Wexford Harbour

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (November 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Wexford Harbour, Loch Garman, County Wexford, Ireland is the natural harbour at the mouth of the River Slaney. The estuary originally was about ten miles wide at its widest point, with large mud flats on both sides. These were known as the North Slob and the South Slob from the Irish word slab, meaning mud. The Vikings, when they founded the city of Wexford, named it Waes Fjord, meaning 'inlet of the mudflats', and the modern name has evolved from this.

In the 19th century, dykes were built and pumping systems installed to drain the slobs, producing fine agricultural land below sea level in polders similar to those in the Netherlands. The size of the harbour was reduced considerably. What is left is mostly shallow and suffers from serious silt problems. The tides and currents of the river frequently shift mud and sand in the harbour. Islands of sand can appear and then disappear over the course of a few weeks, particularly at the mouth of the harbour. As a result, the harbour is not suitable for large ships and is used mainly by mussel dredgers and pleasure craft.

Boating visitors who wish to enter the harbour may view sailing advice and a chartlet of the harbour which was prepared for members of the local boat club. In summary, entry for strangers is not straightforward. It is best within two hours either side of high water and safest for boats drawing less than 1.5 metres. In strong winds between SE and NE direction, the sea breaks on the bar. Entry is then hazardous and should not be attempted.