A WEEK IN WEXFORD

Each time I find myself trying to get into an autumnal mindset this glorious weather we’ve been having has thrown me off – sitting in my garden in shorts and a t-shirt today it’s been difficult to remember that we’re in late September. I therefore hope you’ll be on board with my very late sharing of some lovely bits from our trip in to Wexford in late August – we wouldn’t have gone abroad were it not for the opportunity to finally be see my parents after a year and a half, but once we were fully vaccinated and the quarantine restrictions were relaxed it seemed like the time was right. Even if it hadn’t been a trip that was so emotionally needed, it still would have gone down as a favourite – from wine and scrabble during sunset (nothing if not rock and roll here on Stripy Tapir) to evening swims in the sea, the whole thing felt like a big lungful of fresh air. Here’s what we got up to and the places we went, in case you ever find yourself in that neck of the woods and in need of recommendations.

CURRACLOE BEACH

First things first- Wexford is famous for its sun (or as sunny as Ireland gets anyway) and it’s beaches, and Curracloe is chief among them. It’s a long stretch of beautiful golden sand with a nature reserve at the end, and loads of space to find yourself somewhere quiet to set up camp. We headed down on most evenings for a quick dip in the sea- by 6pm the beach was much quieter, and we’d bob around for 15 minutes or so while watching golden hour wash over the dunes. This was the year I finally bit the bullet and bought some proper cold water neoprene leggings for swimming- I can confirm that they very much gave me a bravery boost, but even with them the sea was so cold it took your breath away, and I mean that in the best way possible. By the end of the trip we had our swims down to a fine art – running straight in and bringing fluffy white bath robes to change into and have a post-dip cup of coffee on a fold out chair. It say this a lot on here, but it was heaven I tell you, heaven.

An honourable mention here also to walks along the Wexford estuary – replete with the sound of bubbling curlews and the trill of oystercatchers. Glorious for an early morning walk among the sea aster and samphire.

CARRIGFOYLE QUARRY

Carrigfoyle quarry was such a surprise – a very non-Wexfordian landscape in the most unassuming of places. Disused since the 60s (or 80s? Guess who didn’t take a photo of the information board), the bottom of the quarry has since flooded with water, and the craggy landscape has been colonised with conifers from seeds blown in from nearby plantations. The combination of the reddish rock and pines feels very US-like and not at all like Ireland. There’s a short trail that gives you a bird’s eye view before taking you down to the lakeside, which is the perfect place to enjoy a coffee you can get from the van at the trailhead. The place even has red squirrels- we didn’t see any on our visit, but I’m very glad to now have an excuse to go back.

EDEN VALE

We cycled over to Eden Vale (roughly 20 minutes from town, though you really want an eBike if you’re going to attempt it as it has some pretty killer hills) armed with only a rough idea of it being a nice-ish walk with a waterfall. And for the first 15 minutes or so it certainly is nice enough- a native woodland that hasn’t been totally laid waste to by rhododendron with a stream running beneath. And then you get to the waterfall bit, and you’re suddenly in a storybook, complete with old watermills and bubbling streams and ivy covered bridges, furry with moss. The lack of other people and muddy tracks over the bridge made it feel like we’d fallen through time; it was just so peaceful and tucked away. We managed to see it on a particularly sunny day, and stopped to have a picnic under one of the oak trees, but I can imagine its just as gorgeous at other times of year (and must be particularly swoon-worthy in Autumn).

IRISH NATIONAL HERITAGE PARK

The most touristy thing on here, but I’ve been to the national heritage park twice now and absolutely loved it. The park itself is massive, with recreations of buildings from pre-history through to the viking invasion. But the reason that you must go from a botanical perspective (always something to consider, obviously) is the thatched roofs, because the plant communities growing on them are *chef’s kiss*. I’ve never seen such amazing swathes of moss and cladonia- they look their best in the rain, too, so something to console yourself with if the Irish weather decides to be the Irish weather. If lichens are too niche for you, however, they also have a falconry centre with some rather beautiful birds.

And there we have it! Hopefully this helps if you ever get the opportunity to come to this lovely little corner of the world. We felt like very lucky eggs indeed to be able to be abroad after such a tumultuous time (which I’m very much aware is not ‘over’), and I feel like we soaked up every curlew call, sandy footstep and teaspoon of Ballymaloe relish (nectar of the gods). Here’s hoping we can get back again soon.