Rush Harbour
A small working fishing harbour in north County Dublin, with a playground beside the pier and seals on the rocks offshore.
Good to know
About
Rush Harbour is a working fishing harbour at the southern end of North Beach, where an L-shaped limestone pier built in 1846–47 still shelters a handful of small boats. Families walk the pier end to end, watch the boats come and go with the tide, and scan the rocks for seals. A playground sits right beside the harbour, so a quick stop can stretch into an hour. North of the water the Drumanagh headland rises to a Martello tower and an Iron Age promontory fort. This is a compact seaside outing rather than a half-day, and it pairs naturally with the beach alongside it.
- L-shaped limestone pier dating from 1846–47, built under the Relief Act
- Still a working fishing harbour rather than a marina or leisure marina
- Universal-access playground right beside the harbour
- Views across the water to Lambay Island
- Drumanagh headland to the north, with a Martello tower and a nationally important Iron Age promontory fort
- Seals regularly haul out on the rocks nearby
Where to find it
Good to know
About
Rush Harbour is a working fishing harbour at the southern end of North Beach, where an L-shaped limestone pier built in 1846–47 still shelters a handful of small boats. Families walk the pier end to end, watch the boats come and go with the tide, and scan the rocks for seals. A playground sits right beside the harbour, so a quick stop can stretch into an hour. North of the water the Drumanagh headland rises to a Martello tower and an Iron Age promontory fort. This is a compact seaside outing rather than a half-day, and it pairs naturally with the beach alongside it.
What's Special
Perfect For
All ages welcome
Open to all ages, but it is a working pier with unfenced edges and deep water on both sides. Young children need to be kept close; the playground beside the harbour is the easier option with toddlers.