R733

Arthurstown, on the eastern shore of Waterford Harbour

The R733 is one of the more important regional roads in southeast Ireland. It forms a "long way round" between New Ross and Wexford, going via Arthurstown (opposite Passage East on the River Barrow) instead of the more direct route followed by the N25.

It starts at Oaklands on the R723 New Ross Ring Road (formerly the N25), and heads south along the left bank (east side) of the Barrow, meeting the new N25 New Ross Bypass south of the town at a grade separated junction. Despite travelling alongside the river, the road doesn't really afford any watery views before we reach Arthurstown, 5 km below the point where the rivers Barrow and Suir join to form the Waterford Harbour estuary. Here we meet the R770, bringing traffic in from Ballyhack and the Passage East ferry, which provides an alternative route from Waterford.

The R733 on its way into Wexford

The R733 then switches direction from south to east, and the quality of the road improves – aside from where it goes through Wellingtonbridge it's a reasonably straight and fast road all the way to Wexford town. There's another junction with the N25, which this time is bypassing Wexford, and from here the R733 runs into the town centre to finish by the quays.