Tourist Information Office
Swords Tourist Information Office
For information on all things Swords and Fingal area please call in to us in Swords Tourist Office in the grounds on Swords Castle.
Contact us on +353 (0)1 8400891 or email us on info@fingaltourism.ie
Other places of interest in the Swords Area:
The town was founded in 560AD around a Well associated with St. Colmcille. The Well was said to give Swords its name, “Sord” being the Gaelic for “pure”. It is said that as the old town of ‘Sord’ remained to the west of the Ward River a new town of ‘Sord’ grew to the east, the anglicized name for the whole area became “Swords” – the two ‘Sord’.
Heritage
St. Columba’s Church and Belfry
The only remaining relic of a medieval church is its Belfry which is open to the public in summertime, when fine days afford the visitor a view of four counties from the tower’s height. The original church is said to have fallen into ruin sometime in the seventeenth century. The new church of early Gothic style was built in 1811 on the foundations of the old.
St Colmcille’s Well
The Well, consecrated by St Colmcille in 560 A.D., marks the origin of Swords as it gives the town its name “Sord” meaning “pure”. The water in Swords is renowned for its curative properties for sore eyes.
Swords Historical Society at the Carnegie Library
The Carnegie Library was built in 1909 by a local library committee with funding from the Carnegie
Trust. It has served various community groups over the years but ceased to be a library in 1986. It is now home to the Swords Historical Society and Fingal Genealogy, part of the Irish Family History Foundation, the group offers a genealogical research service for the Fingal Dublin area.
Tel : +353 1 8400080
email: swordsheritage@eircom.net
web:www.irishroots.net
The Outdoors
Ward River Valley Park
Woodland habitats, wetlands and rolling grassland, punctuated by archaeological remains, comprise
this lovely linear 89ha park along the Ward river valley. Features of particular interest include some
Bronze Age fortifications and the remains of an Italian garden. There are numerous viewing points, picnic sites, children’s playground and all weather pitch within the park’s boundaries.
Broadmeadow Estuary
Between Swords and Malahide, where the Broadmeadow River meets the Irish Sea, is the Broadmeadow Estuary where the sea’s incursions have created a lake and wetlands with a rich habitat for a huge variety of sea birds, including a bevy of up to 300 swans, and other flora and fauna.
Shopping
Pavilions Shopping Centre
Pavilions is Swords’ premier shopping centre with over 90 great shops, restaurants and cafes as well as the 11 screen Movies@Swords cinema all under one roof. Open 7 days a week, a shopping trip to Pavilions could not be easier. Conveniently located on the Malahide Road just off the M1 with over 2000 car parking spaces and the first 2 hours free.The mall has everything you need under one roof including fashion, lifestyle, electronics andmore.
Airside Retail Park
One of Ireland’s largest retail parks of over 33,000 m² offering an excellent mix of 14 units including B&Q, Atlantic, Homestore and More, Halpenny Golf, EZ Living and Harvey Norman. Airside Retail Park is well located between Dublin Airport, Pavilions Shopping Centre and the M1 Motorway. The park also includes Airside Motor Park, Dublin’s largest selection of new and used cars with 17 dealerships in one location.
Wine, Dine & Stay
Good food to a large extent depends on good ingredients. This Dublin Region offers good food in abundance, its rich fertile lands provides fresh produce while Howth & Skerries, located along the Dublin Bay coastline, offer daily landings of fish and seafood – all to be found in its excellent cafes, restaurants and barsin Swords.
Swords enjoys a proud reputation for the quality of its diverse array of accommodation, offering style, comfort and elegance combined with the most modern facilities. Choose from luxurious hotels, charming guesthouses and homely B&Bs.
Getting to Swords
By Bus: Dublin BusRoutes to / from city centre – 33,41,41C,43. No. 102bus from the Airport and Malahide Village.
Bu Bus: Swords Express, timetables available here
By Car: Two exits for Swords from M1 – one to the south (exit 3) and another to the north of Swords (exit 4) and one to the south – to R132. Follow directions to Swords, take Swords exit at Malahide Roundabout.
The Fingal Region
Along with tourist information specific to Swords the office offers information on:
- Fingal Coastal Villages: Howth, Malahide, Donabate, Portrane, Rush, Skerriesand Balbriggan
- Fingal’s Rural Villages Naul, Oldtown, Garristown, Ballyboughal, Rolestown and Balrothery
- Fingal’s Urban areas such as Dublin 15