A new book encourages Dubliners to look at the Dart line 'as an amenity rather than a commute'. Sylvia Thompson takes a virtual tour from Malahide to Greystones
The sleek silvery trams of the Luas may well be the latest mode of transport attracting tourists from home and abroad in the capital but if you are seriously interested in sampling the unique mood of how Dublin grew as a city on the edge of a large natural bay, you can't beat a trip on the Dart.
DARTing About - a pocket guide for Dart users by journalist and author, Muriel Bolger (Ashfield Press in association with Iarnród Éireann, €9.99) published today, aims to make such a trip even more interesting.
Giving each of the 30 Dart stations from north to south a chapter of their own, Bolger invites readers to look at the Dart "as an amenity rather than a commute". You would have to travel outside the week-day rush hours to get a seat with a view and also hope for a spot of sunshine when nipping on and off at stations of your choice. But, rain jackets (and walking shoes, especially if you're planning longer walks in Howth, Killiney, Bray or Greystones) are advisable anyway against the sea mist blowing in along the coast.
Starting in Malahide, the main attraction - apart from the boats, boutiques, small art galleries, coffee shops and restaurants just minutes walk from the marina - is Malahide Castle. Children will be particularly interested in seeing the Fry Model Railway and Tara's Palace, a collection of dolls and dolls' houses on view during the summer months.
Nearby, Portmarnock, Bolger explains, got its name from St Marnock, a contemporary of St Patrick who settled along the North Dublin coastline, looking across to Lambay Island. The Jamesons - of distillery fame - also settled in Portmarnock, albeit 16 centuries later, and their private golf course in Portmarnock was one of the first in Ireland.
Moving southward to Howth (derived from the Danish word hoved, for harbour), which was traditionally the end of the line, Bolger explains how the peninsula once had a reputation as the driest place in Ireland. Now, its traditional working fishing harbour blends with "a swanky marina . . . and shiny pleasure crafts". A fantastic place for short scenic and longer more energetic walks, Howth is a place which never goes out of fashion.
Bolger is politely frank about the less interesting suburbs between Howth and Clontarf, and some of the historic details (such as how St Anne's, the Italianate country mansion in Raheny built by the Guinness family was destroyed) will be mainly of interest to locals. However, she does point out attractions such as the Rose Festival in St Anne's Park, Raheny in the summer months.
Clontarf and nearby North Bull Island (a Unesco Biosphere reserve or living laboratory for the integration of land, water and biodiversity) and the Casino at Marino (a fine 18th-century neoclassical building) are deservedly given good space.
And then, you're back in the city centre, ready to explore docklands, Georgian squares and of course shops galore.
But, if your day is on the Dart, Greystones is your destination, with many beautiful residential suburbs to marvel at on the way. The sea will also demand your attention and keeping your eyes eastwards, Sandymount Strand is an amenity not to be ignored.
"Few cities are so lucky as to have such a vast expanse of strand so close to their centre," writes Bolger. Further along, Booterstown sloblands is a protected bird sanctuary.
However, it is the following stops which are perhaps the most popular of all - both as sought-after suburbs to live in and pleasant places to go on a day trip. You will be assured an interesting meander (weather permitting) if you stop off at stations such as Seapoint, Salthill and Monkstown, Sandycove and Glasthule, Dun Laoghaire, Dalkey and Killiney.
"There is something about Dún Laoghaire that brings out the best in us, especially when the sun shines . . . Dubliners have always enjoyed walking the two piers, the East and the West, each ending with its own lighthouse," writes Bolger.
But, as everyone knows, Dalkey is really the star attraction, with its quaint clusters of houses, narrow winding streets and sea views at every angle. Visitors can take boat trips to Dalkey Island from Coliemore Harbour and then, return to walk on Killiney beach. The Dart line itself becomes part of this almost Italian landscape as it snakes along below the grand mansions hidden in the trees on Killiney Hill.
From Killiney, you're bound for Wicklow, and although both Bray and Greystones are suburbs of Dublin now, there are subtle differences which separate them from the capital. "Everyone associates Bray with ice cream cones, amusements and long walks," writes Bolger. And, so on to the end of the line in Greystones where another beach beckons.
All told, Bolger's is a compact guide with just enough detail. It is a welcome addition to the mainstream tourist information about Dublin. Now, all we need is for the rolling-stock along the Dart line to be given a facelift.
