Bray is a coastal community in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on the east coast, about twenty kilometres south of Dublin’s city Centre. With 32,600 inhabitants, it ranks as Ireland’s ninth-largest urban area.
Bray has a wide range of retailers on the high street which is a short walk from Bray’s seafront. Bray Retail park is a relatively new outlet with shops such as Harry Corry, Maxi Zoo and more. Bray Central opened in 2023 and has a five-screen Stella Cinema, Ten pin bowling alley and other retailers for all to enjoy.
There are roughly 13 primary schools in the Bray region, including special needs schools, co-educational schools, national schools (like Saint Cronan’s Boys’ National School), and gaelscoileanna (like Gaelscoil U Chéadaigh). Saint Brendan’s College, Loreto Secondary School, St. Kilian’s Community School, and Presentation College are some of the nearby secondary schools. Locally, a number of third-level and “English as a Foreign Language” institutions are also active, among them Bray Institute of Further Education.
There is plenty to do in Bray, from spending time with the family on the beach, playing games in the arcade or visiting Sea Life. Two popular outdoor attractions in the area are the Bray Head climb and the Bray to Greystones coastal walk. Both attractions attract plenty of visitors on a good day.
There are a host of great restaurants and bars in the area. The original Porterhouse bar, which brews its own ales, stouts, and beers, is one of the pubs and restaurants in Bray. The Harbour Bar in Bray was named the Best Off the Beaten Track Bar and Best Bar in the World in 2010 by the Lonely Planet Guide. The tavern was formerly owned for three generations by the O’Toole family before being acquired by the Duggan family in 2013. The Martello and Katie Gallagher’s, two coastal properties run by the Duggans, both have on-site dining options.
There are plenty of ways to access Bray, it’s just a short drive from Dublin via the M50. The bus services serving the town include the 145, which is routed from Ballywaltrim, just south of Bray, to Heuston Station via UCD and Dublin city centre. Other routes include the 45A/B, 84/A, 84X, 84N, 155, 184 and 185.
Bray is a part of the Irish Rail DART Rail Network, which extends south to Greystones and north to Malahide and Howth. The town is also connected to the main InterCity and Commuter rail route, which runs north to Connolly Station in the heart of Dublin and continues to Drogheda and Dundalk.
