Part 4: Rosslare Harbour
Part 4: Rosslare Harbour
Crossing the Irish Sea from Pembrokeshire, the presence of the imposing Tuskar Rock Lighthouse is the first sign that Wexford draws near. As the ferry pulls in to Rosslare Europort, those looking up will see the town of Rosslare Harbour perched on the cliff above, overlooking the water. Download the Port Places app on your Apple or Android phone, open the menu and press 'Find More' to see the list of featured experiences, and read on!
Rosslare Harbour village and the Port's history begins relatively recently with changing geographical and transport systems leading to the creation of the new harbour. Previously, the adjacent Wexford town and New Ross were the maritime centres of the region since the medieval era. Although the area has a rich maritime association with a RNLI station since 1838 and the much older Rosslare Fort, which guarded Wexford Harbour, was abandoned to the sea in 1925, although its remains have surfaced in recent years with shifting sand banks. The advent of the railways in the mid-19th century transformed the way goods and people moved enabling new connections to be created within Ireland and across the Irish Sea. The story continues into the 20th and 21st centuries with the advent of car ferries, containerisation and the upheavals of independence, Irish EU membership and Brexit.
The Port Places app captures this rich history with three overlapping experiences.
This experience draws on the creative, film and heritage material of the project to set out a trail of stories stretching from Fishguard to Rosslare Harbour. It covers the ferry crossing between Pembrokeshire and Wexford, including creative work, stories, interviews and poetry. It tells the story of sights and sounds of the Irish and Welsh coasts, social change and natural wonders, images of the Irish Sea captured in documentary films and many of the overlapping accounts and events that have clustered around the crossing over centuries.
The experience can begin at either end of the route, and can be downloaded in advance of your journey. Once downloaded, no data is needed to read the text, look at the images and listen to the audio while you undertake your ferry trip. On the crossing between Pembrokeshire and Wexford, this includes stories of sandbanks, shipwrecks, mythical land bridges, childhood memories and Welsh and Norman ties.
The three Ports, Past and Present crossing experiences on Port Places bring the past to life by showing that the Irish Sea and its long frequented crossings are not focused on a single topic, but cover every aspect of human life at sea and on land. They present personal accounts together with large-scale tragedies, traces of ancient histories together with the upheavals of recent decades.
A brief introduction to the rich heritage of Rosslare Harbour and its port. Written by Leo Coy and adapted from Visit Wexford Public Signage. In this experience, you can learn about the history of the Village, amazing hidden locations, and centuries of history waiting waiting a short drive away.
This experience and that of the South Wexford Coast below are complimentary, showcasing the cultural, historical and environmental richness of County Wexford. Enjoy a meal at the Garden Cafe and take a walk in the peace of Kirwan's Garden. Stay for the night and go for a drink at the Railway Club. Visit the Maritime Heritage Centre and learn about the nautical and coastal history of the region. This experience will be your guide.
An outstanding coastal strip, the South Wexford Coast extends from the early 13th century lighthouse at the craggy, limestone tip of Hook Head in the west, to the gently rounded, granite headland of Carnsore Point in the east. This diverse and beautiful stretch of coast awaits a short drive from Rosslare Harbour village, providing a scenic tour or a leisurely route into Counties Waterford and Cork to the West.
The South Wexford Coast is a richly endowed coastal strip, though only 40km (25 miles) long, supports thirteen sites each rated of international importance. These thirteen sites comprise eight places connected either to each other or together by the inshore waters of the Celtic Sea. To have so many sites of such importance clustered together on so short a length of shoreline makes the South Wexford Coast one of Ireland’s outstanding natural heritage resources.
The material of this experience appears courtesy of Jim Hurley of South Wexford Coast Promotions.
In the next section of this exhibit, we return to Pembrokeshire across the Irish Sea, through the expanse of the Milford Haven Waterway, and disembark in Pembroke Dock. Browse the list of featured experiences on the Port Places app to learn more.