← All Dublin tours via partner · From €23 · 1 hour 
Dublin: Howth Cliffs and Ireland's Eye Boat Cruise
Free cancellation 20 traveller reviews Booked securely via partner
Check availability & prices →
From €23 per person
This is a proper slow one - a 60-minute cruise out of Howth Harbour aboard the St Bridget, built for taking it all in rather than rushing through it.
You depart from the West Pier and head north towards Malahide and Lambay Island before swinging south-east along Howth’s dramatic cliff face. Along the way you pass Ireland’s Eye, the small uninhabited island just offshore that’s home to a colony of seabirds and seals. It’s a lovely spot to watch from the water - the seals are often visible on the rocks, and the birdlife around the island is well worth a look.
The on-board bar serves coffee and wine, so you can settle on deck with a drink while the coastline does its thing. The cruise finishes back at the West Pier in Howth Harbour.
Check the timetable and arrive a few minutes early. The West Pier is easy enough to find once you’re in Howth village, but it’s worth giving yourself a few minutes to get sorted before boarding. The St Bridget doesn’t wait around.
Howth is well worth a wander before or after the cruise. The harbour itself is busy with fishing boats and there’s a good fish and chip shop culture in the village. Beshoff Bros on the main street is the name locals tend to mention first. After a morning cruise, lunch there is a very reasonable plan.
Dress for the coast, not the calendar. Even on a warm Dublin day, the water around Howth has a way of reminding you that this is the Irish Sea. A light windproof layer makes the difference between comfortable and shivering, especially on the open deck.
Ireland’s Eye is within swimming distance from shore - but you’re much better off seeing it from the boat. The island is a designated nature reserve and an uninhabited wilderness. Watching the seal colony from the water gives you a perspective you simply can’t get from the cliff path above.