Kilmore Quay And The Saltee Islands Overview

Twenty kilometers southwest of Rosslare Harbour on Forlorn Point, whitewashed seaside cottages line the main road of Kilmore Quay. The small fishing village (pop. 400) isn’t even large enough to have a bank, but its harbor—shared by fishermen, seals, and visitors venturing to and around the uninhabited Saltee Islands—is quite active. The quiet village, with few sounds beside the whispering wind and the crashing waves, is the perfect setting for a lovely and relaxing afternoon.

Orientation And Practical Information. To reach Kilmore Quay from Rosslare Harbour, take the Wexford road to Tagoat and turn left; from Wexford, take the Rosslare road, turn right on R739 near Piercetown, and continue for 6.5km. Viking Buses (☎21053) runs from Wexford to Kilmore Quay—look for “Shuttle Bus” signs in Redmond Sq. and Kilmore Quay roundabout. (30min. Departs Wexford M-Tu and Th-F 7:30, 10am, 1:30, 5:45pm; W and Sa 7:30am, 1:30, 5:45pm. Departs Kilmore Quay M-Sa 8:10, 10:30am, 2:15, 6:30pm; return €8.) Bus Éireann runs between Wexford and Kilmore Quay (30min.; departs Wexford W 10am and 3:30pm, Sa 11am and 4:20pm; departs Kilmore Quay W 10:35am and 4:10pm, Sa 11:35am and 5pm; €4). In town, two streets diverge from the harbor: Wexford road and back road. A small beach lies to the left of the harbor, and the 11km Ballyteige Beach to the right of the harbor. Tourist information is available at Stella Maris Community Centre on Wexford road, which also has individual public and private showers (€3 per hr.) and Internet access for €4 per hr. (☎29922. Open M-F 9am-5pm, Sa 9am-12:30pm, Su 9am-1pm. Showers open June-Sept. daily 5-8pm.) There are no banks or ATMs in town but you can use a bank card to withdraw money at the post office, which is on the Wexford road, just beyond the church. (☎29641. Open M-F 9am-12:30pm and 1:30-5:30pm.)

Accommodations. May Bates’s Harbour Lights B&B 3, New Ross Rd., has a good view of the Saltee Islands, free parking, and insider advice on the restaurants in town. It’s in the middle of town across from the Silver Fox restaurant. (☎29881. Singles €45; doubles €70. MC/V.) The Quay House 4, just beyond the post office on the Wexford road, is more like a hotel than a B&B. The breakfast options are colorfully displayed on a chalkboard. (☎29988. Doubles €90. MC/V.)

Food And Pubs. The closest thing to a grocery store in town is Cullens, by the roundabout. (☎48971. Open daily 8am-9pm.) Reel in the best meal around at the  Silver Fox 4, across from the Maritime Museum. The fresh seafood is served up just down the street from the harbor. (☎29888. Call ahead. Entrees €15-30; vegetarian entrees €14-15. 3-course early-bird menu €25, 5-7pm. Open June-Sept. daily 12:30-9:30pm, Oct.-May M-Sa 5-9:30pm, Su 12:30-9:30pm. MC/V.) Bird Rock 2, a coffee shop housed in the Stella Maris Community Centre (see above), is the place for affordable food. It serves huge dishes (€4-6), including breakfast all day. (☎29922. Open Tu-F 9am-2pm, Sa 9:30am-12:30pm, Su 9am-noon. Cash only.) James Kehoe’s Pub 3, on the Wexford road directly across from St. Peter’s Church, is an eatery, watering hole, and museum all in one with a steering wheel, menu from the Lusitania, and binnacle on display. Try the superb seafood chowder (€6) and check out the handy pamphlets (€4, but free to look) on Kilmore Quay lore. (☎29830. Entrees €15-18, sandwiches €4.25-7. Sa live trad. Kitchen open noon-10pm. MC/V.) There’s a bit more variety than a typical pub usually offers at The Wooden House 3, with greek salad and stuffed baked potatoes in addition to typical roasts. (☎48879. Sandwiches €8-9, entrees €12-19. Kitchen open noon-8pm. F-Su live music. MC/V.)

Sights And Festivals. Kilmore Quay runs daily boat trips to the Saltee Islands, formerly a pagan pilgrimage site and now Ireland’s largest bird sanctuary. The winged population numbers nearly 50,000 and sings loudly on the rocks and in every crevice of the cliff banks. There’s little more than salt and feathers on this refuge for puffins, razorbills, and gray seals, but it’s an ideal place for a long picnic. Prominent granite monuments and a throne in the middle of one of the islands are reminders that the Saltees belonged to the late self-proclaimed Prince Michael Neale. For more royal family history, check www.salteeislands.info. A narrow ridge of rock is thought to have connected the smaller island to the mainland in ancient times. This land bridge, called St. Patrick’s Causeway, was used for driving cattle to pasture on the islands. The beginning of the Causeway is visible from town at low tide. To get there, take the road to Kilmore town and turn right at the signpost, roughly 1.6km from town, or scramble over rocks on the beach, turn left, and walk 20min. from the harbor. Boats leave the mainland each morning, weather permitting. Declan Bates offers a 1hr. cruise around the islands. (☎29684. €18, children €9. Phone for sailing times.) Eamonn Hayes brings visitors aboard for deep-sea angling, reef-fishing, and scenic trips around the islands. Call ahead to arrange a time or to rent equipment. (☎29723 or 087 213 5308; www.kilmoreangling.com. Full-day boat rental €360; evening rental 4:30-8pm €285. Rods €10.)

The village floats its Maritime Museum in the lightship Guillemot, once anchored near the harbor and now cemented into it. Climb into the hold and view Irish naval artifacts and marine accessories, then read the tragic stories of local shipwrecks, recorded on somewhat decrepit and waterlogged posterboards. Unfortunately, the museum is closed for renovations until mid-summer 2008. (☎29655. Open June-Aug. daily noon-6pm. €4; students/children/seniors €2.) Through town and just around the corner, the Millennium Memorial Hiking Trail winds a short route to Forlorn Point, adjacent to the main jetty. Handouts detailing flora, fauna, and history of this walk and two others in the area are available at the Stella Maris Centre. A giant whalebone that washed ashore in 2000 and a stone ship overlooking the majestic ocean pay tribute to local sailors lost at sea in the Memorial Park. The Kilmore Seafood Festival hauls in seafood, music, and games for four raucous days in July. Call the Stella Maris Centre (☎29922) for information.