Rosslare Strand and Rosslare Harbour
Beach village and ferry port village
Rosslare Strand, about 12 km south-east of Wexford town, has been a holiday resort for more than a hundred years, and its beach flies the Blue Flag in 2026. Rosslare Europort lies about 4 km further south-east, in the village of Rosslare Harbour. To the south and west are the pilgrimage site of Our Lady’s Island and the windmill at Tacumshane.
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Rosslare Strand
Rosslare Strand is about 12 km south-east of Wexford town and about 4 km north-west of Rosslare Europort. It has been a holiday resort for more than a hundred years, and the beach is one of six Blue Flag beaches in County Wexford in 2026.
- The beach: Wooden groynes run down the sand. The main access is from a free car park.
- Lifeguards: On duty in the summer bathing season; the information boards at the beach give the details.
- Train: Rosslare Strand station is on the line between Dublin Connolly and Rosslare Europort. It is unstaffed, with a ticket machine and step-free access to the main platform. The station car park, run by APCOA, has 16 spaces and one disabled space and is open 24 hours. The Eircode is Y35 NA06.
More beaches in the county, with Curracloe north of Wexford, are on the beaches page.
Rosslare Harbour
Rosslare Harbour is the village beside Rosslare Europort, at the end of the N25. If you are sailing, this is where you find the nearest ATM: the Bank of Ireland in the village is about 10 minutes’ walk or under two minutes’ drive from the terminal, which has none of its own.
The beach at Rosslare Harbour has a Green Coast Award for 2026. The EuroVelo 1 Atlantic Coast Route passes the port. For a night before an early sailing, see where to stay.
Our Lady’s Island
Our Lady’s Island lies about 5 km south-west of Rosslare Europort as the crow flies. According to tradition, St Abban chose the place for a monastery in the 6th century, and it has been a place of pilgrimage since the 7th century. On the island you see Our Lady’s Well, the remains of St Vaughn’s church and a leaning tower from the Norman period. Entry is free; allow one to two hours.
Tacumshane Windmill
Tacumshane Windmill was built in 1846 by Nicolas Moran and given a thorough repair in 1952. It is a national monument. The key is kept at Meylers Millhouse bar and restaurant in Fence, Eircode Y35 ET89, and there is no charge to visit. From the Irish National Heritage Park the drive south takes about 20 minutes.
When to come
The Blue Flag season in 2026 runs from 1 June to 15 September, and lifeguards are on duty at Rosslare Strand in the summer bathing season. May has the most sunshine on average, at 6.9 hours a day, and July and August are the warmest months, with afternoons around 18 °C. October to December are the wettest months.