'Celtic superhighway': New art project celebrates Irish Sea ports and their history

A new project highlights the cultural importance of Irish port towns, writes Marc O'Sullivan Vallig

Professor Claire Connolly swims at Rosslare Harbour, April 2023. Picture: Clare Keogh

For people of a certain age, crossing the Irish Sea is synonymous with emigration. In recent years, the passage has become more associated with tourism, while historically it has always facilitated trade.

Constant traffic between Britain and Ireland led to the establishment of a number of major port settlements in Wales and the east coast of Ireland, five of which - Dublin Port, Fishguard, Holyhead, Pembroke Dock and Rosslare Harbour – are now being celebrated in a multi-media project, Ports, Past and Present.