Overview
Blackhall Strand is a quiet stretch of golden sand on the south Wexford coast, just below Bannow, backed by low clay cliffs rather than dunes. It’s the kind of beach that stays off the Blue Flag lists and is the better for it: locals, walkers and families who want a swim without a crowd. Time it for low tide and the base of the cliffs opens into a run of rock pools – anemones, crabs, small fish – and, at the western end, a natural arch worked out of the tidal rocks.
The Keeragh Islands
Look offshore and you’ll see the Keeragh Islands, a pair of low islets about 1.5 km out on a reef that has wrecked ships for centuries. So many came to grief here that in the 1800s local people built a small stone house on the larger island as a refuge for stranded sailors; it stands in ruins now, but you can still make out the walls from the beach. Screen Wexford lists the strand among its filming locations, which tells you something about the look of the place.
Wildlife
Gulls and cormorants are the regulars; terns and razorbills turn up around the Keeragh Islands on migration. The rock pools are the real draw – pull on wellies and you can lose an hour to starfish, limpets and hermit crabs among the weed.
In the water and on foot
The swell close to shore is gentle enough for swimming, but there’s no lifeguard at any time of year, and currents pick up near the rocky outcrops, so mind where you go. Paddleboarders and kayakers use the bay, and it draws the odd surfer when the swell is up.
On foot, informal paths run along the cliffs with wide views over the bay to Bannow. The best walk, though, is on the sand: at low tide you can go the whole way round to Cullenstown Beach and back before the water turns. Dogs are welcome year-round.
Practical information
Parking and access. The car park at the end of the access road is unpaved and tiny – about five cars – and free, so it fills fast on a sunny weekend. A level path leads down to the sand. Wexford Local Link route 388 serves nearby Carrig-on-Bannow several times a day if you’d rather not drive.
Facilities. None to speak of: no toilets, showers, changing areas or bins. Bring your own food, water and a bag for your rubbish.
Safety. No lifeguards, ever. Swim with care, keep clear of the reef around the Keeragh Islands – it’s dangerous to boats and swimmers alike – and don’t try to reach the islands.
Getting there and nearby
Blackhall Strand is a short turn-off from the local roads south of Carrig-on-Bannow. Beyond the Local Link bus, public transport is thin, so a car or bike is the practical option; Wexford Town, with the full range of beds and food, is about 30 km north.
Close by, Coolhull Castle – a late-16th-century fortified house – is worth a look, and Bannow Island, where the Anglo-Normans first landed in Ireland in 1169, is a genuine piece of history a few minutes away. Check the tide before you come: it decides whether you get the rock pools and the Cullenstown walk or just the strip of sand at the top of the beach.