Arthurstown between the Pier, Castle and Trail

Arthurstown combines distinctive buildings with a trail through woodland and countryside. The village lies between Duncannon and Ballyhack; its own landmarks include a pub and a petrol station. This gives you a range of options when planning your holiday: you can focus on the Arthurstown-Dunbrody Trail, explore the architecture in Mersheen or learn about the history of Ballyhack Castle.

Woodland and far-reaching views along the trail

The Arthurstown-Dunbrody Trail runs through the natural woodland of Baywater Glen. From the trail, views extend as far as Hook Head and Creaden Head. If you’re choosing a holiday rental with a particular interest in the landscape, these features can help guide you: the trail combines woodland sections with far-reaching views, without requiring you to stay for any particular length of time.

Kings Bay Harbour is another of the trail’s viewpoints. You can see it after climbing a flight of steps and along the ramp. This specific route information is useful when planning your day: the climb up the steps is part of the walk, while the ramp marks another section of the route. That way, you can decide whether this walking experience suits you rather than judging the trail by its name alone. The viewpoints and woodland give the outing a variety of scenic highlights.

Ballyhack Castle and the pier in Mersheen

Ballyhack Castle is a five-storey tower house. Its walls are fully intact up to the battlements. On the second floor is a small chapel with a piscina, an aumbry and an altar—a special detail for visitors interested in historic buildings and sacred spaces. The exhibition includes replicas of armour associated with the Crusades and the Normans. An important point for planning your trip: the site is closed until 2027.

Another building in Arthurstown tells its story through its shape and materials: Mersheen is a pier designed in 1829, with an angled, L-shaped plan. Its battered walls are made of Old Red Sandstone. The coping is covered with patchy lichen, as are the cut Old Red Sandstone bollards. If you enjoy noticing architectural details, there’s more to see here than the unusual shape: the stone, coping and bollards all contribute to the pier’s appearance.

Cooking and countryside in Mersheen

Mersheen is also home to Dunbrody Country House Hotel and its cookery school. Courses are offered over 1, 2 or 5 days. The three course lengths provide different time options for guests who want to make cooking a focus of their trip. Dunbrody House is set in a 300-acre parkland estate. This gives Mersheen two distinct attractions: the cookery school as a culinary highlight and the extensive parkland as a landscape feature.

Choose the right focus

When planning a stay in Arthurstown, you can consider whether you’d rather spend your days exploring nature, architecture or culinary interests. The trail offers woodland and views; the pier and castle each add their own historical and architectural features. Bear in mind that Ballyhack Castle is closed until 2027. If you’d like to discover more places, you can also find Ballygillane Little, Kilmore Quay, Foulkesmill, Duncormick, Newbawn, Bridgetown, Inch and Milehouse.

For an overview of the wider area, see County Wexford.