St Marys Abbey, Howth

St Marys Abbey, Howth tickets: which one to buy

The ruins of Saint Mary's Abbey stand above the harbour of Howth, a fishing village on a peninsula north-east of Dublin, and the grounds are free to enter. The abbey is a roofless ruin surrounded by a graveyard, and it can be visited at any time from the surrounding lanes, although access to the interior may be restricted by a locked gate; the key is sometimes available locally.

Howth is about half an hour from central Dublin on the DART suburban train, making it an easy day trip, and most visitors come for the cliff walk around Howth Head, the seafood restaurants on the pier and the seals in the harbour. The abbey is a short, steep walk from the harbour. Howth Castle and the National Transport Museum are nearby. The abbey offers fine views over the harbour and Ireland's Eye island. The DART train from Dublin city centre to Howth runs every fifteen to twenty minutes.

Visiting St Marys Abbey, Howth: what to see

A church was founded here in the eleventh century, reportedly by Sitric, the Norse king of Dublin, and the present ruins date from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries, when the church was rebuilt and enlarged as a collegiate church. The building has a long nave, side aisles and a bell gable with openings for bells. The church was abandoned after the Reformation and fell into ruin. Inside, the most important monument is the tomb of Christopher St Lawrence, the twentieth Baron of Howth, and his wife Anna Plunkett, from around 1470, with carved effigies of the couple lying side by side. The graveyard holds old headstones.

The remains of the College House, where the priests lived, stand nearby. The abbey is protected as a national monument. The bell gable at the west end, with openings for three bells, is a characteristic feature of medieval Irish churches. Carved stones and window tracery survive in parts of the walls. The tomb effigies are carved in limestone, with the baron dressed in armour. The walls include a stair to a former gallery. The churchyard's gravestones date from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The abbey's position above the harbour gave it a view of approaching ships. The ruins were stabilised by the state in the twentieth century.

St Marys Abbey, Howth opening hours and the best time to go

The abbey grounds can be seen at any time, though the interior is best visited in daylight. Howth is busiest on weekends and in summer, when Dubliners come for the cliff walk and the seafood. The Sunday market near the harbour sells food and crafts. The weather can change quickly, and the cliff walk is exposed to wind and rain. Spring and summer bring wildflowers on the headland. Sunset over the harbour is beautiful. Allow about twenty minutes for the abbey, and several hours for the cliff walk and lunch on the pier. The Howth Cliff Path Loop takes about two to three hours and offers views of Dublin Bay, the Baily Lighthouse and the seabird colonies.