islands wexford

These island off the south coast of Wexford are a haven for sea birds. Great and Little Saltee together form Ireland's largest bird sanctuary, nurturing an impressive array of birds, from gannets and gulls to puffins and Manx shearwaters. Great Saltee is particularly famous for its colonies of cormorants. It also has more than 1,000 pairs of guillemots and is a popular stopping-off place for spring and autumn migrations. A bird monitoring and research programme is in progress, and a clo...

The lake itself is a shallow lagoon separated from the open sea by a shingle bank. The island is connected to the mainland by a causeway and is the site of a well known pilgrimage held annually in August. It was the site of an ancient monastery dedicated to Our Lady. The ruins of the Augustinian Priory are still to be seen, as is the Norman tower which leans at a greater angle than the tower at Pisa. The pilgrimage season starts of the 15th August and continues until the 8th September....