Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [149]
The empty castle overlooks a small lake and is surrounded by 20 hectares of wooded gardens (car & passengers May-Sep €6; 9am-5pm). The outbuildings house the Irish Agricultural Museum ( 053-917 1247; adult/child €6/4; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 11am-5pm Sat & Sun Apr-Nov, 9am-5pm Mon-Fri Dec-Mar). It has an interesting collection of farm machinery and Irish country furniture, a horse-drawn caravan and a small Famine exhibition.
The castle is 7km southwest of Wexford town en route to Murntown.
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THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE
During a hunting trip to the Slobs in the 1950s, the Guinness Brewery’s managing director, Sir Hugh Beaver, shot at but missed a golden plover. A spirited debate ensued among his hunting party over whether it, or the red grouse, was Europe’s fastest game bird. Sir Hugh realised similar debates regularly cropped up in pubs, and that publishing definitive answers could resolve them (over pints of Guinness, of course). He was right on that score (today the Guinness Book of World Records is a record-holder itself, as the biggest-selling copyrighted book in the world), but wrong about Europe’s fastest game bird (it’s the spur-wing goose).
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Wexford Wildfowl Reserve
The Slobs may not sound inspiring (the name derives from the Irish slab, meaning ‘mud, mire or a soft-fleshed person’), but this swathe of low-lying land reclaimed from the sea certainly inspires awe among birdwatchers. Each winter, it’s home to one-third of the world’s population of Greenland white-fronted geese – some 10,000 in total. Winter is also a good time to spot the brent goose from Arctic Canada. Throughout the year you’ll see numerous species of wader and wildfowl.
The Wexford Wildfowl Reserve ( 053-912 3129; North Slob; admission free, guided tours on request; 9am-6pm mid-Apr–Sep, 10am-5pm Oct–mid-Apr), which protects the birds’ feeding grounds, has an observation tower, assorted hides and a visitor centre with detailed exhibits. From Wexford, head north for 3km on the R741 towards Dublin and take the signposted right-hand turn; the visitor centre is another 2km along the lane.
Trivia buffs may also know the Slobs and its birds as the inspiration for the Guinness Book of World Records – Click here.
Curracloe
The opening carnage of Saving Private Ryan (1997) wasn’t filmed in Normandy, but here at Curracloe’s 11km-long, Blue Flag–rated beach –one of a string of deserted beaches north of Wexford town. Many of the birds found at the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve can also be seen at Curracloe’s Raven Nature Reserve. It’s signposted 13km northeast of Wexford (from Wexford, take the R741). If you’re discreet you can pitch a tent in the sheltered dunes.
A 30-minute walk from the beach, Hotel Curracloe ( 053-913 7308; www.hotelcurracloe.com; s €40-45, d €70-80; ) is a small family-run hotel with a staid but snug interior, a restaurant, and traditional sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
Morriscastle
Some 16km north of Curracloe, Morriscastle’s beach also has a Blue Flag rating. Right beside the sand dunes, facilities at the Morriscastle Strand Holiday Park ( 053-913 0212, 087 773 7637; www.morriscastlestrand.com; campsite €20-24; Easter-Oct) include washing machines and dryers, and coveted tent sites (€8 to €11 if you’re travelling without a car). Electricity costs €4; showers are €1.
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ROSSLARE STRAND
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Surrounded by suburban-style homes, Rosslare (Ros Láir) town, 12km northwest of Rosslare Harbour, is rather soulless but opens onto a glorious Blue Flag beach. In summer, the beach is the habitat of hordes of ice cream–fuelled children. In winter, the empty sands billow at the feet of the occasional solitary walker.
The long shallow bay is perfect for windsurfing. During the summer months, gear hire and windsurfing, kayaking, sailing and surfing tuition is available at Rosslare Watersports Centre ( 053-913 2202; www.rosslareholidayresort.com). Rosslare Golf Links ( 053-913 2203; www.rosslaregolf.com; green fee weekdays/weekends €50/70) runs along the beach road,