Portmarnock brings together coastal scenery, active outdoor pursuits and a local history that ranges from medieval heritage to transatlantic aviation. Velvet Strand, the Greenway between Baldoyle and Portmarnock, golf and local monuments offer concrete starting points for planning a trip. When choosing accommodation, you can decide whether nature, sporting activities or history should shape your stay.
Coast, paths and nature
The Greenway between Baldoyle and Portmarnock is part of the strategic East Coast Trail and the cycling infrastructure. It passes through a Special Area of Conservation and provides access to the Greenbelt between the two places. For travellers interested in scenery and cycling, this route combines the section’s role in the network with its setting in a protected area.
Velvet Strand is a long sandy beach in Portmarnock, with dunes stretching behind it and supporting diverse coastal flora. The natural environment extends beyond the shoreline: the Portmarnock peninsula has more than 250 species of dune flora, including some of Ireland’s rarer plants.
The area also offers a distinctive geological perspective. From Portmarnock, rocks from three periods are visible: the Cambrian, 541 to 485 million years ago; the Ordovician, 485 to 444 million years ago; and the Carboniferous, 359 to 299 million years ago. The span from the Cambrian to the Carboniferous adds a geological dimension to the view of the beach and dunes.
Local history and heritage
St Marnock’s Church is a stone building dating from the 12th or early 13th century and a protected monument. Nearby is St Marnock’s Well, which was the centre of an annual pilgrimage for centuries. The church and well offer two distinct points of reference for local history: a surviving building and a historic pilgrimage tradition.
Aviation history is also connected to the coast. Portmarnock Beach, also known as Velvet Strand, was a starting point for east-to-west transatlantic flights between 1930 and 1933. The “Eccentric Orbit” sculpture on the promenade commemorates the aviators associated with these flights.
Another local detail is the so-called “Portmarnock Brick”, which can be seen on buildings such as the Plunkett Cottages. Cultural interest thus extends beyond the prominent coastal sites to the materials and examples of local architecture.
Golf and outdoor activities
The area’s connection with golf has both a sporting history and a landscape dimension. Portmarnock Golf Club has hosted the European Tour’s Irish Open 19 times. At Jameson Golf Links, the course design makes extensive use of the dunes and natural terrain. These offer different points of interest if you are drawn to sporting history or to the design of a golf course in a dune landscape.
Kitesurfing and trail walking are also among the outdoor activities in Portmarnock. They broaden the options beyond golf and cycling: one takes you onto the water, the other offers an activity on land. You can connect whichever appeals to you with a focus on the beach, nature or heritage.
Getting there and choosing accommodation
Portmarnock has DART, rail and bus connections to Dublin and destinations further afield. As service patterns can change, check the timetables before travelling.
This lets you choose a stay that suits the interests important to your trip, without assuming a particular combination of excursions.
Discover more destinations: Na SceirĂ, Balbriggan, Ward, Roganstown, Howth, Gormanston, Ballyboughal, Kilsallaghan.
For the wider travel overview: County Fingal.
