Dublin Bay is a C-shaped
inlet of the
Irish Sea on the east
coast of
Ireland. The
bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of
Dublin; stretching from
Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south.
North Bull Island is situated in the northwest part of the bay, where one of two major inshore sand banks lay, and features a 5 km long sandy beach,
Dollymount Strand, fronting an internationally recognised wildfowl reserve. Many of the rivers of Dublin reach the Irish Sea at Dublin Bay: the
River Liffey, with the
River Dodder flow received less than 1 km inland,
River Tolka, and various smaller rivers and streams. The
metropolitan area of the city of Dublin surrounds three sides of the bay (the north, west, and south), while the Irish Sea lies to the east. Dublin was founded by the
Vikings at the point where they were able to ford the River Liffey with the first wattle bridge up from the estuary. The city spread from its birthplace, around what is now the James's Gate area, out along the coastline, northeast towards
Howth and southeast towards
Dalkey.