Looks as though it is going to be a nice day today didn’t have a good night’s sleep last night Ballycotton Pier is a busy little fishing harbour the first boat went out at 3am, the next 5am and the third at 6am plus cars were coming and going nearly all night. Don’t know what they were doing, as there is only one steep narrow entry to the seawall pier that protects the harbour probably come to check out are motorhome.

The harbour pier is very busy this morning the fishing boats are back in loaded with fish to sell and the diesel truck is here refilling the boats for the next time the fishermen go out to sea. Time to travel back through the little villages, farms with fields of grain or vegetables, winding our way down narrow roads thankfully with hedges that have just been pruned (no scratching the sides of the motorhome) on the R632 to Castlemartyr. Just started sprinkling as we drove through Ladysbridge and Tim comes to mind with the long stretch of stone walls lining the road, we always have a laugh “don’t hit the wall”.

Back on the N25 looking out over the rolling hills cattle and sheep grazing then the usual holdup of roadworks in the main street of Killeagh, the roads are terrible lots of pot holes. Beautiful views driving round the estuary of the River Blackwater over two bridges to stop and enjoy the scenery across the estuary in County Waterford to the seaside resort town of Youghal at the mouth of the estuary to the ocean.

The farmers are busy harvesting the fodder for the cattle and sheep, panoramic scenery of forests, woodlands and farms, just like driving through Canada as we drive down the hills to Dungarvan a coastal town and harbour at the mouth of the Colligan River, which divides the town into two parishes - that of Dungarvan to the west, and that of Abbeyside to the east -, these being connected in three places by a causeway and single-span bridge built by the Dukes of Devonshire starting in 1801 by an old railway bridge a ring-road causeway and bridge. The town was once the county town and administrative centre of County Waterford making it a large modern city. Drive through the old main street and square where it was market day very busy and crowded nowhere to stop and walk around the centre, which was a pity beautiful old building and ruins of a castle or fort in the square.

Turning onto R675 “The Copper Coast Drive” where tin mining took place in the 1800’s. First off we had glimpses through the roadside hedges of the cliffs and ocean till the hedges and trees blocked the views which were similar to when we were driving on the motorway.

Then we had magnificent views of the Monavullagh and Comeragh Mountains on the horizon as we were winding down and up the mountainside over rivers, bridges through forests with glimpses of farmland, cattle and sheep grazing before stopping at Bunmahon Beach for a rest and lunch.

Bunmahon beach is a 2.5km stretch of sandy beach located on the south east coast of Ireland. The beach is backed by sand dunes with tall cliffs offering protection and shelter to the beach area where people are enjoying the sun and swimming. Good to see the young kids getting involved with the Surf Lifesaving Club.

The scenery along the coastline is magnificent, breathtaking to say the word and you can’t really see where the copper was mined, as we drove along the coast over bridges, estuaries and marshes around the cliffs of Dunabrattin Head where we stopped to explore the ruins of Heron’s Shaft and Winding Engine House where copper was mined in Bunmahon during 1824-1875. The Winding Engine House was constructed in the 1850’s to house a small Cornish steam engine which drove a pair of winding drums mounted on an external pit on the north side of the building very similar to the conserved levant winding house in Cornwall. Very interesting to read and see.
Stunning panoramic views standing on the cliffs edge of Dunabrattin Head looking across the coastline and out to sea and it is a long way down to the pebble shores below. Next view point was a stop at Kilmurrin Cove protected by the cliffs with a sandy beach a lovely spot for the locals to go swimming.

Continued our drove along the coast to the pretty coastal village of Annestown by the sea marsh to the beach where we strolled the pebble and sandy beach till the gypsies interrupted our views. They have setup camp in front of the ruins of a fort or castle couldn’t get a good look and to makes matters worse the county is erecting height barriers so motorhomes like us won’t be able to enjoy the views thanks to the gypsies.

Continued on to Tramore a large modern seaside resort where we just stopped at Tesco’s before skirting around the suburbs where the satnav took us down some winding small roads through the forest by farms not back onto the Copper Coastal Drive to Passage East Waterford where we will catch the car ferry across the River Suir to the village of Ballyhack in Wexford.

The little village of Passage East needs some love and care nothing that a lick of paint won’t fix. The two small town square are quite quaint with all the coloured buildings and flowers. A good place for us to wild camp for the night on the harbour pier. The car ferry going back and forth every 15 minutes is a bit of a pain hopefully it stops by 10pm.