Halloween in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin

Newsflash: I’m flying to Ireland! And I don’t even have to flap my wings, thanks to good old Ryanair.

That takes the sting out of having to leave the Atlantic coast behind. I can settle for the Irish Sea. Best of all, we are staying in Dun Laoghaire, just south of Dublin city, so I can gaze at the sea all day long. We are on the fourth floor of an apartment block directly overlooking the harbour, with views across the bay to Howth peninsula. Wonderful!

       

After the surf of Biarritz and Les Sables d’Olonne, it takes a bit of getting used to the calm of Dublin Bay. But I have been assured that it won’t stay like this for long, the winds are sure to get up again soon. Can’t wait!

On our first outing by the sea we make the obligatory stop at Teddy’s for one of their famous 99s (whipped vanilla ice cream in a cone with a Cadbury’s chocolate flake stuck in it for good measure). Teddy’s has been around since 1950 and has become an something of an institution. In fact, I think it’s illegal to go to Dun Laoghaire without stopping off for a Teddy’s ice cream. Or if it’s not, it should be.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time! I am in Ireland and it’s Halloween. The build-up has been tremendous these past few days: houses decorated with all manner of skulls and skeletons, ghosts and ghoulies, webs and witches. Creepy! Kids are running around with painted faces and in costumes, the shops are full of ghoulish goodies. I could really get into this!

I just can’t make my mind up which costume to choose. Which do you think suits me best?