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.
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.
