Rosslare Harbour
| Rosslare Harbour Irish: Cuan Ros Láir | |
| County Wexford | |
|---|---|
 Roslare Europort | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | T136124 |
| Location: | 52°15’5"N, 6°20’29"W |
| Data | |
| Local Government | |
Rosslare Harbour is a major port in the very south-east of Ireland, in County Wexford. The village grew up to serve the needs of the harbour of the same name (now called Rosslare Europort), first developed in 1906 by the Great Western Railway and the Great Southern and Western Railway to accommodate steam ferry traffic between Great Britain and Ireland. This port today also serves trade with France and the traffic is mainly roll-on roll-off ferries.
The harbour is located close to the previously existing settlement of Ballygeary, in the townland of Ballygillane Big, but Rosslare Harbour was named after the village of Rosslare, now known as 'Rosslare Strand', some two and a half miles away (or five miles by road) along the coast. The name of the latter is from the Irish Ros Láir, meaning 'Middle Peninsula'.
This is not the biggest port in the Republic of Ireland; as a commercial port, Dublin dominates, though there are plans to expand the harbour and its facilities to offer an alternative to Dublin Port and ease trade with Europe without the need to go through Britain.
The village
The village has a number of guesthouses, hotels, a Roman Catholic church, a bank and some shops. Just south of the harbour is a small strand leading to Greenore Point, where grey seals are usually to be seen.
The harbour has an RNLI lifeboat station.[1]
Railways and ferries
Rosslare Harbour railway station opened on 30 August 1906.[2] This allowed the creation of port facilities and the opening of a ferry route to Pembrokeshire. Today most of the saliing from the port are to Pembroke Dock and Fishguard.
Railway services provided by Irish Rail on the Dublin-Rosslare railway line from Rosslare Europort railway station to major places such as Wexford, Enniscorthy, Arklow, Wicklow, Greystones, Bray to Dublin Connolly.
See also
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Rosslare Harbour) |
References
- ↑ "Rosslare Harbour Lifeboat – RNLI Rosslare, Rosslare Harbour, Co.Wexford, Ireland". http://www.rosslareharbourlifeboat.com/.
- ↑ "Rosslare Harbour". Railscot – Irish Railways. http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf. Retrieved 7 September 2007.