So much to do and see right on your new doorstep
Only 2Km away from the park and overlooking Wexford’s glorious sweeping coastline and landscape, Blackwater Par 3 golf course is an established premier golf course with a layout and design that represents a test and challenge for the best.
Foot Golf, the new craze, is a great alternative to golf. The game is ideal for a family day out, and requires no special equipment or skills – if you can kick a ball then you can play! They even provide the footballs!
A game of Foot Golf takes around an hour, and is suitable for all ages and all levels of fitness.
They currently charge €5 per head with a second round costing only €2.50. Snacks are always available in the Clubhouse.
Contact 087 349 7201 for bookings and enquiries.
Although it’s boundaries come within 100 meters of the sea, Courtown is actually a parkland course. It is surrounded on three sides by forestry and the course boasts thousands of trees, in fact every fairway is tree lined to reward the accurate golfer and punish the wayward. The course is matured par 71, almost 6000 meters in length and provides great variety. www.courtowngolfclub.com
Parkland course with mature trees. 18 Hole, Par 72. 5,734 meters. The location provides views of Wexford, including the Saltee Islands, the Blackstairs Mountains and Wexford Harbour. www.wexfordgolfclub.ie
In Tinebearna, fishing from the shore is very popular along this stretch of beach. Bass, flounder, smoothound, spurdog, dab, ray and dogfish can all be encountered in Ballnanmona. In Ballyvaldon the beach has a steeper gradient and deeper water than other locations in this area and unlike Tinnabearna distance casting is not as important. This is a good mark for spurdog and bullhuss with spring and autumn being the best periods. The stretch of beach between Tinnabearna and Ballyvaldon is used extensively for shore angling matches.
Cahore pier is a great spot for families to try out a bit of crab fishing.
Wexford
Ballyvaldon is surrounded by fantastic stretches of beach bordered by high banks with views all the way to Rosslare to the south and to Cahore Point to the north. If you are a jogger or even want to walk the dogs it is fantastic and private both early in the mornings and late in the evenings. They are ideal beaches for walking and they are bordered by small country lanes redolent with fragrant wild flowers which pass old farmhouses still thatched in the traditional way.
You can walk from the park down to Ballyvaldon beach walk along the beach and return home from Balnamona, a nice ring walk from the park 7km.
In Wexford we are spoilt with our beaches the beautiful coastline goes on for miles. Start at a new beach each day and walk to the next beach.
Balnamona is very popular with residents and locals and is a treasure on those beautiful weekend days in July and August. Balnamona is only 2 km from the park at the entrance to Ballyvaldon take a right and after a 1km take a right (signposted Balnamona). The beach has a clear water stream running into the sea which is great for kids as they spend hours playing in the stream. The sea can be stony but a pair of wet suit shoes and it is paradise. Balnamona is also popular for night fishing. If you are a jogger or even want to walk the dogs it is fantastic and private both early in the mornings and late in the evenings.
Ballyvaldon is very popular with the many residents as this is the beach you would chose to walk or cycle to from the park only 2km. At the entrance to Ballyvaldon walk to your left and within 200m at Ballyvaldon crossroads take left and enjoy the peaceful walk and scenery through the small country lane with the fragrance of wild flowers while passing an old handball alley, graveyard and the winding roads and greenery. At the end of the lane it opens up into the most beautiful horizon that will guarantee a smile.
Walking from the park to Ballyvaldon beach over to Balnamona beach and back the road to the beach is a 7km circle from the park.
Ballinesker is the beach where Steven Spielberg shot the film “Saving Private Ryan” in 1997. Ballineker is within 10km of the park take a left at the gate and pass through Blackwater village towards Curracloe. Ballinesker is surrounded by deep dunes. It has Public Toilet facilities and it is also a blue flag lifeguarded beach. Ballinesker is part of the famous Curracloe beach or adjoined to it. Highly recommended. It is easily accessible for older people. The disadvantage is it is a little more difficult to find an isolated spot on sunny summer Sundays. It is a noted beach for bird watching and its fine white sand is rich in seashells.
Swim week is also held on Ballinesker in July ask Norma for further information. Highly recommended to teach children to swim in the sea and water safety.
Tinnaberna beach is only 5km from Ballyvaldon Village and is extremely popular with shore anglers and are regularly used for competitions. One of the reasons for these venues’ popularity is their ability to produce specimen sized fish. Species encountered include bass, tope, smoothhound, bullhuss, rock salmon, spurdog, ray, flounder and dab. Night fishing produces the best results.
