Fireworks in Courtown
It was Sunday evening, October 25th, 2026. The weather was fine but chilly, and we had a full moon beaming down on Courtown Harbour. It was an ideal evening for the annual fireworks display in the Harbour to herald the start of Halloween.
We headed off at 7.30 to ensure we got a good viewing spot for the 8pm display. When we arrived, we were gobsmacked by the size of the crowd, with every conceivable car space taken up and a complete traffic snarl, but we persisted and sneaked our way down to the South Pier for a perfect viewing spot. It was obvious that people had come early to secure a good viewing position.
Bhí daoine ó chian is ó chóngar ann, which was testament to the popularity of this event and how popular Courtown Harbour is with locals and visitors alike. We met people from Arklow, Wexford, Enniscorthy agus a lán áiteanna eile nach iad.
We were nicely settled into our viewing area in front of David Swinburne’s house with lots of family members as the night sky over the Burrow Road was burst open when the first firework exploded. Children shouted as they watched the sky filled with a kaleidoscope of reds, greens, blues, silver, gold and every conceivable colour you could imagine.
The excitement levels rose when the noise of the crackling, exploding fireworks re-echoed down along the harbour, with the sky being lit up by great colour.
The children around us applauded as they scanned the sky in search of more exploding fireworks, as they enjoyed the nighttime spectacle with family and friends.
Courtown Harbour, on a fine autumn moonlit night, was really a super setting for this thrilling fireworks experience.
Meanwhile, as we enjoyed the fireworks, the Tara Vie Hotel was packed solid with thirsty, hungry patrons. The Shore Café and M/N Café were thronged with patrons looking for warm drinks to revive them after standing in the chilly harbour for a couple of hours. I think all local businesses, pubs, shops and chippers benefited from the huge turnout.
The organisers and sponsors deserve great credit for hosting this night of crackling excitement and thrills I mBaile na Cúirte. Bouchas freisin to those in charge of the fireworks display itself. It was brilliant. Bhi sé ar fheabhas ar fad.
Credit must also go to the two Gardaí, security personnel and volunteers who managed the biggest volume of traffic in Courtown this year. With thousands of people arriving for the spectacular fireworks display, the pressure on parking spaces was huge. They worked well, patiently and with good humour, doing a very difficult job in managing the packed harbour area and maintaining safety.
While we were all enjoying the evening, they were out in the cold dealing with the issues that arose.
Everyone involved in any way with organising this evening deserves thanks and a round of applause.
Thank you all for your work and commitment in providing us with this hugely successful community event.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir agus go raibh fada buan sibh uilig.
Mick O’Callaghan
26/10/2026
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