The seaside town of Bray has everything to offer tourists, as Orla Rapple
discovered while visiting the ‘Brighton of Ireland.’
The seaside town of Bray in Co. Wicklow is just 12 miles from Dublin
city but as a holiday destination in Ireland it is often overlooked.
However, the town has a number of interesting qualities and amenities
for tourists as well as being the perfect base for those wishing to explore
the capital and the so-called ‘Garden of Ireland’, the county of Wicklow.
Bray is a very attractive and bustling area and is the longest established
seaside town in Ireland. The region is dominated by Bray Head which rises
above the town’s mile stretch of beach.
Bray boasts a long promenade, a busy seafront and some of the finest
Georgian-style streets in the country. As a result, it is of little surprise
that Bray is sometimes called the “Brighton of Ireland”.
This town offers something for everyone. For children there is the excitement
of an amusement centre and Seaworld, where a host of creatures from the
deep are on view.
For sporty types, Bray offers a number of options. As well as golf clubs,
sailing and horse riding, which are all available in the area, the town
is an ideal base for hiking enthusiasts.
The ‘Slì na Slàinte’, or Healthy Walk scheme has 8.75 miles of well-signposted
coastal and urban walks in and around the town, including a scenic cliff
walk of about four miles around the side of Bray Head to Bray’s neighbouring
town of Greystones.
Alternatively you can take the steeper walk to Bray Head where the spectacular
views all the way along Dublin’s coast and across the Irish Sea to Wales
can be taken in.
Dedicated shoppers will not be disappointed by Bray either. Although
the town does not have many big chain stores, it does boast a number of
small independent boutiques — including clothes shops, bookstores and art
galleries.
For historical types the Bray Heritage Centre is a must. The centre has
recreated Bray Castle with models, pictures, information boards and even
a head phone tour commentary.
The history of railways around the Bray area is the theme upstairs in
the Bray Heritage Centre, a model railway around Bray Head and the town
forms the centre piece.
On the walls are murals and paintings of early trains on Bray Head.
The well-respected Ardmore Studio is also located in Bray. The studio
is responsible for film greats and not so greats — such as My Left Foot,
The Commitments, In the Name of the Father and the little remembered Space
Truckers.
Bray is on the DART route that provides a regular train service into
Dublin’s city and suburbs. DART tickets are quite inexpensive and there
are a number of options such as single, return or weekly tickets that offer
unlimited travel —if you are planning to spend a lot of time in Dublin then
a weekly ticket is strongly recommended.
The journey into Dublin city takes about 45 minutes and Bray’s train
station is situated near the seafront, just a walk away from the town centre.
A trip on the DART is worth it for the views alone — the train runs along
Wicklow and Dublin’s coast and from a certain area you can take in the panoramic
view from Bray Head to Dalkey.
The DART travels all the way to Howth in north county Dublin and stops
in many of the seaside suburbs of the capital along the way, such as Dalkey,
Dun Laoghaire and Clontarf.
All these towns have their own attributes and you can visit any of them
for a day safe in the knowledge that the DART will carry you safely back
to Bray.
If you grow tired of travelling into Dublin then Bray is also ideally
close to the many tourist attractions of Co. Wicklow, including the breathtaking
Glendalough area, Avoca (more familiar when referred to by its screen name,
Ballinkissangel) and the Wicklow Gap.
This side of Bray is also serviced by another train route that runs along
the coast, but this time to Co. Wexford. This does not run as regularly
as the DART but it is an efficient service which stops at towns and villages
around Wicklow such as Rathdrum and Arklow.
Whether you choose to spend your holiday enjoying the amenities that
are on offer in this town or exploring the surrounding areas of Bray, the
location of the town and its facilities means that there is something for
every type of tourist.
For more information on the DART and other trains that stop at Bray station
you can log on to www.irishrail.ie.
Places to wine and dine
Although Bray may be considerably smaller than its nearest neighbour — Dublin
city — its nightlife is very busy with something for every palette.
If eating out is your thing then Bray has a restaurant for even the fussiest
eater. The town’s most famous eatery has to be The Tree of Idleness — an
up-market Greek Cypriot and Mediterranean restaurant.
The Tree of Idleness is expensive but well worth the treat and you may
catch a glimpse of some of the famous Irish faces that frequent the restaurant.
Barracuda is a less costly restaurant with a comprehensive menu and busy
atmosphere. For all the veggies out there a trip to Escape is a must.
Situated near Bray’s seafront, at Escape you can enjoy a tasty vegetarian
meal, take in the art gallery on the premises or browse through the many
gifts and cards on offer.
As for pubs and nightclubs, Bray features every theme from the very trendy
disco bar to the traditional public house. Liquid and Barmondo are two of
the more hip places for a night out, whereas Dusty Millers in the Westbourne
Hotel is a lively music venue while the Olde Bray Inn offers the latest
sporting action on three screens.
