RegRailway station · 1910–1915Rosslare Strand Railway StationRosslarePhoto: David Quinn · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Commons file
Photo: Chris Gorringe · CC BY-SA 2.010buildings on the National Inventory
History of Rosslare · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Rosslare: 10 buildings on the National Inventory
History in Rosslare goes back at least to 1825, the date of its oldest recorded building. The Sites and Monuments Record adds 1 archaeological site inside the town.
On the National Inventory
10
Of national importance
0
NIAH National or International, and national monuments
Archaeological sites
1
Sites and Monuments Record
Oldest building
1825
the first date on its record
Homes built before 1919
3.5%
typical town: 3.4%
In pictures
Places to see in Rosslare
Pictured: Rosslare Strand Railway Station, on Rosslare’s record. From 1890 to 1907, old photographs record Rosslare.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the place’s page. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Through time
Rosslare from 1890 to 1907
2 old photographs, in date order. All made before 1950.
1890s
c. 1907From Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server: public domain, or from the National Library of Ireland’s collections (Lawrence, Poole, Eason and others) with no known copyright restrictions. Each credit opens the image’s page.
The map
Where Rosslare’s history is
Every building and site on the record inside the town, by its rating.
Regional and other sites
Hover a dot for its name; tap one to open its page.
The 10, by rating
10 Regional and other sites
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage is the State’s survey of buildings from 1700 to today, county by county; each record gives a rating, dates, a type and an appraisal. Being on it is not legal protection: that is each council’s Record of Protected Structures.
Points from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and the Sites and Monuments Record, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY 4.0).
Regional and other sites
10 historic places in Rosslare
Buildings rated Regional, of significance in their region, and archaeological monuments with an encyclopedia article.
House · 1825–1835Convent of MercyStrand Road, Rosslare
House · 1825–1840Rosslare CottageStrand Road, Rosslare
House · 1880–1901Leinster LodgeStrand Road, Rosslare
House · 1880–1903Osborne HouseStrand Road, Rosslare
Signal box · 1905–1910Rosslare Strand Railway Station (signal box)Rosslare
Bridge · 1880–1885Bridge, Rosslare
House · 1880–1901House, Fitzgerald Terrace, Strand Road, Rosslare
House · 1880–1901House, Fitzgerald Terrace, Strand Road, Rosslare
House · 1880–1903House, Strand Road, Rosslare
What’s recorded
Rosslare’s largest group: homes, 70% of the record
The next biggest group is mills, stations and works, 2 in all. At the top of the record: Convent of Mercy and Rosslare Cottage. Of national importance in Rosslare: none; the record is regional.
Homes7
Mills, stations and works2
Walls, gates and bridges1
Types as the National Inventory records them, grouped; a building keeps the type it was built as.
How old
Most of Rosslare’s dated buildings come from the 19th century
Each building by the first date on its record.
1500–1799 three centuries0
19th century 1800–18998
1900 and later to today2
The oldest is Convent of Mercy, from 1825.
Archaeology and around
Archaeology in Rosslare
The Sites and Monuments Record lists every known archaeological site; most are field monuments with little to see. By kind:
1 archaeological site inside the town
Sites on the Record of Monuments and Places, the statutory list drawn from this record, are protected by law: anyone planning work at or near one must give the National Monuments Service two months’ notice.
| Windmill1 record |
Just outside Rosslare: 8
| Churchtown HouseRegional rating (NIAH) · 500 m outside the town |
| Ashfield HouseRegional rating (NIAH) · 2.4 km outside the town |
| Ballybrennan House (farm house)Regional rating (NIAH) · 2.5 km outside the town |
| Ballybrennan House (mill (wind))Regional rating (NIAH) · 2.5 km outside the town |
| BushvilleRegional rating (NIAH) · 1.3 km outside the town |
| Rathdowney HouseRegional rating (NIAH) · 500 m outside the town |
| Farm house, BallygarveyRegional rating (NIAH) · 800 m outside the town |
| Water pump, Burrow RoadRegional rating (NIAH) · 600 m outside the town |
Homes by age
39% of Rosslare’s homes were built in the 2000s
New building in Rosslare runs at the usual pace: 6.8% of homes date from 2011 on, the typical town 5.8%. Fewer of Rosslare’s homes than usual date from 1946 to 1980: 15%, against 24%. Rosslare added comparatively little between the wars: 2.7% of its homes, the typical town 3.9%.
3.5%
Before 1919
2.7%
1919–45
15%
1946–80
33%
1981–2000
39%
2001–10
6.8%
Since 2011
RosslareTypical town
Census 2022, households by the year their home was built (CSO, Small Area Population Statistics, CC BY 4.0); the typical town is the middle Irish town of 2,500 or more.
Neighbours
Rosslare and its neighbours
| Town | People | National Inventory | National | Archaeological sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosslare | 1,795 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| Rosslare Harbour | 2,247 | 15 | 0 | 3 |
| Wexford | 21,524 | 629 | 16 | 57 |
| Castlebridge | 1,850 | 14 | 0 | 3 |
In brief
Rosslare in brief
More of Rosslare’s homes are old than in most places: 3.5% were built before 1919, against 3.4% in the typical town. All told, the list holds 10 places on the record. Most entries on the list, 70%, are homes.
Most of its dated monuments come from the 19th century: 8 of 10. The oldest, Convent of Mercy, dates from 1825. Otherwise the figures are ordinary: it also has an archaeological site.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The National Inventory. The State’s survey of post-1700 buildings, made county by county since 1990 (NIAH); a few records are older. It records; it does not protect.
- Ratings. International and National: of significance across Ireland or beyond. Regional: in its region. Local and record-only buildings get no page here.
- Archaeology. The Sites and Monuments Record (National Monuments Service) lists known archaeological sites; the national monuments to visit and the sites with an encyclopedia article get pages here.
- Protection. Both registers are surveys, not protection: a building is protected by its council’s Record of Protected Structures, and no national open list joins the 31 councils’ records.
- The grade. Ireland’s History grade is not built yet: the page describes, and gives no grade.
Questions about Rosslare’s history
How many historic buildings are recorded in Rosslare?
10 buildings on the National Inventory, from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
What is the oldest building in Rosslare?
Convent of Mercy: the first date on its record is 1825.
Are there archaeological sites in Rosslare?
Yes: the Sites and Monuments Record lists 1 archaeological site inside Rosslare.
How old are the homes in Rosslare?
3.5% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3.4% in the typical town.
Are the buildings on this page protected?
Being on the National Inventory or the Sites and Monuments Record is a record, not protection by itself: buildings are protected by their council’s Record of Protected Structures, which each council keeps and no national open list gathers, so this page can’t say which are on it.
This page describes its history; it gives no grade.
Source: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and Sites and Monuments Record, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY 4.0); Wikidata (CC0).
Sources: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (buildingsofireland.ie) · Sites and Monuments Record and the National Monuments Service’s monuments to visit · CSO Census 2022 (homes by the year built) · Photos: Wikimedia Commons, including the National Library of Ireland’s collections, each credited with its licence and copied to our own server · Wikidata (CC0) for other names and articles. Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).
Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).