Editing Howth Head

{{short description|Peninsula northeast of Dublin, Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox peninsulas
|name= Howth Head
|local_name= ''Ceann Bhinn Éadair''
|image_name=File:Ceann Binn Eadair.jpg
|image_caption=Aerial view of Howth Head looking south.
|image_size=
|image_alt= 
|map        = Dublin#Ireland
|location = [[Ireland]]
|waterbody = {{plainlist|
*[[Irish Sea]]}}
|coordinates = 
|area_km2 = 11
|highest_mount = [[Ben of Howth]]
|elevation_m = 171
|Country_heading = 
|country = Ireland
|country_admin_divisions_title = County
|country_admin_divisions = [[County Dublin|Dublin]]
|country_admin_divisions_title_1 = 
|country_admin_divisions_1 = 
|country_1 = 
|country_1_admin_divisions_title = 
|country_1_admin_divisions = 
|density_km2 = 754
|demonym =
|population = 8,294
|population_as_of= 2016
|ethnic_groups=
|additional_info=
}}
[[Image:Howth_Head_by_Dublin,_(UK)_Admiralty_Chart_of_1875_updated_to_1931,_copyright_expired_1981.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Map of Howth Head with peaks]]

'''Howth Head''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|oʊ|θ}} {{respell|HOHTH|'}}; ''Ceann Bhinn Éadair'' in [[Irish language|Irish]]) is a [[peninsula]] northeast of the city of [[Dublin]] in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], within the governance of [[Fingal]] County Council. Entry to the headland is at [[Sutton, Dublin|Sutton]] while the village of [[Howth]] and the [[harbor|harbour]] are on the north-eastern face. Most of Howth Head is occupied by the Hill of Howth, though there are other regions, such as the tombolo at Sutton, extensive beaches on the northern shores, and small ones in other parts. The [[Baily Lighthouse]] is on the southeastern part of Howth Head. Nearby are the districts of [[Baldoyle]] and [[Portmarnock]], and adjacent is the nature reserve of [[North Bull Island]].

==History==
The earliest mention of the peninsula may be on a map attributed to [[Ptolemy|Claudius Ptolemy]], where it was called ''Edri Deserta'' or in [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] {{lang|grc|Εδρου ἐρῆμος}} (''Edrou Heremos'', Edar's isolated place). Here it was portrayed as an island, but it is not clear if this was due to actual separation from the headland or inaccurate information available to the cartographer. Other writers think that ''Edrou'' was actually [[Lambay Island]], from Greek {{lang|grc|ἑδρα}} (''hedra'') "sitting place [for ships]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.romaneranames.uk/essays/ireland.pdf |title=Ireland |website=romaneranames.uk  |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402180652/http://www.romaneranames.uk/essays/ireland.pdf |archive-date=2 April 2019}}</ref>

The peninsula has been occupied since at least the 3rd millennium BC, with two [[midden]]s found, and a [[dolmen]] dating back to around 2200 BC. It features in several Irish legends. A fishing settlement developed at Howth, and the area developed under the Norman St. Lawrence family, who owned most of Howth Head from the late 1100s until the 20th century, with the residual main estate sold in 2019. In the 19th century, electric tramlines to and over Howth Head made the whole hill more accessible.

==Location and topography==
Originally an island,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dublin.ie/live/stories/dublin-uncovered-howth/|title=Dublin Uncovered: Howth}}</ref> Howth Head is connected to the mainland via a narrow strip of land, or [[tombolo]], and forms the northerly bound of the great crescent of [[Dublin Bay]], roughly corresponding to [[Dalkey Hill]] and [[Killiney Hill]] in the south.

Most of the headland is hilly, with peaks such as the 171&nbsp;m Black Linn, by the [[Ben of Howth]], on a side road beyond the Green Hill Quarries at the Loughereen Hills, [[Shielmartin Hill]] (163&nbsp;m) overlooking Carrickbrack Road and Carrickbrack and Dun Hill. There are also craggy areas such as Muck Rock (Carrickmore), and Kilrock.

Howth has an extensive and varied coastline, and there are steep sea cliffs around parts, especially on the north coast. Key points on the coast, clockwise from Sutton, include Cush Point, Claremont Strand, the small headland at Howth village, Balscadden Bay, Kilrock, the Great and Little Baily, Lion's Head, Doldrum Bay, the Needles, Drumleck Point, Red Rock and Sutton Strand.

