Dubliners Dublin: Skerries

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH the extremely chilly Minina Skerries, an archipelago located in the Kara Sea off the northwestern shores of Siberia. Winters there are long and bitter, and the islands typically become fused to the mainland as one icy whole for ten months of the year. The more temperate one we’re dealing with here is a picturesque and historic seaside town on the east coast of Dublin, within easy reach of the city.

HISTORY The name Skerries (Na Sceirí) comes from the Norse word for a group of small coastal islands. Saint Patrick, when expelled from Wicklow by the pagan natives, was said to have sailed to his titular island located just off the coast of Skerries. Allegedly some natives stole the great man’s goat. The angry saint confronted the perpetrators and cast a spell on them, causing them to bleat; to this day Skerries natives are commonly referred to as ‘goats’. Incidentally, Saint Patrick did later forgive the Skerries people and lifted the spell on the promise that they would welcome strangers and not steal in future.

PROPERTY This outlying suburb has been subject to rapid but, refreshingly, rather thoughtful expansion in recent years. Barnageeragh Cove in the popular Kelly’s Bay development was launched last year and promises stunning sea views starting from around €215,000. The Maltings, located next to Skerries Mills, offers four-beds for under €500,000. A Treasury Holdings plan involving a hotel, two golf courses, 43 houses, a tennis academy and stables at a 437-acre site spanning Milverton Demesne and Home Farm is – you’ve guessed it – on hold.

SCHOOLS Lots of choice for little Skerryites who can master the essentials at Holmpatrick National School, Scoil Réalt na Mara, the newly opened Skerries Educate Together, Saint Brendan’s National School, Saint Mobhi National School or Saint Patrick’s Junior School before going on to Skerries Community College.

HOSPITALS The closest is Saint Ita’s Psychiatric Hospital in Portrane, about 20 kilometres away. This facility for patients with intellectual disabilities and long-term mental illness is being significantly scaled back. Over 100 years old and dominating the peninsula, the hospital once stood on 500 acres and included a farm dedicated to supplying the institution with produce. Saint Ita’s was featured in the RTÉ documentary The Asylum in 2005 and now exists just to care for the remaining patients who are too ill to be relocated.

BARS AND PUBS There are 12 traditional pubs here, so you won’t go thirsty in Skerries. Joe May’s is a cosy little spot with fisher folk warming their hands by a roaring fire. The Coast Inn and the Black Raven are both operated by the troubled TB Two Group. The Malting House recently went on the market with a price tag of €2 million. Then there’s always Dunne’s, Keane’s (aka the Bus Bar) and the Gladstone Inn. This latter was temporarily transformed into an old English pub for its starring role in a recent episode of BBC’s Inspector George Gently.

TRANSPORT Dublin Bus operates route 33 from Balbriggan, via Skerries, Rush, Lusk and Swords to Dublin city centre. Commuters were relieved to get the train service back in action in November, after a three-month hiatus in the wake of the Malahide railway bridge collapse. 

ENTERTAINMENT Skerries is a festive little spot. The Skerries Traditional Music Weekend takes place in May and is followed by the Skerries Film Festival in June. The Skerries 100 Motorbike Road Race attracts crowds of up to 65,000 every year. Soundwaves Music Festival takes place in September. The Skerries Theatre Group performs three full-length plays per year, and hosts a one-act drama festival in November.
politicians Skerries is located in the four-seater Dublin North Dáil constituency and former FF TD Jim Glennon has never lived anywhere else. Capped six times, this former rugby international surprised everyone when he declared that he would not stand in the 2007 general election. Labour’s Senator Brendan Ryan, younger brother of TD Sean, has lived in Skerries since the 1970s. Labour colleague and neighbour Councillor Ciaran Byrne was recently elected Mayor of Fingal. US presidential hopeful John McCain’s fifth great-grandfather, Dixie Coddington, was born in Skerries in 1693.

GREEN SPACE A large colony of grey seals resides in and around the harbour; the beach is safe and popular. Red Island Scenic Park has excellent views and a super children’s playground. Ardgillan Castle offers stunning coastal views, fabulous gardens and an adventure playground. Ardgillan was opened to the public as a regional park in June 1985.

BEST-KEPT SECRET The restoration of the old water mill, once used for grinding corn, wheat, oats and barley, and ongoing refurbishment of two nearby windmills earned Skerries a National Heritage Award. The water mill is open to the public throughout the year. A guided tour allows visitors to try their skills at grinding before they admire the fully restored and working waterwheel.

THE BOTTOM LINE Like many other Dubliners (including Larry Gogan, who almost drowned there) I used to go to Skerries for my summer holidays and the town has retained the atmosphere of a 1970s seaside resort. The Corr family used to holiday there also. A pleasant place to visit and an even more agreeable place to live, the town benefits from being twinned with the French region of Canton de Guichen. This association, dating back to 1994, has twice been awarded a Golden Star of Twinning by the European Commission. Fancy!