Tag: Wexford

Wexford (The Sunny South East) is a county in Ireland. In this blog, I would like to cover a one-day trip that we did to County Wexford, few months ago.

We started our journey from Saggart, Dublin Ireland around 8:30 AM and returned by around 7:30 PM. We took the following route. Its approximately 5.5 hour’s drive and 425 Kms. [NOTE: Apart from the driving time, you would also need time for sightseeing, refreshments and so on. So, you should certainly consider around 10-11 hours for the entire journey].

Now let’s get into more details about the various stop overs:

1) Duncannon Fort:

Duncannon Fort is situated in the village of Duncannon on the Hook Peninsula, County Wexford. This is a historic structure with over 450+ years history. The fort is one of only three bastioned forts built in County Wexford and the only one which is accessible to public.

If you would like to make a tour inside the fort, it is recommended to book the tickets well in advance. Th tour might last for approximately 1 hour and authorities suggest to reach the fort 10 minutes before the actual tour time. Seems the Fort is not open for tours during winter.

More details can be found here: https://duncannonfort.ie/  

Duncannon fort lies near the ‘Norman way’ walking trail. The Norman Way is a heritage trail that runs along the south coast of County Wexford and is approximately 22 Kms long. Along this Wexford Trail you will discover authentic medieval sites.

There is a pretty village and a nice beach near to the Duncannon fort.

NOTE: We were not aware of this pre booking arrangement and couldn’t manage to get a ticket by the time we reached the fort. It would be always good to plan your itinerary with Duncannon fort as the first destination. That will help you to plan your start time from your home/hotel.

2) Hook Lighthouse:

Hook Lighthouse was built in the early 13th century to help ships safely navigate the treacherous Wexford coastline. It has been guarding the Maritime gate way to Irelands Ancient East for over 800+ years. It is one of the oldest lighthouses in the world and the second oldest operating lighthouse in the world, after the Tower of Hercules in Spain.. It is 35m tall with 2 Black bands on a White background being its day time marker and 1 flash every 3 second being its night time marker.

When the lighthouse at Hook became fully automated in 1996, there was no longer any need for resident keepers. It was decided then to open it up to the public. The former keeper’s houses now play host to the visitor centre (visitor center has gift shops, exhibits, coffee shop and so on).

You can also climb the balcony (around 110 steps)  from where you might be able to a spectacular view of the sea (comes with a charge, I guess).

The Lighthouse hosts a range of festivals and family events all year round, including the New Year Sunrise Tour, the Imbolc Festival in February, as well as Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Mother’s Day event.

More details can be found here: https://hookheritage.ie/

3) Kilmore Quay:

Kilmore Quay is a small fishing village (with limited population) in county Wexford with whitewashed cottages and thatched roofs. There is also a nice marine here. The Saltee Islands lie off the coast near Kilmore Quay (around 5 miles), and boat trips to these islands are available from the village.

The two islands, Great Saltee and Little Saltee, are known for being Ireland’s largest bird sanctuary. Arguably best-known for their puffin colony, the islands are bird sanctuary and more than 220 species of birds have been recorded here. A colony of grey seals also gathers here every year.

NOTE: We dint go to Saltee islands during this trip. Online Booking details HERE.

The ferry from Kilmore Quay takes 20 minutes, tickets are €30 for an adult and €15 for children.

This would be a ideal loaction for your lunch, there are multiple restaurants avaiable here. We went to the ‘Saltee Chipper’, which is famous for its Fish and Chips. In fact, it was awarded the 2019 Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence and the 2019 Best Fish and Chips – Ireland award. More details can be found HERE.

4) Tacumshane thatched windmill:

Designated a national monument in 1952, Tacumshane Windmill is the only surviving complete windmill of its kind in the Republic of Ireland. Built in 1846, it features a rare revolving straw thatch cap to catch the wind for its sails. There were 13 wind-driven corn mills at work along the south Wexford coast in 1891 but this is the only one that remains.

Entry to the windmill is free. For a peek inside, the key can be obtained from the adjacent Meyler’s Millhouse Bar & Restaurant. There is enough parking space available near the windmill. NOTE: Am not sure if this option is still avaialble as we couldn’t get inside the windmill.

5) Rosslare Harbour:

Rosslare Harbour was first developed in 1906 by the Great western railway to accommodate steamferry traffic between Great Britain and Ireland.

Rosslare town to the north has a long sandy beach and was a holiday resort from the late 19th century: it became known as Rosslare Strand once the harbour was established.

Rosslare Europort has ferries from Fishguard and Pembroke in south Wales, from Cherbourg and Roscoff in France, and from Bilbao in Spain. Few popular ferries operating from here are Stena Line, Irish  Ferries, Brittany Ferries and so on. This is one of the largest and busiest ports in Ireland.

Five trains (a day) run from Dublin Connolly, taking 3 hours via Dún Laoghaire, Bray, Wicklow Town, Rathdrum, Arklow, Gorey, Enniscorthy and Wexford to Rosslare Strand (for the beach) and Rosslare Europort (for the ferry terminal). More details can be found HERE.

6) Wexford Lavender Farm:

Lavender is one of the best known and loved of all herbs and you will find it here in abundance.  This seems to be Ireland’s only commerical lavender farm. It was opened in 2014. It is a family run business set in the heart of the beautiful Wexford countryside. They are normally closed during the winter season and reopens during Easter time.

Its spread across 4 acres of land with 5000+ plants / multiple varities. There is also a café, gift shop and a children playground here. Enough parking spaces are also available but they charge a parking fee which varies based on season (obviously high duing the peak season / July-September). More details can be found HERE.

Summary:

Within a two-hour drive / scenic train ride from Dublin, Wexford boasts over 100 miles of coastline with gorgeous sandy beaches and stunning locations for nature walks.

Due to it’s numerous coastal towns, rivers and beaches Wexford has, over the years, become a haven for people with an interest in water sports. The summer months see an influx of visitors to the coastal regions taking to the sea for a swim or a spot of fishing.

Wexford has so much to offer, but only with public transport you wont be able the all the best tourist attractions. So a Taxi / Rented Vehicle / Own transportation is a must to get a feel of this beautiful Irish County. I absolutely loved my time exploring the Wexford coast.

Other Places / Options to explore in Wexford (not in any specific order):

Hope you enjoyed reading my blog. Please try out this itinerary and let me know your comments!