Swim week is also held on Tinnaberna in July ask Norma for further information. Highly recommended to teach children to swim in the sea and water safety.
Morriscastle Beach has had Blue Flag status since 2008 and it is claimed to be the longest beach in Ireland and is known locally as the ‘Golden Mile’. The area is important from a nature point of view with a Special Area of Conservation – Kilmuckridge / Tinaberna Sand hills to the South. The Wexford Coastal Pathway passes through Morriscastle on its 221km journey. The best access is via the R742 and Kilmuckridge Village. The beach can then be reached by a 150 metre walk from the car park onto the strand. The beach is a very popular for bathing with locals and visitors. On-road parking and a car park is available with 2 disabled spaces. Access to the beach is from the car park via a wooden sleeper walkway. Access for the disabled can be difficult due to wind blown sand on walkway which slopes slightly to sea. There is a local shop adjacent to the car park which also sells hot food.
Curracloe Beach is a long white silver fine sandy beach that stretches for miles. It is famous for its white sandy beaches and Blue Flag. Walking around the Point to opening views of Wexford town across the Estuary on a sunny day is divine. The Raven is a quiet beach. To reach the beach takes about 30 mins walk through the woods at Culletons Gap but once there it is worth every minute. Highly recommend this walk.
Culletons Gap beach, Curracloe and the Raven Nature Reserve and forestry.
A walkers dream anytime of the year. Walk from the Car Park through the forest and it opens on to the beach. The whole place isolated and beautiful with the distinctive skyline of the distant town giving it a feeling of place. You can walk back by the beach to the same carpark.
White Gap is part of the Curracloe beach or adjoined to it and is miles of golden sandy beaches. At White Gap, you can find the Strand shop and takeaway for your convenience.
Swim week is also held on White Gap/ Curracloe in August ask Norma for further information. Highly recommended to teach children to swim in the sea and water safety.
The village’s popularity as a tourist resort and its excellent fishing waters have ensured the development of some great tourist facilities. This old style village, formerly known as The Ford, is in the Catholic parish named Litter (Leitir, a hillside). It boasts many historical buildings, a host of award winning restaurants and pubs and ample accommodation to suit families and groups of all size. Kilmuckridge and its surrounds form a rich and exciting area to explore with a wealth of historical and natural interest. Kilmuckridge and its local beaches Morriscastle, Tinnaberna, Ballynamona, Ballyvaldon are all spectacular for sunbathing and fishing.
There are some pubs (Hammel’s, The Crosses and Sean Og’s) in Kilmuckridge which are always lively and where you will always receive a warm welcome. There are 2 large supermarkets Centra and Londis which will facilitate your weekly food shopping.
Less than a 20 minutes drive from Kilmuckridge, Courtown is a traditional seaside town now offering an array of family attractions that you won’t find anywhere else in Ireland.
Visit Courtown Adventure Leisure Centre and enjoy the leisure centre or the high octane Gravity Xtreme high ropes adventure park, try your hand at bowling, mini-golf or karting at Pirates Cove. For a more relaxed visit enjoy train rides along the sea front, forest walks or angling daytrips. Courtown offers a fantastic day of fun for all the family.
Enniscorthy is one of the longest continually inhabited sites in Ireland. In 2010 Enniscorthy celebrated its 1,500-year history, and a visit to the town provides an enlightening education on its rich history. Highlights of a trip to Enniscorthy include:
Vinegar Hill, overlooking the town of Enniscorthy, was the largest camp and headquarters of the rebels of 1798 who controlled County Wexford for thirty days against vastly superior forces, before their defeat on June 21.
The 1798 Visitor Centre is devoted to the history and aftermath of the 1798 Rising setting it in its European context.
The spectacular Saint Aidan’s Cathedral was built in 1843 and was designed by Augustus Welby Pugin, the architect famous for having designed London’s Houses of Parliament
Our county town is the ideal location for a great day out. In addition to its long history, it was founded by the Vikings in around 800AD, Wexford Town is steeped in arts, music and culture, with an arts centre, interesting shops and award winning eateries to keep the whole family entertained.
The stunning Wexford Opera House plays host to more than just opera; with comedy, music and plays running throughout the year. This includes the internationally-recognised Wexford Festival Opera, which, according to Frommer’s Travel Guide, has made Wexford Town into “one of the top three destinations in world for opera and music lovers”.
Further highlights in Wexford Town include the stunning Victorian Johnstown Castle and grounds, and the highly recommended National Heritage Centre , where you are invited to “Enter a special place, where Ireland’s heritage comes alive with sights and sounds that shaped a country and helped to shape the world”.
