Wexford Harbour

Wexford Harbour

Features

Wexford Harbour is the natural harbour at the mouth of the River Slaney.

Wexford Harbour is the lowermost part of the estuary of the River Slaney, a major river that drains much of the south-east region of Ireland. The site is divided between the natural estuarine habitats of Wexford Harbour, the reclaimed areas known as the North and South ‘Slobs’, and the tidal section of the River Slaney. The sea boundary extends from the Rosslare peninsula in the south to the area just west of The Raven Point in the north.

When Vikings arrived from Norway in 819 AD and founded the city of Wexford, they called it Waes Fjord which means ‘inlet of the mudflats’. The modern name, Wexford, has evolved from this.

Wexford Harbour and Slobs is one of the most important ornithological sites in the country supporting internationally important populations of Greenland Whitefronted Goose, Light-bellied Brent Goose, Black-tailed Godwit and Bar-tailed Godwit.

More Info

For more information, including navigation guides, see the county council’s website for the harbour here.

Located in Wexford town.

Photographer: Al Butler