What's the story here?

Rosslare Europort, formerly and more commonly known as Rosslare Harbour, is situated on the southeast corner of County Wexford about six miles north of Carnsore Point on the south shore of Rosslare Bay. It is an artificial harbour with four ship berths and a northwest-facing entrance that is protected from the east by a substantial breakwater with a pierhead light standing on its seaward end. It is the second most strategically important seaport in the State after Dublin and the Irish terminus for UK vehicle and passenger ferries from Fishguard and Pembroke, plus the continental ferries from Le Havre, Cherbourg and Roscoff. It is also the second-busiest port in terms of ship visits and gross tonnage and handles more unitised freight than any other Irish seaport except Dublin.




This makes it a very busy port with constant and sometimes fast-moving commercial ship movements. The focus is singularly on commercial shipping and it has no specific facilities for leisure craft. Being a major port it is also subject to the 'International Ship and Port Facility Code' which may restrict or prohibit access to the harbour area.




That said, the Harbour Master will wherever possible try to accommodate a yacht on Fisherman’s Quay on the harbours southwest side. The least depth in the harbour area as a whole is 5 metres. It is essential that Rosslare Harbour is contacted well in advance on Ch.12 [Rosslare Harbour], +353 (0) 53 91 33249, to make berthing arrangements. It is also worth considering that a more convenient berth with the jetty to land is to anchor just outside the Small Boat Harbour a ⅓ of a mile westward of Rosslare Europort, see Rosslare Bay .




It should also be remembered that the harbour is entirely open to the northeast right around to the northwest although big seaways are somewhat broken by the off-lying banks. However, the downwind havens of Carne , just 2.1 miles almost directly southward, provides a well-protected anchorage during strong northwesterly winds and Kilmore Quay , 6½ miles west by southwest, albeit via a longer dogleg passage around Carnsore Point, provides shelter from the northeast.

How to get in?

Ireland’s coastal overviews for Dublin Bay to Rosslare Harbour and Rosslare Harbour to Cork Harbour converge here. Use as appropriate for seaward approaches.

The extensive shoal that contains Holden’s Bed and the Long Bank prevent vessels approaching the harbour directly from the Irish Sea. It is instead entered around these shoals by the South Shear Channel or North Shear Channel. The principal approach is via the South Shear Channel that passes south of the Holden’s Bed and the Long Bank. The North Shear Channel passes north of these and then to the west, between the banks and the mainland.




From the initial fix, close to 'The South Long' buoy that marks the entrance into the South Shear Channel, the main shipping channel buoys and sectored leading light may be followed into the port. Simply steering a course for the light structure on the head of Rosslare Harbour’s breakwater, with a directional light Oc WRG.5s15m13/10M, on 283° T, will leading through North Shear Channel into the harbour. The North Shear Channel has plenty of water all the way with depths in excess of 11 metres to within 1.8 miles of the breakwater.

By night the pierhead's directional light, Oc. WRG.5s15m13/10M, and its white sector 283°-286° leads through the entrance of the channel. The channel has a controlling depth of 6.7 metres at the entrance decreasing to 3.9 to 4.5 metres off the head of the breakwater.


The channel is used by large commercial traffic and it is essential that a watch is maintained for large commercial shipping in the South Shear Channel. Do not under any circumstance impede shipping movements as vessels will be restrained by draft in the channels and have limited capability to alter course. It is recommended that Rosslare Harbour is contacted on channel 12 so they are aware and can provide advice on the planned channel transit. Throughout the approach, a continuous listening watch should be maintained on VHF channel 12.




Due to the frequency of ship movements in the channel, it is courteous to stay outside of the marked channel and run close parallel to it to avoid the commercial operations. The south side of the channel has more rocks and stronger currents; most notably the Carrack Rocks extending from Greenore Point to the southeast of the harbour. It is essential to entirely avoid the entire area from Greenore Point out to the Splaugh red port buoy, Fl.R.6s, as it is foul and subject to very strong currents that could lead to difficulties. The north side, by contrast, has no obstructions, lighter currents and has plenty of deep water. This is the best approach for leisure craft to take.




On the approach, Rosslare Bay’s broad arc of shoreline will be seen to be moderately high clay cliffs out to about two miles northwest of Rosslare Europort. It then gradually descends down to a strip of low sandhills that make up the east side of Wexford Harbour. The harbours substantial breakwater with its 5-metre high red steel tower standing on its seaward end will be conspicuous. On the cliff above the harbour, a large flat-roofed hotel building will be seen plus a water tower standing about half a mile southeast of the harbour.

Having approached Rosslare Europort either through South Shear or through North Shear (as covered in the Dublin Bay to Rosslare Harbour coastal description, the head of the breakwater should be rounded at a good distance. The tides around Rosslare Harbour can be very strong and are at their strongest at LWS where they may attain speeds of 4 knots.





Once around the pierhead continue past the middle New Ferry Pier to Fisherman’s Quay, the inner or westernmost quay, where leisure craft are typically accommodated and where the least depth in the harbour area is 5 metres.




Berth as directed by the Harbour Master and be prepared to move at short notice to accommodate commercial shipping. There are no anchor berths within the harbour area and no anchoring is permitted on the line of Rosslare Harbour breakwater out to a distance of half a mile to the northwest as it interferes with commercial traffic.

Why visit here?

Rosslare derives its name from Irish Ros Láir meaning "the middle peninsula". Although the harbour itself is located close to the previously existing settlement of Ballygeary, it was named after the village of Rosslare, some 3 nm along the coast. Now Rosslare Europort, in Irish Calafort Ros Láir, it is a modern seaport and the surrounding town grew up to serve the needs of the harbour.




The first port was constructed in 1882, in what was formerly called Rosslare Harbour, and further extended in 1902 by the Great Western Railway and the Great Southern and Western Railway to accommodate steam ferry traffic between Great Britain and Ireland. Rosslare Harbour railway station opened on 30 August 1906. The harbour was further remodelled in 1962 to cater for motor car traffic. Prior to this the method of unloading was the archaic cargo lifting approach of the time. Transported cars were lifted off by a crane onto a flat truck where it was then taken off on a ramp at Ballygeary. Development work continued to the late 1990s when the northwest part of the port was constructed largely on reclaimed land. This extension and modernisation of facilities is an ongoing process to encourage the increase in cars and trucks carried on the ferries where, despite a drop in foot passengers, the port has been highly successful.




Today the busy RoRo cargo port is the second most strategically important seaport in the State after Dublin. Its passenger throughput is approaching a million annually and it is the second-busiest port in terms of ship visits and gross tonnage, and it also handles more unitised freight than any other Irish seaport except Dublin. Passenger ferries operate to and from Fishguard (via Stena Line) and Pembroke Dock (via Irish Ferries) in Wales, and to Cherbourg, Roscoff and St. Nazaire in France.




Through all this development the harbour has retained its rail heritage. The port to this day is still operated by Iarnród Éireann, Ireland's national railway operator. Iarnród Éireann operates a train service from the heart of the port, located a few minute’s walk from the pier and Terminal Building, that travels north through all the stations along the east coast to Dublin Connolly railway station.

From a boating point of view, the port is accommodating but is in no way equipped to receive leisure vessels. Moreover, the level of port activity makes it anything but a restful leisure vessel destination. It does make for an ideal location to drop in to await a tide or change of wind whilst on transit and is a good sanctuary in a southwest gale with port and small-town facilities easily at hand. Likewise, the excellent supermarket at the top of the hill, plus the pubs and restaurants make it a very good provisioning point or stop-by location.

Rosslare is also a designated a port of entry that may be used for clearing in purposed by vessels arriving entering territorial waters of the Republic of Ireland from outside of the EU & UK territories. The excellent national and international transport connections make it an ideal point to collect or set down crew.

What facilities are available?

Rosslare Harbour is a small town with all normal facilities, supermarket, bank, post office and petrol station, which are all within fifteen minutes walk from the Fisherman’s Quay, albeit up a hill. You can catch a train from the Harbour direct to Dublin, or Ferries to UK or France and there are car hire and additional services available in the port area.

The port is an ISPS (International Ship Port Facility Code) compliant and this may require arrangement with the port authority.

Any security concerns?

The port is an ISPS (International Ship Port Facility Code) compliant and the area where the vessel will be alongside will be closed off to the public.

With thanks to:

Phil Murphy, Kilmore Quay Harbour Master.