Try the local lobster in Dalkey

Native lobster is sacred around these parts—there’s even a festival in its honor at the end of every August. But even if you’re not in town for the Dalkey Lobster Festival, it’s still worth the seven-minute train ride to the village’s cozy restaurants to indulge when the crustaceans are in season (May through October). Try Guinea Pig, where lobster comes drenched in salty Irish garlic butter, or Grapevine, which serves it Thermidor-style, mixed with a rich wine sauce and topped with bubbling melted cheese. Afterward, swing by 14th-century Dalkey Castle for an actor-led tour that brings medieval Ireland to life.

Follow in Leopold Bloom’s footsteps

Stroll 30 minutes along the shoreline park from Dún Laoghaire and you’ll reach the Martello tower where James Joyce once stayed—and later used as the opening setting for Ulysses. Today it’s a tiny museum dedicated to the writer, with first editions on display and letters he wrote from the tower. Upstairs, a reconstructed room shows how it would have looked in 1904. Once you’ve explored the tower, head around the corner to the Forty Foot—another Ulysses landmark and a legendary swimming hole where locals brave the icy sea daily.

Road trip through the Wicklows

As you sail into Dún Laoghaire, you’ll likely spot the silhouette of the Wicklow Mountains coming into view. The triangular Sugar Loaf is the most distinctive peak, but also one of the trickiest to climb, so head instead into Wicklow Mountains National Park, about a 40-minute drive away. You’ll need to arrange a driver, but the journey is an epic one: the road winds through forested slopes and heather-blanketed hillsides, with lakes scattered throughout. Aim for Lough Tay—nicknamed Guinness Lake for its inky black water—and you’ll pass through Sally Gap, one of the most scenic drives in Ireland.