Overview
Arklow sits where the River Avoca meets the Irish Sea, at the southern end of County Wicklow. It is a town of about 13,400 people (2022 census) that has always made its living from the water – fishing, oysters and shipbuilding – and now doubles as a commuter base for Dublin. The main street is split in two by the river and joined by the Nineteen Arches Bridge, the longest handmade stone bridge in Ireland.
Be clear about what Arklow is: a working port, not a postcard. The town itself is more industrial than scenic, and its pleasures are specific – the bridge, the shipbuilding story in the museum, and a long sandy beach – rather than a pretty centre to wander. If you have an hour, give it to the bridge and the museum; if you have an afternoon and children, add the South Beach.
History
Vikings founded Arklow in the ninth century; its Irish name, Inbhear Mór, means ‘the large estuary’, while the English name comes from the Norse leader Arnkell. Tradition has it that Palladius, the first bishop sent to Ireland, landed here in 431. Over the centuries the town passed from the Anglo-Norman Theobald Walter to the Butler and Proby families, and grew into a serious fishing and shipbuilding centre.
The Battle of Arklow, on 9 June 1798, was one of the bloodiest days of that summer’s rebellion; a monument to the dead stands in front of St Mary’s and St Peter’s churches. In the 19th century the town’s oyster beds were famous across these islands, and the John Tyrrell shipyard turned out celebrated boats including Francis Chichester’s Gypsy Moth III and the sail-training ship Asgard II. The trade is not just history: Arklow Shipping still runs a working fleet from here, and the story is told in the Arklow Heritage Museum (formerly the Arklow Maritime Museum).
What to see and do
Nineteen Arches Bridge
The stone bridge, finished in 1755, carries the town across the Avoca to the northern district of Ferrybank. A plaque on the south side records its claim as Ireland’s longest handmade stone bridge. It is best at first light, when the river holds the colour of the houses along the quay.
Arklow Heritage Museum
In the Bridgewater Shopping Centre, the museum covers the town’s boat-building, lifeboat and fishing past. Highlights include a model of Gypsy Moth III and a working trawler wheelhouse panel that children can play with.
| Season | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| All year (except Christmas and New Year) | 10:00 – 17:00 |
Admission is €7 for adults, €5 for seniors and students, and €15 for a family or group ticket (3–7 people). The museum takes school groups and can arrange private tours outside normal hours.
Visit the official museum website
Arklow’s South Beach
A short walk from the centre, the South Beach is a long sandy stretch backed by boulders and a jetty. Lifeguards are on duty through the summer, and at low tide the sands open out for beachcombing.
Arklow Golf Club
Founded in 1927, this links course lies about 500 m south of the river. The Hawtree-and-Taylor 18-hole layout suits players of most abilities. Green fees are €75 midweek and €85 at weekends and on bank holidays.
Coral Leisure Arklow
For a wet day, Coral Leisure has a 25 m pool, a children’s pool, a sauna, a gym with over 50 stations, squash and racquetball courts, a skate-park and a playground.
A musical footnote
Arklow turns up in song more than its size would suggest. Van Morrison’s ‘Streets of Arklow’ is on his 1974 album Veedon Fleece, and the Arklow Silver Band plays on U2’s ‘Red Hill Mining Town’. The week-long Arklow Music Festival has run as a competition since 1970.
Sailing and the harbour
Arklow Harbour is a small commercial and fishing port with an active sailing club that runs courses for beginners and experienced sailors. There are moorings on the inner quays, the tidal streams are moderate, and day-sails from May to September are reliable. The harbour lies about 12 nautical miles south-south-west of Wicklow Harbour, handy for the wider east-coast cruising routes.
Nearby
The scenery improves the moment you head inland or up the coast:
- Brittas Bay (about 20 km north) – a Blue Flag beach with surf schools and cafés.
- Vale of Avoca – where the Avonmore and Avonbeg rivers meet, the spot behind Thomas Moore’s poem ‘The Meeting of the Waters’.
- Croghan Mountain – a 606 m hill on the Wicklow–Wexford border, reached by a marked trail from Raheenleagh Wood.
- Avondale Forest Park – a short drive north, around Avondale House (home of Charles Stewart Parnell), with woodland walks, a lake and a visitor centre.
- Avoca Handweaving Mill – the historic mill and craft shop in Avoca village, an easy half-day.
Practical information
Getting there
- By train – Iarnród Éireann runs four to five daily services from Dublin Connolly to Arklow (about 1 h 40 min). The 1863 station sits on the Dublin–Rosslare line.
- By bus – Bus Éireann routes 2 and 2X link Arklow with Dublin and the south-east; Wexford Bus also serves the town, with a stop at M11 junction 20.
- By car – the M11/N11 bypasses the town between junctions 20 and 21; the 2015 upgrade gave a direct motorway run from Dublin down to Gorey.
Parking and access
- Free on-street parking is available on most side streets in the centre; the Bridgewater Shopping Centre has a paid car park.
- The Nineteen Arches Bridge is fully accessible to pedestrians and wheelchair users, with gentle ramps at both ends.
- Arklow Harbour has on-site moorings and a sailing club, open year-round.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair-friendly routes include the bridge, the Heritage Museum (ground-floor access) and Coral Leisure (ramps and lifts).
- Public toilets are at the leisure centre and the train station.
Accommodation
- Arklow Bay Hotel – a four-star seaside hotel with spa, pool and conference facilities.
- Bridge Hotel – a family-run hotel near the bridge, with free Wi-Fi and easy harbour access.
- Woodenbridge Lodge – a quieter option a few miles inland, with garden views and on-site dining.
Essential services
- Tourist office – the Arklow Community Tourist Office (Discover Ireland) has maps, event listings and local advice.
- Phone – the Arklow Heritage Museum is on +353 40 291 683; the local tourist information line is +353 402 33400.
Seasonal notes
- The Heritage Museum closes on Christmas Day, St Stephen’s Day and New Year’s Day.
- Lifeguards patrol the South Beach from late May to early September.
- The Seabreeze Festival, a three-day event with live music and a fireworks finale, takes over the town in mid-July – accommodation fills fast, so book ahead if you’re coming for it.
For most visitors Arklow is a stop rather than a stay: park near the bridge, walk the museum and the quay, then push on to Brittas Bay or up the Vale of Avoca for the scenery the town itself doesn’t pretend to have.