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Bray Places to Visit

If you do like to be beside by the seaside, the County Wicklow town and seaside resort of Bray is a great place to visit. However, its beautiful scenery, close proximity to Dublin and wealth of cultural events can all excite travellers before they even consider heading down to the beach. Bray's recorded population of 31,872 makes it the Republic of Ireland's ninth biggest urban area. This encourages a pleasing diversity of things to enjoy in the town - and the country's large, cosmopolitan capital city, Dublin, is only 12 miles further north.

Notable people associated with Bray include top UK-based comedian Dara Ó Briain, the fifth Irish president Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, and Nothing Compares 2 U singer Sinéad O'Connor.

Places to Visit in Bray, Wicklow

Bray gives its name to Bray Head, a hill and headland that lies between the town itself and Greystones. Walking to Bray Head can be both relaxing and rewarding; the top of the head has a concrete cross erected in 1950.

Taking place over six weeks every summer is the Bray Summerfest, where live music, carnivals, markets and more can be enjoyed. Big name performers who have appeared at the festival include Brian Kennedy and The Undertones.

Staying on the subject of music, Bray is also the yearly home of a major jazz festival every May bank holiday weekend. Bray Jazz Festival has been running since 2000 and has attracted world-renowned jazz players including Christine Tobin, Hamilton de Holanda and Kurt Rosenwinkel.

If all that culture leaves you thirsty, head to The Porterhouse, which has the unusual distinction of brewing its own ales, beers and other beverages.

You can also enjoy succulent drinks at The Martello Hotel, where great accommodation, food and music can all be enjoyed in one place right beside the Irish Sea.

Transport in Bray, Wicklow

Bray has public transport connections to various parts of County Wicklow, County Wexford and County Dublin, including Dublin itself. The town is on the Dublin Area Rapid Transit rail network that can take you to Malahide, Howth and Greystones, and on the Iarnród Éireann rail network that has trains travelling to and from Dublin city centre, Drogheda and Dundalk. Bray also gets a useful supply of bus services. The most prominent operator of these services is Dublin Bus, which provides connections to Dublin city centre and parts of North Wicklow and South Dublin