Overview
Bunclody’s main street is one of the widest in this corner of Leinster, and the reason is a canal: a channel cut in the 19th century to carry drinking water from the Clody runs straight down the middle of it, under a mall of lime trees. The town sits where the Clody meets the River Slaney at the foot of Mount Leinster, with most of it in County Wexford and a sliver at the north end crossing into County Carlow. Its Irish name, Bun Clóidí, means ‘the foot of the Clody’.
History
The settlement was raised to a post town in 1577 by James Barry, an alderman and sheriff of Dublin, and was known as Newtownbarry until the name reverted to Bunclody by local government order in 1950. Two violent episodes mark its past. During the 1798 Rebellion, insurgents under Fr Mogue Kearns took the town and were then routed at the Battle of Bunclody; a memorial stone, set on the bridge in 1938, records it. Then in 1831, during the Tithe War, a clash at the Pound on Ryland Road left twelve people dead and twenty fatally wounded when locals resisted seizures made to fund the established church.
The town has a literary footnote or two as well. Travel writer Mabel Hall-Dare grew up here, and nearby Ballyrankin House was home to the writing pair Moira O’Neill and her daughter Molly Keane.
Walks, water and the hills
Bunclody is more a base than a sight in itself, and most of what there is to do involves the river or the hills above it. The Bunclody Adventure Hub on Ryland Road runs kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding on the Slaney, with guided sessions for beginners. On foot, the flat canal-side main street and the granite bridge make an easy half-hour loop.
For something longer, the town is a starting point for the Blackstairs and Mount Leinster walks. Black Rock Mountain and Mount Leinster itself – 11 km off, and at 2,610 ft a well-regarded hang-gliding launch – want a decent level of fitness and repay it with views to the Wicklow hills. The Kilbranish, Coolmelagh and Rathanna walks are gentler, through woodland and farm tracks. Bunclody also sits on the Columban Way, the long-distance pilgrim route running from Bangor to Bobbio in Italy. One word of warning: the Mount Leinster summit is exposed and clouds in fast, so check the forecast and don’t count on the view.
Golf and fishing
The Bunclody Golf & Fishing Club opened in 2009 on part of the old Hall-Dare estate. The 18-hole course runs to over 7,000 yards, and its closing holes drop toward the Slaney: the 17th is a par-three along the riverbank, and you reach the 18th tee by what the club bills as Ireland’s first on-course elevator. The adjoining water holds salmon and sea trout. The salmon season runs 10 March to 31 August, sea trout from mid-June, and you’ll need a state licence plus a day or weekly permit.
Festival, gardens and quiet corners
Each July the main street hosts the Streams of Bunclody Festival, named for the folk ballad that was one of Luke Kelly’s favourites, with trad sessions, dancing and food stalls. The town’s well-kept civic layout earned it an unusual honour in 2018, when it was chosen as one of ten Irish market towns to feature at the Venice Architecture Biennale.
For gardeners, Douentza Garden in the town grows rare orchids and carnivorous plants, and Altamont Gardens, run by the heritage service, is 11 km away. Bunclody Library on Mill Hill is a quiet stop, though it closes on Saturdays and on the Mondays of bank holiday weekends.
Getting there
Bunclody is 20 km north of Enniscorthy, at the junction of the N80 and R746. Bus Éireann route 132 runs to Dublin; Local Link routes 368 and 369 link Enniscorthy, New Ross and Tullow; and Wexford Bus route 376 runs Wexford–Carlow via the town. The nearest railway station is Enniscorthy, 23 km south. There’s free on-street parking on the main street and around the square.
Where to stay and eat
The main street has the usual run of pubs, cafés and restaurants. Meadowside B&B occupies a Georgian townhouse on Main Street with four en-suite rooms and off-street parking; Mon Petit Cottage, a short walk from the canal, does ensuite rooms with homemade breakfasts and a lift service for guests without a car.
If you’re timing a visit, aim for the Streams of Bunclody weekend in July – but book a bed well ahead, because the town runs short of rooms when it’s on.