Fethard-on-Sea Voyage Tips and guide

Fethard-on-Sea is a village on the coast of County Wexford in Ireland. With a population in 2022 of 363, it's the largest (or more accurately the least tiny) of the villages on Hook Peninsula, also described here. They include Saltmines, Duncannon and Ballyhack.

52°11′24″N 6°54′0″W

Map of Fethard-on-Sea

By road from Dublin follow N11 / M11 to Enniscorthy then N30 / N25 to New Ross then R734 south. From the west take N25 over the toll bridge at Waterford.

A pleasant shortcut by road from Waterford is via the Passage East Ferry to Ballyhack, sailing 7AM-8PM every 15 min.

For long-distance public transport go via Waterford, which has buses from Dublin Airport and city, and eight trains a day from Dublin Heuston.

Bus Éireann 370 runs 3 times M-Sa from Waterford to New Ross, Ramsgrange, Duncannon and Wellington Bridge, continuing to Rosslare Strand and Europort.

Local Link Bus 399 runs four times a day from New Ross to Ballyhack, Arthurstown, Fethard and Hook Head.

You need wheels, the bus is too sparse for sightseeing.

• 52.261-6.7661 Clonmines is a medieval village, probably founded by the Normans at the same time as Bannow. In the 16th century it had silver mines, but the harbour silted up and the place was abandoned by the 17th. The ruins are on private land but you can see enough from the roadside.
• 52.226-6.8372 Tintern Abbey, Saltmills Y34 KR64. Mar-Oct daily 9:30AM-5PM. This Cistercian abbey was founded in 1200 by the Earl of Pembroke, who'd vowed to do so if the heavens preserved him when his ship was caught in a storm. It was populated by monks from Tintern Abbey in Wales, which by way of disambiguation was dubbed Tintern Major while the new abbey was Tintern de Voto — "of the Vow". It was dissolved in 1539 and the lands passed to the Colclough family until the 20th century. It's a substantial ruin with nave, chancel, tower, chapel and cloister, set in wooded parkland with walking trails. Adult €5, conc €4, child €3.  (updated Dec 2025)
• Colclough Walled Garden is a 500-m walk from the abbey, admire the old church and graveyard on the way. It's open Apr-Sep 10AM-6PM, Oct-Mar 10AM-4PM. Adult €5.
• 52.193-6.8413 Fethard has a ruined 15th-century castle, an L-shaped turret with a round tower. It was the residence of the Bishop of Ferns, replacing a Norman turret. You can see the exterior anytime, free, but it's unsafe to enter. Nearby are the ruins of 9th century St Mogue's church, where you'll have to use a bit of imagination. This is named for Saint Máedóc (558-632) aka Mogue or Aidan, the first Bishop of Ferns.
• 52.176-6.8334 Baginbun Head is where the Normans began their invasion of Ireland in 1169. It's named for their two ships La Bague and La Bonne. They camped nearby before settling across the estuary at Bannow (see Kilmore Quay for sights there). There's a Martello tower on the headland and sandy beaches on both sides.
• Ballyhack Castle, 100 m from Passage East ferry pier, is a 15th-century tower house built by the Knights Hospitaller of St John. It's open May-Sep Sa-W.
• 52.2209-6.93675 Duncannon Fort, Duncannon, ☏ +353 51 389 530. Jun-Sep daily noon-3PM. This is a star fort built by Elizabeth I of England in 1587/88 against Spanish attack; it's over the site of earlier fortifications. Visit by guided tour. Adult €10 child €4.  (updated Dec 2025)
• 52.1793-6.89526 Templetown was granted by Henry II to the Knights Templar, who built a base and several churches here. The structures were added to by the Knights Hospitaller. The ruins are free to enter. The knights must have been an abstemious lot because the modern pub "Templars Inn" has closed down.
• 52.149-6.917 Loftus Hall harks back to 1350 but was entirely rebuilt as a country mansion in the 1870s. From 2011 it was promoted as "Ireland's most haunted house", though it's not clear if the ghosts were eligible to ride the zip-wire. It remains closed in 2025.
• Slade near Hook Head is a picturesque small harbour with a 16th-century tower house, though this is derelict and unsafe to enter.
• Hook Head is the headland forming the east shore of Waterford harbour or "Three Sisters" estuary - outflow of the rivers Nore, Suir and Barrow. It's a great area for bird-watching; the main attraction is the lighthouse but there's also the ruin of St Dubhain's Church, blowholes, fossils in the limestone bedrock, and dolphins in the estuary in winter.
• 52.1238-6.92948 Hook Lighthouse, ☏ +353 51 397 055. Daily 9:30AM-5PM. There's been a beacon here since the 5th century, and the tower was completed by 1240, so it's among the world's oldest lighthouses. It's a 35-m-high with four storeys: in the top chamber monks tended the beacon fire and later the lantern. Secular lighthouse keepers took over from the 17th century, until it was automated in 1996. Guided tour adult €14, conc €12, child €8.  (updated Dec 2025)
• Dunbrody Abbey: see New Ross for this 12th-century Cistercian abbey.

