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  1. Start · Covent Garden
  2. Stop 1 · Somerset House
  3. Stop 2 · St Paul's Cathedral
  4. Stop 3 · The Monument
  5. Finish · Tower of London

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Tree-lined paths and quiet benches between the Grand Canal, Ranelagh and Iveagh Gardens

Gastro Dublin, Ireland 2 min read

Ranelagh, Rathmines and the Grand Canal: a Dublin 6 coffee and neighbourhood walk

By (Our writers) · Published

Tree-lined paths and quiet benches between the Grand Canal, Ranelagh and Iveagh GardensPhoto: Crisis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Just south of the Grand Canal, the red-brick streets of Portobello, Rathmines and Ranelagh form one of Dublin's most walkable neighbourhoods. Within a 4 km loop you can follow the willow-lined canal towpath past swans and lock gates, duck into Victorian residential squares where there is barely a car in sight, and pick between some of the best espresso bars, sourdough bakeries and bookshops on the southside.

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Stop 1 · Portobello, Dublin 8 · Canal lock start

Portobello Harbour

Sunny waterside plaza beside the First Lock on the Grand Canal.

Walk here

The canal towpath between Portobello Harbour and Charlemont

Start at Portobello Harbour, where the old hotel looks out over the First Lock, and walk east along the southern bank of the Grand Canal towards Charlemont Bridge and La Touche Bridge. In the morning the benches along the water catch the sun, and commuters on bikes share the path with dog walkers and runners.

Three quiet residential detours off the main streets

  • Ranelagh Gardens Park: tucked right behind the Luas stop in Ranelagh village, with a pond, mature trees and winding paths that let you escape the main street in thirty seconds.
  • Mount Pleasant Square & Belgrave Square: two classic nineteenth-century squares between Ranelagh and Rathmines where Georgian and Victorian terraces frame quiet green centres.
  • Dartmouth Square back to the canal: a peaceful loop north from Ranelagh road that brings you back out onto the Grand Canal at Leeson Street Bridge.
Timing your bakery stop: weekend queues at the independent bakeries around Portobello, Rathmines and Ranelagh peak around 10:30 am. Start your walk by 9:15 am, grab your coffee and pastry first, and carry it to a bench in Ranelagh Gardens or along the canal lock.
Towpath along the Grand Canal between Charlemont Bridge and Portobello Harbour
Towpath along the Grand Canal between Charlemont Bridge and Portobello HarbourPhoto: Sarah777, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Linking back into St Stephen's Green and the Iveagh Gardens

If you want to turn this neighbourhood loop into a longer walk into town, cross the canal at Harcourt Terrace and enter the south gate of the Iveagh Gardens via Clonmel Street — you can walk almost all the way from Ranelagh to Grafton Street through parks and quiet terraces.

Neighbourhood cafés and bakeries just off the canal in Dublin 6
Neighbourhood cafés and bakeries just off the canal in Dublin 6Photo: Sebbe xy, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Reference & tools:

Dublin through the year

Dublin averages 14 rainy days in Oct and highs of about 14°C. The driest month is usually Apr.

07.5158°9°10°12°15°18°19°19°17°14°11°10°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Days with 1 mm of rain or moreAverage high (°C)

Show the numbers
MonthRainy daysRainAverage highSunshineSunset
Jan1363 mm8°C4.1 h/day16:34
Feb1366 mm9°C5.4 h/day17:33
Mar1580 mm10°C7.1 h/day18:27
Apr1263 mm12°C9.2 h/day20:23
May1365 mm15°C11 h/day21:16
Jun1372 mm18°C11.4 h/day21:54
Jul1579 mm19°C10.1 h/day21:47
Aug1382 mm19°C9.7 h/day20:56
Sep1383 mm17°C8.2 h/day19:44
Oct1488 mm14°C6.2 h/day18:32
Nov1387 mm11°C4.5 h/day16:31
Dec1595 mm10°C3.3 h/day16:07
Averages for 2015–2024 from Open-Meteo historical weather (CC BY 4.0); sun times calculated for the 15th of each month, local time.

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