Wexford Harbour
Encyclopedia
Wexford Harbour in 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 polder
s 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.
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
is the natural harbour at the mouth of the River Slaney
River Slaney
The Slaney is a river in the southeast of Ireland. It rises on Lugnaquilla Mountain in the western Wicklow Mountains and flows west and then south through counties Wicklow, Carlow and Wexford, before entering St George's Channel in the Irish Sea at Wexford town...
. 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
North Slob
The North Slob, also known as the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, is an area of mud-flats at the estuary of the River Slaney at Wexford Harbour, Ireland. The North Slob is an area of 1,000 hectares that was reclaimed in the mid-19th century by the building of a sea wall...
and the South Slob from the Irish word slab, meaning mud. The Vikings, when they founded the city of Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
, 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 polder
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
s similar to those in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The size of the harbour was reduced considerably. What is left is mostly shallow and suffers from serious silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
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.