Once a thriving fishing port, Skerries remains today deeply connected to the sea. Restaurants throughout the town offer catch-of-the-day specials and mouth watering seafood dishes that will delight any palette. Skerries also has an excellent selection of pubs and bars, many of which host live musical performances during the town’s many festivals. There are twelve traditional pubs in Skerries. Perhaps the most famous of the town’s pub sits on Lusk Road, five kilometres from the town centre. The Man O War (www.manowar.ie) is over four hundred years old. The pub has a thatched roof and whitewashed walls, and its interior is home to a lively, traditional Irish atmosphere.
Strand Street is lined with interesting and unique eateries, from several Italian restaurants and pizzerias to quiet tearooms and welcoming family restaurants. For Italian-style dishes, the warm and welcoming Pasta Pizza (www.pastapizza.ie) is the place to be. The restaurant specializes in pasta, pizza, streaks and seafood. The family-run Olive Delicatessen and Café (www.olive.ie) serves simple, artisan food in a delightful atmosphere. The restaurant has earned accolades from the 2008 and 2010 Bridgestone Guide, the 2010 Luncinda O’Sullivan Great Places to Eat guide, among others. Housed in an old bank building on Church Street, the Redbank House and Restaurant has won several awards for fine dining, including the Egon Ronay Seafood Restaurant of the Year. Founder and TV chef Terry McCoy has represented Ireland at many international competitions and the restaurant’s wine cellar sits in the old bank vault.
The Stoop Your Head (www.stoopyourhead.ie) on Harbour Road has stunning harbour views and excellent prawns and crab claws. This traditional seafood restaurant was featured in The Dubliner 100 Best Restaurants Guide in 2010, Georgina Campell’s Best of Ireland, and is a member of the BIM/Irish Fisheries Board’s Seafood Circle. You will find several stunning restaurants along the harbour, including the stylish Blue Café Bar (www.bluecafebar.com). The large patio deck at the café is an ideal spot to watch the sunset over the harbour. The relaxing Carroll’s Pierhouse Hotel has an extensive bar and A La Carte menu.
Skerries – County Dublin, Ireland by William Murphy:
Stoop Your Head by Mark Waldron:
