A 19th-century thatched farmhouse whose every wall is encrusted with over 50,000 seashells arranged into intricate nautical murals — the life's work of sailor Kevin L. Ffrench, perched above Cullenstown Strand on Wexford's south coast.
The cottage's rendered walls are entirely covered with scallop, cockle and razorfish shells arranged in geometric patterns and pictorial scenes — look for the lighthouse, pirate ship, birds, and dolphin murals. The thatched roof, chimney stack, boundary walls, gate piers and even outbuildings all share the shell treatment.
The cottage sits directly across from this Green Coast Award beach — a long, quiet stretch of fine sand backed by grassy dunes. Ideal for a stroll or paddle, with views out to the Saltee Islands. No lifeguards, so stick to calm days.
Kevin L. Ffrench (1921–2003) spent over 30 years decorating the cottage. The roof timbers came from local shipwrecks, and the cottage sheltered crew from the sinking of the Norway schooner 'Mexico' and the Helen Blake lifeboat in the Fethard Lifeboat disaster of 1914.
Just a short walk from the cottage is the old Cullenstown Handball Alley, a surviving example of a once-common Irish street game venue, listed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
The cottage suffered severe storm damage (especially from Storm Ophelia in 2017) and needs re-thatching, lime rendering, and shell-work repairs. There is a donation box on site, and a GoFundMe campaign — @shellcottagewexford on Facebook and Instagram posts updates.
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