to swim, go to Seapoint. At high tide you can make the transition from dry land to front crawl in just a few brave steps down the semi-​submerged stairs. I say brave because you are reminded at every inch forward, with the icey water inching ever upward, that this is the Irish Sea.
Be prepared to return to dry land having acquired nipples so sharp they could cut glass. And gents, don’t expect to impress anyone for at least a few days after-​you know what I mean.
But my God does it make you feel alive, the bracing wind the raging sea! On sunny days you can sea three generations of Dublin, turning even bluer in the water by that emblematic Mortello Tower. It’s all very Joycean, especially the aul fella’s in sun hats.
But it’s not just for sunny days. The stone cold mad can be seen swimming all year round. That’s right, all year round, including the 11 months in which the sun deserts Ireland. Nut cases.

There was a time coming up to the end of my schooldays that our class used to come down here for a swim every day on the way home from school. Yes it was freezing, it pongs a bit and the changing area is not the most modern, but a bracing swim in the ocean is free and very good for one’s constitution, especially in the midst of Leaving Cert study mania.
There’s a group of elderly folk who can be seen down here taking a dip every afternoon, hail rain or shine. It obviously does them good too.
Apparently it is not uncommon to spot bottlenose dolphins here in the Spring.
Best avoided at night!

I have to come to the rescue for this place… Sea point is one of the oldest bathing spots in Dublin and is an absolutely perfect sun spot on a sunny day. The gradual depth of the water means that it is safer for kids to come here and swim and when the tide is out its a lovely place to look amongst the rocks and sand (yes there is sand) for crabs and shells. It is possible when the tide is fully out to walk all the way up to the martello tower from Monkstown Dart Station, and you can get some lovely reflections on the water in the late evening.
The Martello tower now has changing areas and showers attached. there is a lifeguard on duty during the summer months.
I love to come here on a nice day… there are lots of people sitting about catching the sun and a lovely traditional Irish summers day feel (i.e. everyone getting burnt to a crisp while they still can!!!)

For a place that really is quite popular, I can’t quite figure out why. There’s no sand, but plenty of old people changing, disgusting toilets and the seaweed can stink up to high heaven. Needless to say, I’m not a fan.
Yes, it’s handy because it’s on the DART line, but so are Killiney and Malahide, and they’re in another league altogether. Seapoint’s like the ugly one that tries desperately to fit in with the others, but just can’t, no matter how hard they try. Oh, and it lost their blue flag, which was it’s single redeeming feature.
However, it’s a popular bathing spot, and there are crazy diehards who swim here every day. Mad altogether, but Seapoint’s actually OK if you are swimming as opposed to paddling. So I’m told anyway… why you would swim in Irish waters is beyond me.