A picturesque journey through history.

The Sandycove Heritage Trail is a tourism trail published by the active Tidy Towns committee in Sandycove.

It starts in the People’s Park and stretches to the James Joyce Tower & Museum. The third stop on the trail is the DART station so walkers can continue from there or double back.

There are many interesting stops on the trail taking in Sandycove’s heritage and important landmarks. This walk is great for history buffs.

The People’s Park at the start of the walk was known as Glasthule Quarry in the late 18th century.

The second stop is the Metals Walkway which was laid in 1816 to provide a way of carrying stone from quarries to the site for the new harbour at Dún Laoghaire.

Then the walk moves on to the Sandycove and Glasthule DART Station. This was opened in 1855 by the Dublin and Kingstown Railway.

Visitors on this heritage trail will also stop at St. Joseph’s Church, Glasthule, built in 1868 and designed by architects Pugin and Ashlin in a neo- Gothic style. Other notable stops include Tara Hall, the home of the late Monk Gibbon, author and poet from 1948 to 1985    Visitors will also pass 29

Sandycove Road, which is thought to be the house where Roger Casement, a leading figure in the 1916 Rebellion, was born..

Sandycove baths, dating back to the 19th century, is en route. The journey on this heritage trail moves on to Joyce’s Tower built in 1804, the famous Forty Foot and Sandycove castle, which is an example of mid-19th century villas built in the area.

The trail takes the visitor to a stretch of water known as Scotsman’s Bay and the Nun’s Bathing Place with magnificent views on the coastline. The walk takes about an hour to do.

It is suited to all age groups as there are no difficult climbs and you can see the local flora and fauna along the way too.

A copy of the trail is available at the James Joyce Tower & Museum or by emailing sandycovetidytowns@gmail.com.

To explore more in Sandycove & Glasthule click here.