Welcome
Welcome to our unspoilt scenic historic peninsula. Southwest Wexford is "the secret Ireland" unspoilt and waiting to be discovered. Distinctly different from the rest of the Country, it posses a landscape, history, culture and character of its own. It's uniqueness is due in no small part to some of the early visitors from across the seas.The celts, Vikings and Norman who came, conquered and like the place so much that they stayed.
The Hook Peninsula in Southwest Wexford is an area of Ireland that cannot be equalled because where else would you get such a wealth of fascinating places to visit, such as Tintern Abbey (sister abbey of the Tintern Abbey of the Wye Valley in Wales, the Norman landing and fortifications dating to 1170. The Hook Lighthouse at Hook Head, the oldest intact operational lighthouse in the world recently awarded the worlds 'flashiest lighthouse' by Lonely Planet. The Knights Templar church and castle. Duncannon Fort where both King James and King Billy left after the Battle of the Boyne.
Tintern Abbey, located near the village of Saltmills is a national monument which is managed by the OPW and is set on one hundred acres of broadleaf forest owned by Coillte. The Abbey has a fascinating history, both as a Cistercian monastery for 340 years until its dissolution by King Henry VIII in 1543 and later as the residence of the Colclough family for the following 380 years, all of which is well told in the visitor centre, open during the summer season. Hook Tourism has built on its work with Coillte in developing Tintern trails, a series of walks around the area, and has now began to restore the early 19th century ColClough walled garden, located 300 metres southwest of the Abbey, to its former glory. This 2.5 acre walled garden will be reinstated as it was shown in the OSI, 6" historical map dating from 1838 and will operate as an organic fruit and vegetable garden and will be open to the public.
We have designed this website to make your visit to the Hook area as uncomplicated as possible. Within this site you will find information on everything from Accommodation and Events to Pubs and Restaurants in The Hook Peninsula. On the Hook you can find a beach a day for a fortnight! And we're not joking - If you’re looking for canoeing, windsurfing, snorkeling, scuba-diving, fishing, swimming or just relaxing in the sun, there is always a sheltered cove just waiting for you.
Of course, it goes without saying that the coastline is one of the special attractions of this area. Pretty fishing villages, bird watching on the mudflats of Bannow Estuary, deep-sea angling, snorkeling and swimming –they are as much a part of the area’s marine life as the fish that swim in the sea! Similarly, the rivers, valleys, estuaries and rolling hills, which have for so long provided South West Wexford with rich grazing land, are also the ideal playgrounds for a relaxing summer break.
But best of all are the people of the Hook Peninsula. Warm, friendly, funny, interesting and philosophical, they always have time for a chat or to tell stories about days gone by, and these people, together with the local history, the coast and the countryside, make up all the ingredients needed for a great holiday in wonderful Southwest Wexford.
