Walk 8: Killiney Hill

"Last year being hard with the poor, walks about these hills and this were erected by John Mapas, June 1742."

The eighth of our nine walks in the Dublin area is Killiney Hill (Cnoc Chill Iníon Léinín) (pronounced with a short first "i" and a long second "i" as in Kill - I - knee".)

The hill is the "southernmost of the two hills which form the southern boundary of Dublin Bay (the other being Dalkey Hill). Crowned by an obelisk, the hill is 153 meters high and offers beautiful views over the surrounding areas: Dublin to the northwest; the Irish Sea and the mountains of Wales (on a clear day) to the east and southeast; and Bray Head and the Wicklow Mountainsto the south. The hill was higher in the past but material was removed from the summit for the construction of the pier at Dun Laoghaire.

It is a lovely, fairly easy walk that you can approach from several different directions. From the Northeastern side there is a car park and a play ground well up the hill. From this direction you can talk a paved path up which passes by a small café.

Sheila and I first explored the area on one of our very first little jaunts back in February. We walked up from the DART station in Dalkey and didn't quite have the walk figured out. At that point we had heard people say "have you walked up Killiney Hill?" but had no clue why or where it was.

Rainbow from the top.

We didn't actually make it to the obelisk, which makes me think that we really only made it up Dalkey Hill. In fact, from that vantage point we couldn't even SEE the obelisk or the sea to the south, so the view was not near as astounding as we would have in May!

We went up another day with our friends Ed and Susan and their family (but our kids were busy).

Three of the four Crottys (Hugh, Patrick and Louise with Sugar loaf and loads of grouse in the background. It smelled like everyone was enjoying pina coladas!).

Sugar loaf!

Dalkey Island from the top of Killiney Hill.

The Muglins from the top of Killiney Hill.

Bray Head and Killiney Beach.

The Obelisk.

The Irish version of a WPA* structure, made during the famine.

And then, today, headed up the hill from another direction with both Maggie and Johnny. But this time we went up a secret back entrance on the Vico Road.

And then rather than stick to the path, Johnny and I headed UP!

Bray Head behind Johnny.

Dublin from the top.

Sailboat and Dalkey Island.

Everyone on the WPA Pyramid.

We headed back down and went all the way down to the Whiterock Beach.

Grouse up close.

Clovers.

Over the DART.

Check out Sugarloaf in the background. We went from "mountain" to sea!

Beachrocks.

And then headed home via the Coliemore Harbour.

Kayakers, Dalkey Island and the Muglins.

Seals basking in the sun.

*The WPA is the Works Progress Administration in the US (or it was). The WPA "was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unemployed people (mostly unskilled men) to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads. In much smaller but more famous projects the WPA employed musicians, artists, writers, actors and directors in large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects.

Almost every community in the United States had a new park, bridge or school constructed by the agency. The WPA's initial appropriation in 1935 was for $4.9 billion (about 6.7 percent of the 1935 GDP), and in total it spent $13.4 billion."