What's the story here?

Boatstrand is a small artificial harbour situated on the northeast side of Dunabrattin Head. The small, secluded fishing harbour, set into the foot of the headland, dries out entirely to its east-facing entrance.

In settled conditions or offshore winds, it is possible to anchor off the entrance to the harbour in depths of 3 to 5 metres. Vessels that can take to the bottom may come in and dry over its sands against the harbour walls.

How to get in?

Use southeastern Ireland’s coastal overview for Rosslare Harbour to Cork Harbour for seaward approaches. Dunbrattin Head is situated 5 miles westward of Tramore Bay and nearly 10 miles eastward of Ballynacourtney Point, on the entrance to Dungarvan. There are no outlying dangers in this immediate area of the harbour and maintaining a distance of ¼ mile offshore clears all hazards.




Steer towards the small harbour's east-facing entrance from the initial fix, as there are no off-lying dangers.



Anchor according to draught and conditions outside the entrance, keeping clear of the rocky reefs flanking its sides. Vessels able to take to the hard can come alongside the pier and dry out at high water.

Why visit here?

Boatstrand, in Irish Trá na mBád, is named from its use. Back before the 1880s, local fishermen would use the protection provided by Dunabrattin Head and the little beach it created here to pull their small craft up to safety.




Dunabrattin Head takes its name from its Iron Age promontory fort, the largest along Waterford's coastline. Dún in Gaelic means fort, while the Celtic Brattin clan lived in the clifftop location around 2,000 years ago, hence the name of Dunabrattin.
The headland's entire surrounding area is rich in cultural heritage, with Neolithic dolmens, pre-Christian inscribed stones and the remains of medieval churches.




The cliffs around the harbour are part of Waterford’s Copper Coast UNESCO Geopark and hold an earlier historic interest for many. The Copper Coast is a beautifully diverse area containing records of Palaeozoic volcanos and the last ice age. The rock is mostly red sandstone or conglomerate, and it takes its name from its 18th-century lead, silver and principally copper mining. Copper mining was at its height in 1840 in the neighbouring village of Bunmahon. But once the resources were exhausted, and the miners had smelled gold in the US in 1879, entire extended families moved away, mainly to America.



You do not have to travel far to see the features of Waterford’s Copper Coast. Immediately east of the harbour is soft mudstone, laid in an Antarctic ocean some 460 million years ago. Further east lava dykes can be seen intruding into the mudstone and baking it into a harder consistency. At various places on the cliffs and on fallen rocks, patches of iron pyrite (also known as fool’s gold) glitter in the sun.




The little harbour itself was built in the late 1880s as part of a movement around the Irish coasts to provide safer harbour facilities; this was as much for locals’ convenience as for security and ease of control, customs and many other coalescing justifications. The access road was first hewn out of the craggy headland and then the pier was set in place. Bollards with the date 1884 impressed on them can still be seen today. The inner breakwater came much later and the two have provided local craft with a protective embrace ever since. On the cliffs behind the harbour is a well and the remains of a 19th-century lime kiln, and an area that was also explored for copper at that time.




The construction supervisor for the harbour was James O’Gorman, who was allowed to build a house for himself and settle on an upper part of the promontory. After completion, he started a coal importation business that continued up until the Second World War, which forcibly brought operations to an end. During the Emergency, as the war was known in Ireland, Dunabrattin Head was once again made a defence site and had a concrete lookout post added to its extremity.




Today the area consists of around 14 cottages and the harbour is a hub of activity, especially in the summer months. A small fishing fleet and leisure craft launch from its slip and piers. Dunabrattin Head is very popular with anglers as it is reportedly one of the best fishing spots in County Waterford. This is because fish such as mackerel are attracted by the warmer temperatures around the rocks at the end of the head.




It is also a popular point for sea bathing, with many swimmers using Boatstrand as the finishing point for their swim. The ebbing tide on the beach to the east reveals rock pools – miniature universes in themselves. At low tide, the ubiquitous bladder-rack dominates with its blister-like 'bladders' and its rounded regular leaves. The thin red strips of dilisk, known as dulse elsewhere in Ireland, left plastered on the rocks by the ebb of the water are washed and boiled as a local delicacy.




The Dún, as it is locally known, is a short walk from the harbour, and the Dunabrattin defensive features are still very much in evidence. A fosse and embankment across the headland formed the fort, which covered an area of around 6 hectares. From here, at the outer end of Dunabrattin Head, there is a fine coastal panorama east towards Tramore and west to Dungarvan Bay and Helvick Head. Silhouetted behind are the great blocks of the Comeragh Mountains. Those who stride out along the clifftops will find debris from glaciers deposited a mere 12,000 years ago. Good views of sea-arches and sea-stacks are presented along the cliff tops as one proceeds west from Boatstrand.




The Copper Coast Geo Park Visitor Centre is housed in an old church near the beach in Bunmahon. You pass the haunting remains of the copper industry at Tankardstown along the way. In the opposite direction, close east of the harbour, is the very popular Annestown beach, with a shallow, gradually shelving strand. It is a popular destination for surfers when there is a large swell up.

From a boating perspective, Boatstrand is an exposed location save for those that can dry in the harbour during a settled period. However, it makes for a wonderful stop and coastal walk for those passing along the coast.

What facilities are available?

There is nothing here except for a landing pier and its slipway.

Any security concerns?

A yacht is most likely to be completely alone and away from any interference anchored off this pier.

With thanks to:

eOceanic.com research.