Day trips Archives – The Wandering Irishman

September 4, 2020September 4, 2020

Bannow Island

Bannow Island is a beach in the south-west coast of County Wexford in Ireland, its a place that is very close to my heart as I grew up here and Its where I learned to explore.

A lot of my time as a child was spent looking in rock pools along the beach and walking in the fields trying to dodge the cattle and occasional Bull ( you haven’t lived until a herd of cows chases you).

Bannow has a rich history and the Norman conquest of Ireland began in Bannow Bay in 1169 when three ships commanded by Robert Fitz-Stephen arrived at the behest of Diarmait MacMurrough to support his claim to the Kingdom of Leinster. Another group of Normans under Raymond le Gros landed the following year on the far side of Bannow Bay, on the Hook Peninsula at Baginbun. There was a small promontory fort there, easy for the Normans to defend and thereby ensure a safe landing.

At Bannow Island, the ruins can still be seen of the 13th-century Norman Romanesque parish church of St Mary, originally impropriated to the monks of Canterbury. It consists of a nave and chancel. Another famous Norman soldier and an officer who landed in the first invasion was Meiler Fitzhenry, whose son adopted his father’s name, and thus began the Meyler family of County Wexford, who later were prominent in the Wexford Rebellion of 1798.

Bannow Island is a beautiful beach that is heavily affected by the tide. at low tide, the beach is much bigger and a is a lovely walk and you can walk around the corner and look at the mouth of the bay which leads up to Wellingtonbridge and Tintern Abbey. Check tide times for Fethard-On-Sea, Bannow is best enjoyed when the Tide is out and be very careful the tide can come in very quick here.

There are rock pools to be enjoyed at the right side of the beach as you walk onto it, loads of little creatures to be found.

If you’re looking for another beach close by you can check out Cullenstown, It’s only a few minutes down the road and well worth a visit.

Bannow Island is well worth a visit if you’re looking for somewhere to go for a few hours, it’s not very big but what it lacks in size it makes up for in character. Bring a book and a chair and sit back and let the world go by.

Here is a video of Bannow I made:

Directions:

April 6, 2020September 4, 2020

Cullenstown Beach Wexford

When I was growing up I took for granted the area I lived in, I think most of us do. I grew up in a rural part of Wexford right at the bottom of this beautiful country. We use to spend our summers out and about exploring, riding our bikes and playing games. I use to think there was never anything to do and this place is boring. If only I lived in Wexford town where all the fun was happening. Little did I know that the kids in town were saying the same thing about being bored and having nothing to do. Life is what you make it and thankful I did a lot of exploring in my childhood.

One of the adventures we use to do was take a trip down to Cullenstown Beach. Our favoured mode of transport was a bicycle, this was to make the arduous journey short. The 3 km trip when you were 12 years of age was a big deal at the time. when I look back now I realise how lucky we were to have such a beautiful place to explore. But that’s enough of me reminiscing.

Cullenstown is a lovely quaint village with a great community. They take a lot of pride in their village and it’s always kept very tidy. There are a number of holiday homes and a guesthouse. There is also a pub called the Atlantic Bar where you can stop in and quench your thirst. there are toilets located at the beach in case nature calls. Thankfully there are a number of bins to so please practice a leave no trace approach.

On a fine day you could mistake it for a tropical beach, the waters are turquoise and the sand is white beneath your feet.

Birds eye view of Cullenstown Beach — Birds eye view

There is a ball alley at the beach which can be great entertainment, Many a game of wall ball have been argued about here. it can be great too if you bring a tennis ball and racket, just be mindful of the tide, if its a high tide and you hit the ball over your getting wet or losing a ball.

The famous Shell Cottage is located here in Cullenstown. It was built by Kevin Ffrench and took 30 years to complete. It is a beautiful testament to perseverance and it’s worth checking out. They have an Instagram page and Facebook page you can check them out. it is the highlight of Cullenstown Beach and well worth checking out.

The beach is a great spot for fishing, you can see fishermen beach casting and spinning here regularly and I have heard stories of 8-pound bass being pulled from here.

