Na Sceirí (Skerries) brings together public art, milling history and activities on the water. For your planning, it is worth knowing what each has to offer: an art trail and an audio guide provide distinct experiences, Skerries Mills focuses on milling and the waterwheel, and the harbour is the hub for stand-up paddleboarding. South Strand can also be included in your orientation around the area.
Art and local history
The St Patrick’s Way and Art Trail is an expanded walking experience in Skerries. It includes map boards and information panels at key landmarks, as well as the art trail. Five public artworks have been installed along the seafront; individual works may be maintained or changed. The Skerries Audio Guide has a different focus: it tells the story of the town, harbour and offshore islands, and also covers ecological features—particularly ornithological ones—off the coast of Skerries. Skerries Martello Tower houses a site-specific art installation with twelve screens. Alongside the art trail, you can therefore choose from independent artworks and an audio guide covering historical and nature-related topics.
Skerries Mills: tour, café and market
On a tour of Skerries Mills, visitors can grind grain themselves in the four-storey watermill and watch the waterwheel at work. In the wider destination of County Fingal, Skerries Mills is a restored complex with two windmills, a watermill and a 19th-century bakery. The site is on the Dublin Coastal Trail. The Watermill Café at Skerries Mills serves scones, cakes, tarts and traybakes; the selection may vary. Skerries Mills Farmers’ Market takes place every Saturday. For your day’s planning, the tour and market involve two different timing considerations: the tour combines milling and the waterwheel, while the market is held on Saturdays. Check the market day before your trip and, if necessary, confirm the availability of a tour in advance.
Harbour and beach access
At Skerries Harbour, Skerries Paddle Tours offers sunset tours, stand-up paddleboard hire and lessons. You can choose a tour, hire equipment or take a lesson; which option suits your travel dates also depends on availability. Check before your trip. The walk to South Strand is listed as two minutes from Skerries and 20 minutes from Skerries railway station. The times refer to different starting points: if you set off from the station, allow for the longer time. Walking routes and conditions may change; check the route before your visit.
County Fingal as a wider coastal region
County Fingal offers a broader regional perspective: the county’s coastline stretches for 88 kilometres from Sutton to Balbriggan. This coastal landscape includes three protected estuaries, salt marshes and 13 larger beaches. This gives you a sense of the wider destination’s variety alongside the local options in Na Sceirí.
Discover more destinations: Kilsallaghan, Ballyboughal, Howth, Swords, Sutton, Donabate, Tyrrelstown, Garristown
For the wider travel overview: County Fingal.