Due to the shape of the landform, and its rocky nature, with thin soil covering, Howth features multiple streams and several fast-running streams, due to hard rock under a thin soil layer. These include the Bloody Stream, Coulcour Brook, the Boggeen Stream, the Offington Stream, the Whitewater Brook, the Balsaggart Stream, and the Carrickbrack and Santa Sabina Streams.<ref>Dublin: 2013, Doyle, J.W., "Ten Dozen Waters: The Rivers of County Dublin" - 8th edition</ref>

==Fauna and flora==
The cliffs support a large colony of seabirds, notably [[razorbill]]s, [[common guillemot]]s, [[northern fulmar|fulmars]], [[black-legged kittiwake|kittiwakes]] and [[great cormorant|cormorants]]. The scrubland above supports several heathland species including [[Eurasian skylark|skylarks]], [[meadow pipit]]s, [[common whitethroat]]s, [[Eurasian linnet|linnets]], [[European stonechat|stonechats]] and [[whinchat]]s. The most commonly seen birds of prey are [[common kestrel|kestrels]], [[peregrine falcon]]s and [[common buzzard]]s.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

[[Gorse]] grows in many places on the headland. Fires are frequent during dry summers. Thirty-one non-native plants were recorded in 2018 from Howth Head.<ref>Dhuill, Emer Ni and Smyth, N. 2021 Invasive non-native and alien garden escape species on the southern cliffs of Howth Head, Co. Dublin (H21) ''Irish Naturalists' Journal'' '''37'''(2)</ref>

==Transport==
There are two railway stations on or near the head. [[Sutton railway station, Dublin|Sutton station]] is on the northern edge of the [[tombolo]] between Sutton and Baldoyle, and [[Howth railway station|Howth station]] is on the head in the [[Howth|village of Howth]]. Both are served by [[Dublin Area Rapid Transit]] trains and have regular services to and from Dublin city centre. Historically the [[Hill of Howth Tramway]] ran between the stations around the head between 1901 and 1959. Additionally [[Dublin Bus]] routes serve the headland. A full road network accesses most parts, although some are only reachable by some of the many footpaths.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Howth Head3656c.jpg|Howth Head viewed from on the [[Bull Island|North Bull Island]] in [[Dublin Bay]]
File:Howth 01.JPG|Cliffs at Howth Head with Baily Lighthouse in the distance
File:IRL - Howth Baily - Co. Dublin 001.JPG|Baily Lighthouse at the southeast end of Howth Head
File:The Baily Optic (7479345672).jpg|Optic from Baily lighthouse, installed in 1902 and removed in 1972 when the lighthouse was modernised
File:Howth 02.JPG|Walk on Howth Head
</gallery>

==Leisure==
Howth is a popular destination for day-trippers from the capital, accessible by car, bus and one of the northern [[train station|termini]] of the [[Dublin Area Rapid Transit]] train system (DART). Hikers can choose from a wide range of routes, including the Cliff Walk, the Cliff Path Closed Loop, or making for the ancient [[cairn]] on one of Howth's several summits. On clear days, the [[Wicklow Mountains]] can be seen, with [[Dublin|Dublin city]] below. [[Slieve Donard]], an 852-metre peak in [[Northern Ireland]] may also be visible - a distance of {{convert|90|km|mi|abbr=on}}. Quite frequently, [[Snowdon]] (1,085 m) in [[Snowdonia|Snowdonia National Park]] in Wales can also be seen - a distance of {{convert|138|km|mi|abbr=on}}.

==Cultural references==
Howth Head is the location where [[Leopold Bloom]] proposes to Molly in [[James Joyce]]'s ''[[Ulysses (novel)|Ulysses]]''. In the short story 'Eveline', another work by [[James Joyce]] from the collection ''[[Dubliners]]'', it is mentioned that Eveline and her family once had a picnic on the Hill of Howth. Howth Head is also central to Joyce's final work, ''[[Finnegans Wake]],'' in which one of the principal characters, HCE, is, among other things, representative of the mountain.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}

Howth Head is mentioned in the lyrics of the title track of [[Kate Bush]]'s 1989 album, ''[[The Sensual World]]'': '...took six big wheels and rolled our bodies / off of Howth Head and into the flesh, mmh, yes...'. The song is inspired by [[Molly Bloom]]'s soliloquy in Joyce's ''Ulysses''.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}

The peninsula also features in the backdrop of multiple paintings by Irish artist [[William Orpen]] (1878-1931) and by American artist [[James Abbott McNeill Whistler|James Whistler]].<ref>{{cite web |title=James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) Howth Head, near Dublin |url=https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/james-mcneill-whistler-1834-1903-howth-head-near-5846436-details.aspx |website=christies.com |access-date=4 June 2020}}</ref>
[[File:Sir William Orpen - Grace reading at Howth Bay.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.54|Painting by [[Sir William Orpen]] - Grace reading at Howth Bay]]

Howth Head is the setting of two scenes from the Tony Award-winning musical "Once."{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
{{commons category|Howth Head}}
*[http://www.howthcoastguard.com Howth Coast Guard Cliff and Coast Rescue Unit]
*[https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/howth-lifeboat-station Howth Lifeboat Station]
*[http://travvi.com/objects/510 Howth Head - pictures on the Travvi]

{{Peninsulas of Ireland}}

{{coord|53.37923|N|6.07201|W|source:placeopedia|display=title}}

[[Category:Headlands of the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Howth|Head]]
[[Category:Important Bird Areas of the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Landforms of Fingal]]
[[Category:Tombolos]]
[[Category:Peninsulas of County Dublin]]