Attractions

Exploring Wexford Town

Get started exploring by walking the length of Main Street, both north and south, taking time to detour up and down the alleys and lanes that crisscross it. The tourist office can supply you with a free map if you want some guidance. You may want to start out by visiting the Westgate Heritage Tower, which will provide you with valuable context and background information before you explore the rest of the city.

Attractions Farther Afield in County Wexford

The rounded granite form of Mount Leinster, the highest in Wexford, is a landmark throughout the region. This is a popular hang-gliding spot as the summit is always windy. On a clear day, views are sweeping. To get there, follow signs for the Mount Leinster Scenic Drive from the sleepy town of Kiltealy on the eastern slopes of the mountain. Soon you will begin climbing the exposed slopes; don't get too distracted by the views, because the road is twisting and quite narrow in places. There's a parking area at the highest point of the auto road, and a paved access road (closed to cars) continues for over 2km (1 1/4 miles) to the summit. From the top you can scramble along the ridge to the east, known as Black Rock Mountain. To return, continue along the Scenic Drive, which ends a few miles outside the town of Bunclody.

A Trip Through History: Exploring the Ring of Hook

The Hook Peninsula in southwest County Wexford is a picturesque place of rocky headlands and secluded beaches between Bannow Bay and Waterford Harbour. These were significant inlets in medieval times for travelers from Britain to Ireland, and the abundance of archaeological remains reflects that. The end of the peninsula, with its sturdy old lighthouse, is popular with birders as a site for watching the spring and fall passerine migration. The route described below will guide you through a driving or biking tour, and hikers can see most of the places listed from the Wexford Coastal Pathway.

Start your exploration of the peninsula at the town of Wellington Bridge. Just west of town on R733 is a roadside stop on the left by a cemetery; from here you can look across Bannow Bay to the ruins of Clonmines -- a Norman village established in the 13th century. It's a fine example of a walled medieval settlement, with remains of two churches, three tower houses, and an Augustinian priory. You can drive to the ruins -- just follow R733 another mile west to a left turn posted for the Wicklow Coastal Pathway, and continue straight on this road where the pathway turns right. The ruins are on private land, so you should ask permission at the farmhouse at the end of the road.

Continuing west on R733, turn left on R734 at the sign for the Ring of Hook, and turn right at the sign for Tintern Abbey. The abbey was founded by the monks of Tintern in South Wales in the 13th century, but it has been much altered over the centuries. The grounds are beautiful and contain a restored stone bridge that spans a narrow sea inlet.

At Baginbun Head, a fine beach nestles against the cliffs, from which you can see the outline of the Norman earthwork fortifications on the head. Here the Norman presence in Ireland was first established with the victory of Norman forces over the Irish at the Battle of Baginbun.

The tip of the peninsula, with its line of low cliffs eroded in places for blowholes, has been famous for shipwrecks since Norman times. There has long been a lighthouse on this site; the present structure consists of a massive base, built in the early 13th century, and a narrower top dating from the 19th century.

The Ring of Hook road returns along the western side of the peninsula, passing the beaches at Booley Bay and Dollar Bay. On a promontory overlooking the town of Duncannon is a fort built in 1588 to protect Waterford Harbour from the Spanish Armada. Just north of Duncannon, along the coast at the village of Ballyhack, a ferry runs to County Waterford, and a Knights Hospitallers castle (see Ballyhack Castle) stands on a hill.

A visit to the Hook Peninsula wouldn't be complete without a stop at Dunbrody Abbey, in a field beside the road about 6.5km (4 miles) north of Duncannon. The abbey, founded in 1170, is a magnificent ruin and one of the largest Cistercian abbeys in Ireland. Despite its grand size, it bears remarkably little ornamentation. Tours are sometimes available; inquire at the visitor center across the road.