The Keeragh islands are located just 1.5 km off the beach. the islands are a designated Natural Heritage Area due to their importance as a breeding ground for seabirds such as cormorants. The islands are surrounded by treacherous rocky reefs and the ruin on the island was built around 1800 for survivors of shipwrecks but is now dilapidated . You can find more information here

The Saltee Islands can be seen from Cullenstown, they lie about 14kms off the coast. the islands are a must-see place and boat tours from Kilmore Quay run daily during the summer season. You will not be disappointed with this trip. I strongly recommend it. you can get more information here.

There is a lot of wildlife to look at in Cullenstown, You can see all kinds of Seabirds and you can spot the odd seal in the Water. Cormorants are a regular visitor. Barnacle Geese are a winter visitor from Greenland, occurring between October & April here during the start of spring, they come down from Greenland and Siberia where they breed.

Cullenstown is definitely worth checking out and it is reasonably quiet most of the year. you should put it on your list of places to go.

I made a video of Cullenstown Beach. I hope you like it. If you would like to check out my other posts you can find them here

Cullenstown Beach is located at the very bottom of the county of Wexford. it is about a 4 minute drive from the village of Carrig on Bannow and about 7 minutes from the village of Duncormick. You can find the map below.

March 16, 2020March 19, 2020

Edenvale, a Hidden Gem

My sister first introduced me to Edenvale in Wexford when I was a teenager and I’m so glad she did. Edenvale is a special place with a secret garden feel to it. Don’t be fooled by the underwhelming entrance, it disguises A stunning trail filled with rivers, waterfalls, flora and fauna. One of the best trails in the Sunny South East.

There is a small car park at the entrance with a gate that is used regularly for access so be mindful not to block the entrance. Most of the walk is on a dirt track, it can be muddy at times so wellies or sturdy footwear is advised.

The walk leads down to the River Sow but if you want a slight detour you can follow the trail on your left which leads into a clearing. You can find an interesting carving in a tree in the middle of the clearing.

Edenvale is a place for exploration, if you keep your eyes open you will find some interesting shapes, colours and plants. This is a place to stroll through, take your time and remember to look left, right and most importantly overhead.

Edenvale is not a long walk, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in character. A lot of fun can be had here if you allow your inner child to come out and play. If you leave your busy lifestyle at the gate you will not be disappointed.

The trail leads on until you have to turn right and head downhill until you meet the main track, here you will see the first of Edenvales Waterfalls.

A strange beauty surrounds this place, There is an ancient feel to it, perhaps resembling what Ireland would have looked like long ago.

Ireland is a wild place and winter can bring powerful storms, a casualty of these powerful storms is a large tree after falling across the river which has made a stunning natural bridge. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to cross it.

When you continue the trail, once you have finished playing on the bridge you come to a small pumping station. Wexford County Council has owned this since and 1930’s and the river Sow which flows here provides water for many houses in Wexford.

If you follow past the pumping station you will find yourself on a walkway and you can start to hear the main attraction of Edenvale. A lot of water passes over these falls and you can really feel it. The noise is loud and imposing but stunning all the same.

As you go further up the river you will come to the rest of the falls, I could sit and stare at each of them for a long time.

As you go further up you will see an Old Mill on the opposite side of the river, it’s starting to become part of the forest but still standing tall. You can cross over the bridge and take a closer look at the old mill but be careful as its unsafe.

From here you turn around and go back the way you came and take in the waterfalls for a second time. You can continue and do a loop walk that takes in Randalls Mill.

This walk is short but has a lot of character. It is perfect for families who have small kids and want a manageable walk for the little ones. If you bring wellies you can play around in the streams and rivers. There is plenty of flora and fauna to see so you could bring along a good field guide to spot some of it. I love the Collins Complete Guide to Irish Wildlife its a really comprehensive guide and a must for anybody trying to learn more about nature in Ireland.

How to get here

Edenvale is located 1.5km from Castlebridge. if you head North on the R741 towards Crossabeg it is located on your right-hand side about 3 minutes from Castlebridge.