On the coastal narrow road to Hook Lighthouse in Co. Wexford was lined with sea foam as cars arrived on New Year’s Day from 7.30 a.m. for a ceremony that dates back to 1687.

An outcrop of rock behind the 800-year-old Hook Lighthouse was the destination for the Dunbrody Archers, New Ross Municipal District officials and some curious onlookers, all braving the cold to witness a spectacular start to 2022.

The tradition dates from 1687 when the mayor and the corporation of New Ross Town Council claimed their authority over the waters by travelling to Hook and shooting an arrow into the sea from Hook Head Lighthouse.

The Mayor of New Ross, casting the arrow into the sea, symbolises the port of New Ross’s authority over the estuary of the Barrow and the Suir all the way down to Hook Head.

More from the New Ross Standard on the event from the south-east.