# Ireland's Eye Ferries

Boat en Howth

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/companies/irelands-eye-ferries

Small boats from Howth's West Pier that go around the island of Ireland's Eye to see seals, gannets and, in season, puffins. 50 minutes, from €25.

## Who they are

A boat company in Howth, the fishing village on the north side of Dublin Bay, with local skippers and guides. It was founded in 2010 by Ken Doyle, who as a child in the seventies went out on his grandfather's and father's boats; the family, according to the company, has been taking people out in boats since 1852. Its first boats were the Pinalia and the Christmas Eve. When Ken retired, the company passed to Howth Adventures, founded in 2016 by Shane O'Doherty, a sailor and former coastguard, and today the two work as sister companies. All the guides are from Howth, and in 2025 they received Howth's sustainability and environment award.

## What they do

The 50-minute coastal trip skirts the Howth cliffs and goes round Ireland's Eye, the island you see from the harbour, with its colony of seals and its seabirds: gannets, guillemots, cormorants and kittiwakes, and puffins in the breeding season, which can be seen daily from April to July. It costs from €25. There is also a one-hour sunset cruise, from €25, and, for private groups of up to 11 people, a three-hour outing that combines a walk around the harbour with the boat trip, for €500. It organises trips for companies, stag and hen parties, celebrations and students.

The boats are small, with a maximum of 12 people, and every trip has a local skipper or guide who explains what you see. They sail all year, as long as the weather allows.

## Conditions

They don't land on the island: this is to avoid disturbing the birds that breed there. Boats leave from the ferry pontoon, at the end of the West Pier; look for the logo of Seamus the seal and ask for the crew. Check in 15 minutes before departure and wear clothes suitable for the sea. From central Dublin it takes about 40 minutes.

All ages are welcome, with child, student and family fares. Dogs can come aboard on a lead, if you tell them before booking. With a wheelchair it is sometimes possible, but you need to ask beforehand.

## Booking

Book on their website. Places often sell out more than a day ahead, so it is best to book early, especially in the puffin season. They also sell gift vouchers with no expiry date. The website is in English and doesn't publish cancellation or refund terms.

## What they run

- [Boat trip around Ireland's Eye from Howth harbour](https://www.geocalia.com/en/ireland/dublin/things-to-do/boat-to-irelands-eye), in Dublin. Howth Coastal Boat Tour: round Ireland's Eye and the Howth cliffs. Desde 25 € per person. 50 min. Leaves from the jetty at the end of the West Pier; arrive 15 minutes early. Does not land on the island

Independent companies: you book with them, on their terms. Prices are as they publish them and may change.

## Practical details

- Phone: +353 86 077 3021
- Meeting point: Ferry pontoon, at the end of the West Pier, West Pier, Howth, Dublin 13

## Contact

- Web: https://www.irelandseyeferries.com/
- Coordenadas: 53.3925, -6.069

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Do you go ashore on the island?
No. The boat goes round it closely, but doesn't land, to protect the breeding areas.

### When can you see puffins?
Daily from April to July, in the breeding season.

### Where does it leave from?
From the ferry pontoon, at the end of Howth's West Pier, about ten minutes' walk from the DART station.