Ireland day 1020. Sunday 14 July 2024- Killiney to Dalkey DWC

Ireland day 1020. Sunday 13 July 2024- Killiney to Dalkey DWC

Today’s summary	Took the train to Dun Laoghaire to join a waking club outing up the Metals to Killiney Hill and back via the coast to Dalkey. A very pleasant day out with good company and good weather. Val working on Malahide Castle reception for the day.
Today’s weather	Mild and bright with sunny intervals though some sea mist in easily afternoon. Rain shower in the evening. Light south easterly wind. Appx 19c

Today’s overview location (The green mark shows the location of our route)		Close-up location (The orange line shows where we walked) (Click button below to download GPX of today’s walk as recorded, or see interactive map at bottom with elevations corrected): Dalkey the Long Way DWC

Commentary

(Summary blog only. Last full blog was Day 0368).

It was a curious day today, what with the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the Wimbledon men’s tennis final, and the Euro 2024 England v Spain football final. But despite these various events, all significant in their own ways, the world keeps turning and, as usual, there was a Walking Club outing scheduled for today. So I decided I’d join the walk, even though it was covering familiar territory up Killiney Hill, which Val and I had visited only a couple days of weeks ago.

Speaking of Val – she had been co-opted into doing a full shift up at Malahide Castle reception desk today, so I was walking on my own.

After a straightforward diesel-and-DART train journey from Malahide, our group of 15 assembled at Dun Laoghaire to start the walk. We’ve followed the route up to Dalkey quarry via The Metals several times in the past. But the time of the year that the walk is held changes, so there is always something new to see.

Today the paths were lined with flowers – buddleia, valerian and convolvulus among many others. With the flowers, the warm sunshine and blue sky, it was all very pleasant.

After lunch midway up the quarry, we got up to the Obelisk just as a thick sea mist drifted in, temporarily obscuring the whole of the world. We pressed on, and by the time we had reached the coffee shop on the south side of Killiney Hill, the sun had come out and it was feeling quite pleasant once again.

We dropped down through the alleys to the beach and which point the group split into two. The larger group took the quick option and walked the short distance to Killiney station and the DART back into Dublin.

I took the smaller group and we headed iff in the opposite direction, retracing the path to Dalkey that Val and I had walked the other week. Along the coast to White Rock, then up the steps and the zigzags to Torca Road and back to Dalkey.

As it happened, the other group messaged to say that they had disembarked from their train at Dalkey and gone to the Queen’s Bar pub. So once we made it to Dalkey, we walked on past the station the the pub, and joined the others.

As the Sunday train service from Dalkey to Malahide is a bit sparse, and as the next train was imminent, I just stayed long enough at the pub to make sure the two groups were reunited then headed back to the station. The DART duly arrived and trundled me in its leisurely way back to Malahide.

Once Val and I were successfully back in the flat after our various activities, we made dinner (cottage pie and lasagne) and watched some TV in the evening. A lovely summer’s day, all round.

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)


Heading out of Dun Laoghaire on Atmospheric Road	Up the Metals! (with anxious dog looking on)

Sooner them than me. On the slabs in Dalkey Quarry	In the alley leading down to Killiney Beach

Leaving the beach via the steps at White Rock	Journey’s End – the Queen’s bar in Dalkey

Only just made it to White Rock before the tide rose and cut off the north from the south beach at the rocks