County Wexford

Wexford has a reputation as the sunniest corner of Ireland, and the strawberry stands along the country roads in June bear that out. A trip to County Wexford takes you to long sandy beaches, the oldest operating lighthouse in the world, and towns closely tied to the 1798 Rebellion.

Coast and Towns

The coast stretches from Courtown in the north to the Hook Peninsula in the southwest, broken up by lagoons and tidal flats. Wexford, founded by Vikings, has narrow lanes, quays along the River Slaney, and an internationally known opera festival in October. Gorey is a lively market town near the swimming beaches, and Enniscorthy is overlooked by its Norman castle and Vinegar Hill, where the decisive battle took place in 1798. In New Ross on the Barrow, a replica of the emigrant ship Dunbrody tells the story of the Famine and of the Kennedy family, whose ancestors came from nearby.

Sights in County Wexford

The Hook Head Lighthouse has served as a beacon for about 800 years and can be visited. Nearby are Tintern Abbey and the star-shaped Duncannon Fort. The Irish National Heritage Park near Ferrycarrig presents 9,000 years of the island's history in reconstructions. Thousands of Greenland white-fronted geese spend the winter at the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, and boats leave from the harbor at Kilmore Quay for the Saltee Islands, home to puffins and gannets.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Trains and buses run from Dublin to Gorey, Enniscorthy, and Wexford; ferries connect Rosslare Europort with France, Wales, and Spain. The best time for a beach vacation is June through September, while the opera draws visitors in October. Besides strawberries, shellfish and fish from Kilmore Quay are local specialties. Between Rosslare and the north, beaches such as Curracloe stretch along the coast; the landing scenes from "Saving Private Ryan" were filmed here. Thatched-roof houses still stand in Kilmore Quay, and on the beaches at Cahore or Morriscastle the few summer swimmers are easily lost in the open space. Johnstown Castle near Wexford, with its agricultural museum, gardens, and lakes, is a good choice for a rainy day.