Arthurstown: Pier, Castle and Trail

Arthurstown is a small village between Duncannon and Ballyhack. Local landmarks include Mersheen Pier, Ballyhack Castle and the Arthurstown-Dunbrody Trail. These highlights include a pier designed in 1829, a five-storey tower house and a route with woodland and harbour views. The village also has a pub and a petrol station. As local services can change, check these details before your trip if needed.

Mersheen Pier and its design

Mersheen Pier in Arthurstown has a bent, L-shaped plan. Its masonry walls are battered and made of Old Red Sandstone. The coping is marked with patchy lichen growth; the dressed Old Red Sandstone bollards are also covered in lichen. The design can be considered from its overall shape down to its material details: the bend defines the plan, while the walls, coping and bollards identify different elements of the structure.

Ballyhack Castle: tower house and chapel

Ballyhack Castle in Arthurstown is a five-storey tower house. Its walls survive intact up to the battlement. A small chapel with a piscina, aumbry and altar is on the second floor. Replicas of armour relating to the Crusades and the Normans are also on display in the castle. The site is closed until 2027. If you are planning a visit after that, check the latest visitor information beforehand.

Woodland and views on the Arthurstown-Dunbrody Trail

The Arthurstown-Dunbrody Trail offers views along the route as far as Hook Head and Creaden Head. Kings Bay Harbour can be seen after climbing the steps and along the ramp. The trail also passes through the natural woodland in Baywater Glen. The landmarks along the trail are easy to distinguish: Hook Head and Creaden Head are named viewpoints, Kings Bay Harbour is reached via the steps and ramp, and Baywater Glen marks the woodland section. This makes it possible to identify the route by its specific landscapes.

Cookery courses in Mersheen

The Dunbrody Country House Hotel in Mersheen, Arthurstown, has a cookery school offering one-, two- or five-day courses. Dates and availability may vary; check the current course dates if you would like to include the cookery school in your travel plans. The three course lengths give you a specific timeframe to consider when planning.

Dunbrody House in Mersheen, Arthurstown, County Wexford, is set within 300 acres of parkland.

More things to discover in County Wexford

County Wexford also offers cultural and natural attractions of its own. The Irish National Heritage Park is a 35-acre open-air museum with 16 reconstructed sites. It offers activities, reconstructions, workshops and courses for visitors of all ages. Guided tours at Hook Lighthouse tell 800 years of lighthouse history; the lighthouse stands at the tip of the Hook Peninsula in County Wexford. Tintern Cistercian Abbey was founded around 1200 by William, Earl Marshal. It lies in a designated nature conservation area and is surrounded by woodland with walking trails.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Blackwater, Ballymurn, Duncannon, Castlebridge, Inch, Ballygillane Little, Kilmore Quay, Bridgetown

For the broader travel overview: County Wexford.