Rosslare Europort is a modern seaport located at
Rosslare HarbourThe village of Rosslare Harbour grew up to serve the needs of the harbour of the same name , first developed in 1906 by the Great Western Railway and the Great Southern and Western Railway to accommodate steamferry traffic between Great Britain and Ireland...
in
County WexfordCounty Wexford is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Leinster. It was named after the town of Wexford . In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnsealaig, whose capital was at Ferns...
,
IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
, at the southeastern-most point of
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
's coastline, handling passenger and freight
ferriesA ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
to and from
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
and
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
.
The port, formerly called
Rosslare HarbourThe village of Rosslare Harbour grew up to serve the needs of the harbour of the same name , first developed in 1906 by the Great Western Railway and the Great Southern and Western Railway to accommodate steamferry traffic between Great Britain and Ireland...
, is operated by
Iarnród ÉireannIarnród Éireann is the national railway system operator of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann . It operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, the...
,
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
's national railway operator, which provides direct services to Limerick and
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
from
Rosslare Europort railway stationRosslare Europort railway station is a railway station serving Rosslare Europort in County Wexford, Ireland. There is only one platform. The station is owned and operated by Iarnród Éireann and is served primarily by the mainline from Dublin Connolly station, although there is also a single daily...
— see
rail transport in IrelandRail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.The gauge is Irish gauge.Most routes in the Republic radiate from Dublin...
.
The harbour currently has four
berthThe term berth is used to describe or a location in a port or harbour used specifically for mooring vessels while not at sea .-Locations in a Port:Berth is the term used in ports and harbors to define a specific location where a vessel may be...
s .
Rosslare Europort is a modern seaport located at
Rosslare HarbourThe village of Rosslare Harbour grew up to serve the needs of the harbour of the same name , first developed in 1906 by the Great Western Railway and the Great Southern and Western Railway to accommodate steamferry traffic between Great Britain and Ireland...
in
County WexfordCounty Wexford is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Leinster. It was named after the town of Wexford . In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnsealaig, whose capital was at Ferns...
,
IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
, at the southeastern-most point of
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
's coastline, handling passenger and freight
ferriesA ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
to and from
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
and
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
.
The port, formerly called
Rosslare HarbourThe village of Rosslare Harbour grew up to serve the needs of the harbour of the same name , first developed in 1906 by the Great Western Railway and the Great Southern and Western Railway to accommodate steamferry traffic between Great Britain and Ireland...
, is operated by
Iarnród ÉireannIarnród Éireann is the national railway system operator of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann . It operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, the...
,
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
's national railway operator, which provides direct services to Limerick and
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
from
Rosslare Europort railway stationRosslare Europort railway station is a railway station serving Rosslare Europort in County Wexford, Ireland. There is only one platform. The station is owned and operated by Iarnród Éireann and is served primarily by the mainline from Dublin Connolly station, although there is also a single daily...
— see
rail transport in IrelandRail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.The gauge is Irish gauge.Most routes in the Republic radiate from Dublin...
.
Details
The harbour currently has four
berthThe term berth is used to describe or a location in a port or harbour used specifically for mooring vessels while not at sea .-Locations in a Port:Berth is the term used in ports and harbors to define a specific location where a vessel may be...
s . Passenger ferries operate to and from
FishguardFishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census. A regular ferry leaves for Rosslare in Ireland from the port of Fishguard Harbour...
and
Pembroke DockPembroke Dock is a town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, lying north of Pembroke on the River Cleddau. It is the third largest town in Pembrokeshire.- History :...
in
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
as well as Cherbourg and
RoscoffRoscoff is a commune in the Finistère department in Bretagne in north-western France.The nearby Île-de-Batz, called Enez Vaz in Breton, is a small island that can be reached by launch from the harbour....
in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
. Freight services operate to and from
Le HavreLe Havre is a city in north-western France situated on the right bank of the mouth of the Seine River as it flows into the Bay of the Seine in the English Channel. It is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region. The inhabitants of the city are called Havrais or...
in France. (From the 19 September this service is being re-routed to Cherbourg)
An all weather lifeboat of the RNLI is on station in the port, and the
Irish Coast GuardThe Irish Coast Guard is part of the Department of Transport. The Irish Search and Rescue Region, which includes most of the Republic of Ireland and parts of Northern Ireland is the area over which the coast guard has authority...
helicopter at
Waterford AirportWaterford Airport , also known as the South East Regional Airport, is located south-east of Waterford, and near Wexford serving the south-east coast of Ireland.- History and development :...
provides
air-sea rescueAir-sea rescue is the coordinated search and rescue of the survivors of emergency water landings as well as people who have survived the loss of their sea-going vessel. ASR can involve a wide variety of resources including seaplanes, helicopters, submarines, rescue boats and ships...
cover , .
An automatic
weather stationA weather station is a facility with instruments and equipment for observing atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and...
is maintained adjacent to the port by
Met ÉireannMet Éireann is the national meteorological service in Ireland, part of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.-History:...
The port was recently used as a trans-shipment port for components of the wind turbines intended for erection at the Arklow Bank
windfarmWindFarm is wind energy software used to analyse, design, optimise and visualise wind farms. It calculates and optimises the energy yield subject to natural, planning and engineering constraints. WindFarm has the wind modelling software MS-Micro integrated. MS-Micro is based on the same...
.
The port also receives ships importing new cars into the country. The importer depots can be seen in
Rosslare HarbourThe village of Rosslare Harbour grew up to serve the needs of the harbour of the same name , first developed in 1906 by the Great Western Railway and the Great Southern and Western Railway to accommodate steamferry traffic between Great Britain and Ireland...
Village.
The port area is largely built on reclaimed land. Reclamation work continued right through to the late 1990s, when the northwest part of the port was constructed using a dragline. Modernisation of facilities has continued to reflect the drop in foot passengers and the increase in cars carried on the ferries.
Facilities in the terminal building include a bar and restaurant, car hire, a shop, and the ferry company desks. A railway platform occupies part of the building and bus services to
WexfordWexford is the county town of County Wexford in Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern tip of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to the capital Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route , and the national rail network...
,
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
,
CorkCork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster...
and
LimerickLimerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland,
[Information based on Central Statistics Office figures from 2006, which is the most recent census information available.] and the principal city in County Limerick...
leave from just outside.
The port suffers at all times of the year by being extremely exposed to the eastern Atlantic weather. This often causes delays to ferries operating from the port, especially those of the fast-craft type.
The forbidding of the sale of Duty free goods inside the EU has harmed the port of Rosslare immensely. During the last years of the availability of Duty Free drink and cigarettes on board the ferries, Day Trips to
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
were popular with many. People were able to enjoy the novelty of a short cruise while stocking up on large amounts of cheap alcohol and cigarettes for use at home. The end of Duty Free and ever-decreasing
airlineAn airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit.Airlines vary...
fares to the UK has seen the decline of foot passenger trade to Rosslare. Excursions to
Oakwood Theme ParkOakwood Theme Park is a theme park in Pembrokeshire, Wales which attracts 400,000 visitors each year....
still attract foot passengers during the summer.
Freight is extremely important to Rosslare Europort. Each year a vast amount of goods pass through Rosslare inbound from the UK and the Continent, only to be replaced on the outbound ferries by exports for other countries. Most of the freight travels in 12m (40ft) trailers.
See also
- Rosslare Harbour
The village of Rosslare Harbour grew up to serve the needs of the harbour of the same name , first developed in 1906 by the Great Western Railway and the Great Southern and Western Railway to accommodate steamferry traffic between Great Britain and Ireland...
External links