There is a song by the folk rock band The Waterboys called ‘This is the Sea’. It concerns the changes in life, using the sea as a metaphor: Once you were tethered, Now you are free, That was the river, This is the sea. For some reason I had those…

The prolific Dutch photographer and journalist Willem van de Poll (1895-1970) visited Rosslare on at least two occasions in 1930 and 1932. During this period and leading up to the Second World War, he established his international reputation as…

The collection has examples of the work of several local model makers Their remarkable skill and artistry is easily understood by visitors of all ages. There are two particularly fine models, described as ‘perfect in every detail’ and ‘a true scale…

Agnes Ferguson sat down with Ports, Past and Present and talked about her most memorable boat trips of the past which allowed her to experience television, the sampling of deliciously cold soft drinks and the nearby lighthouse for the first time.

Agnes Ferguson sat down with Ports, Past and Present and shared her memories of taking the ferry across the Irish Sea ever since she was a child, to visit family and friends living in and around Fishguard.

Wexford and its slobs were walled off from the harbour and reclaimed from the sea in the 1840s, forming a polderland that has become a hotspot for biodiversity. The North Slob is now home to the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, 200 hectares of flat…

Captain Lawrence Busher, of the tug boat Wexford, was 57, when he and his crew took part in the rescue of the crew of the Mexico and the remaining crew of the Helen Blake. He used the steam power from the tug to pull the James Stevens, a 40ft…

Built in 1871 by Forrest of Lime House in London at a cost of £472 from a legacy by Mr J.M. Smyth of Brompton, London and named after his daughter. The lifeboat was 40ft long with 10ft 7in beam, pulling and sailing with 10 oars and two masts…

During the 1990s, the catamaran Sea Lynx offered the fasted ferry service across the Irish Sea. Elizabeth Todd-Parker sat down with Ports, Past and Present to share her memories and experiences during her time as stewardess on the ship.

Margaret Todd from Goodwick sat down with Ports, Past and Present to talk about her former work as stewardess on board the ferries linking Fishguard and Rosslare. She remembers her duties as stewardess, her colleagues and meeting her future husband…