For 15 centuries a light has been shining from Hook Head to direct seafarers away from one of the country's most dangerous rocky headlands.
The practice began in the fifth century when the monks of St Dubhan established a fire beacon where the present lighthouse tower was built nearly 800 years ago.
It is still guiding ships into the safety of Waterford Harbour or Bannow Bay. Now the building, the oldest lighthouse in northern Europe and one of the oldest in the world, is to be given a new dimension as a visitor centre.
Its development by Hook Heritage Ltd is the result of a partnership between the local community, Wexford County Council, development agencies and the Commissioners of Irish Lights.
It also coincides with a planned programme of redevelopment for New Ross, which has a strong historical connection with the lighthouse. Both the town, which has been granted urban renewal status, and the lighthouse were founded by the Earl of Pembroke and Lord of Leinster, William Marshal.
A local historian, Billy Colfer, explains that for New Ross to succeed Marshal's ships had to be able to navigate the low-lying rocky promontory of Hook Head, which has always been notoriously dangerous for shipping.
Ms Derville Killian, who has a hand in both schemes as lighthouse project manager and co-ordinator of the urban renewal programme for New Ross Urban District Council, says it is apt that the two developments should take place at the same time.
The lighthouse visitor centre, which is to open next April, will include a museum/interpretative facility within the main building, with guided tours. A cafe, craft shop, reception and toilets will be provided in the 19th-century lighthouse-keepers' houses.
The lighthouse is already a significant tourism attraction, bringing tens of thousands into the area each year. Based on previous surveys conducted by Wexford County Council, Hook Heritage has "conservatively" estimated that the lighthouse centre will attract about 25,000 visitors in its first year.
But Ms Killian says the area is capable of accommodating more tourists without losing its charm.
"Traditionally the tourist season here tended to be very much concentrated in the summer months, which makes it totally unfeasible to sustain any kind of tourism industry.
"We need to provide services and facilities that are less weather-dependent in order to extend the season. There's still plenty of potential for growth outside the summer months without upsetting the delicate balance required."
Grant aid has been secured from the EU operational programme for tourism, administered by Bord Failte, the South East Regional Tourism Authority and Wexford County Council. But more funds are needed and a corporate sponsorship drive is to be started soon.
The Minister of State, Mr Hugh Byrne, who is chairman of Hook Heritage, said local residents and community activists had been involved in the planning of the lighthouse project from the beginning. "Since the decision was taken to automate the lighthouse [which came into effect in 1996] the community has insisted on the development of a plan for the long-term future of the building."
New Ross is also looking to its long-term future. The approaches to the town from Wexford and Enniscorthy are two of the areas expected to benefit particularly from the urban renewal scheme, which offers tax incentives to developers.
Improved amenities along the Barrow are also a possibility, as some of the designated areas extend to the river, a natural resource which Ms Killian said has been much under-utilised to date.
The chairwoman of New Ross UDC, Ms Frances Ryan, said the town would learn from the experiences of those which had benefited from the scheme in the past.
The inclusion of the town in the scheme would strengthen its position as a commercial centre for south-west Wexford and parts of south-east Kilkenny.