• Golf: Abbey Par 3 is in Winningtown.
• Sand-Sculpting Festival is held on Duncannon Beach over the August public holiday.

• Londis in Fethard is open daily 8AM-9PM.
• Centra in Ramsgrange is likewise open daily 8AM-9PM.

• 52.2162-6.90941 Aldritch Lodge, Duncannon Y34 W650, ☏ +353 51 389 116. Th-Sa 6:30-9PM, Su 1-2PM. Upscale restaurant, modern Irish and European cuisine. They also have three rooms en suite, adults only.  (updated Dec 2025)
• Roche's Bar in Duncannon serves excellent local produce. They're open M-Th 4-11:30PM, F-Su 12:30PM - midnight.
• Neville's is a pub with food in Fethard.

• Vine Cottage Bar is in Saltmills near Tintern Abbey.
• Strand Tavern is on Duncannon Main St.
• Bryne's Bar and King's Bay Inn are in Ballyhack.

• 52.2013-6.84841 Ocean Island Caravan Park, John's Hill, Fethard Y34 VP79, ☏ +353 51 397 148. Clean, well-run place open Apr-Sep for camping and tourer caravans. Pity about the owner.  (updated Dec 2025)
• Baginburn Lodge, Main St, Fethard Y34 DH56, ☏ +353 51 397 160. This is temporarily closed and up for sale. (updated Dec 2025)
• Thistledown Lodge is a B&B 2 km down the peninsula at Graigue Little Y34 N127.
• 52.2401-6.94182 Dunbrody Country House Hotel, Mersheen, Arthurstown Y34 R597, ☏ +353 51 389600. Early 19th-century mansion, now an upscale hotel with a highly-rated restaurant. B&B double €250.  (updated Dec 2025)
• Glendine Country House, Arthurstown Y34 Y920 (500 m NW of Dunbrody CHH), ☏ +353 51 389 500. Cosy welcoming B&B in 1830s mansion near Ballyhack ferry pier. Extensive grounds and dog-friendly. B&B double €150. (updated Dec 2025)
• Marsh Mere Lodge is a vintage-style B&B 200 m west of Glendine at Arthurstown Y34 RT93.
• B&Bs in Duncannon are The Moorings, Seashells and Fort Conan Hotel.

As of Dec 2025, Fethard and its approach road have 4G with Eir and Vodafone, and 5G with Three. Coverage is patchy down the Hook Peninsula.

• Wexford has the National Heritage Centre, and Johnstown Castle with the Agricultural Museum.
• Enniscorthy was the bastion and last stand of the rebels of 1798.
• Waterford is Ireland's oldest city, with Viking, medieval and Georgian Heritage.