Stradbally Cove is a small coastal inlet situated approximately 6 miles northeast of Dungarvan and 18 miles west of the Waterford Harbour Estuary. It provides an offshore anchorage outside a secluded and scenic bay.

The cove offers an exposed anchorage only in settled conditions as the inlet gradually shoals to its mouth. This means that boats have to anchor well outside and are completely exposed to the prevailing winds and swell. Access is straightforward as, apart from an outlying rock that lies a good distance away, it has unimpeded access.

Keyfacts for Stradbally Cove

Position and approaches

Haven position

52° 7.100' N, 007° 27.659' W

In the middle of seaward end of the cove.

What is the initial fix?

This waypoint is about 400 metres outside the bay and about midway between the visible Gull Island and the outlying rock that is awash.

What are the key points of the approach?

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What's the story here?

Stradbally Cove is a shallow, secluded cove where the River Tay falls into the ocean. It is located about 4 miles northeast of Ballynacourty Point and 11 miles west of Tramore Bay.




The cove offers an exposed anchorage in fair weather or settled conditions in the absence of swell. As it shelves so gradually, it is unlikely a vessel will be able to come in any closer than ¼ mile out from the shoreline, and the anchoring position will be at best just outside the entrance. This is a less than ideal place to spend an extended amount of time, and not somewhere to anchor overnight as a vessel would most likely be rolling uncomfortably. In the right conditions, however, it presents a nice lunch stop or somewhere to let the kids run on the beach.

How to get in?

Use southeastern Ireland’s coastal overview for Rosslare Harbour to Cork Harbour for seaward approaches. Stradbally Cove is situated about 11 miles westward of Tramore Bay and a little over 4 miles northeastward of Ballynacourtney Point, on the entrance to Dungarvan.

A useful mark for vessels approaching from the west is the 68-metre-high Ballyvoyle Head, situated 1½ miles to the southwest of Stradbally Cove. It can be distinguished by the ruins of the square tower and Clonea Castle, which stands close north of the headland.




A useful mark for vessels approaching from the east is the village of Bunmahon, situated about 3½ miles east-northeast of Stradbally Cove. The buildings and tall stacks in the village are conspicuous from offshore. The square tower of the disused Bunmahon 'Church of Ireland' will be seen up the hill from the village. The shell of an old Cornish engine house will also be seen on the coastline close east of Bunmahon at Tankardstown.




The cove is flanked by the always visible Gull Island and its surrounding reef, which stands ½ mile to the east and ¼ mile out from the shore.




Of greater concern is an unnamed, isolated rock, awash, lying ½ mile southwestward of the entrance to the cove. It lies ¼ mile out from the shore and very much in the path of a vessel cutting in from the west along the shore.

The gap between these two outliers is 1 mile so there is ample room and a clear path in, but with the shore either side of the entrance being foul out to 300 metres.

The waypoint is about 400 metres southeastward of the bay, so you can appraise the current conditions and decide if you would like to come in. If conditions lend themselves to a visit, come straight in towards the middle of the entrance, which presents a clear path.




Anchor according to draught outside the entrance to the cove, where excellent sand holding will be found. It is prudent to make a note of the tide when anchoring.

Land by tender on the beach. The beach gradually shelves, so be prepared to carry the tender a long way on a falling tide.

Why visit here?

Stradbally Cove, in Gaelic Cuas na Straidbhaile, takes its name from the English form of the Irish word An Srad Bhaile, meaning 'the street-town'. This name refers to the cove’s small village, a little way inshore to the east, and describes somewhere with a regular street, as opposed to a homestead or a mere cluster of farmhouses, which would have been undefended by either walls or a castle.




Being a generic description, it is the name of several villages, parishes and townlands in the southern half of Ireland. Unfortunately, akin to many of County Waterford's river names, the origin and meaning of the cove's river name Tay, or Taoi, are no longer known.




Stradbally Cove is a lovely secluded beach where the River Tay has cut a deep cove along a fault line in the volcanic rock and soft brown shales of the coast. The result is a very unusual deep, narrow cove with high cliffs along both sides and the signature sea stacks of Waterford's Copper Coast at the entrance. What is also striking about the beautiful cove is the thatch of oak, ash, hazel and alder trees that grows along its craggy ridges and along the river up the valley. It is like a vision of how Ireland might have looked to its Neolithic people.




The small river that created the cove still runs down the east side of the beach into the sea, but its thatch of wonderful trees is largely down to one man – Maurice Uniacke. He was the local landowner in the early 1740s and planted in excess of 150,000 trees in the area. He covered almost all of the lower three kilometres of the Tay valley with a wide mixture of species, both native and exotic. All that can be seen today are the direct descendants of his plantings. The native shrubs, including furze/gorse, blackthorn and hawthorn, are all tolerant to salt spray and thrive near the outer parts of the cove. The native trees of oak, ash, hazel and alder stand alongside the introduced beech, sycamore, Scots pine and Norway spruce.




Early season sailors who come up from the cove and stroll into the woods will be particularly rewarded. During April and May large sections of the forest floor are carpeted in bluebells. This beautiful sight is rare in the rest of Europe but characteristic of the woodlands of Ireland and Britain. Bluebells thrive in the mild, wet climate of the British Isles, helped by the absence of wild pigs, which tend to eat the bulbs. A walk along the cliff top, accessible from the beach, is also well worth enjoying.




The small village of Stradbally can be reached via a road that leads up through deep deciduous woods. It is about 2km away, and attractive thatched cottages will be seen along the way. Today it comprises a village green with a square that provides the focal point of four converging roads. It is a pretty village with medieval origins and has just enough shops not to leave you stranded. The area is characterised by landscaped, planted open spaces with stone boundary walls, and it has won numerous awards in the National Tidy Towns Competition.




From a boating point of view, Stradbally Cove is not by any measure a great anchorage. It is one that could only be used temporarily on a very settled day or offshore winds. In good conditions, it makes for a nice lunch stop and somewhere to go ashore for a short amount of time for a picnic or a pleasant walk. It is a perfect place to land a family to play, swim and enjoy the spectacular forests that surround the cove and river.




It is particularly good for younger children to splash around in; although it has no lifeguards, the beach shelves very gradually, so you have to travel a good distance into the water before it attains any depth.

What facilities are available?

There is nothing in the cove save for a landing beach. The village of Stradbally is approximately 13km from Dungarvan and 7.5km south of the N25 to Waterford (near Kilmacthomas). Stradbally's services comprise two public houses (one of which also functions as a tea garden), a local shop (which also provides a Post Office outlet) and a butcher's shop.

Any security concerns?

You are most likely to be completely alone at this beach and away from any interference.

With thanks to:

Burke Corbett, Gusserane, New Ross, Co. Wexford.