The county is rich in evidence of early human habitation.[6]Portal tombs (sometimes calleddolmens) exist at Ballybrittas (on Bree Hill)[7] and atNewbawn[8] – and date from theNeolithic period or earlier. Remains from theBronze Age period are far more widespread.[6] Early Irish tribes formed the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnsealaig, an area that was slightly larger than the current County Wexford.
County Wexford was one of the earliest areas ofIreland to beChristianised, in the early 5th century. Later, from 819 onwards, the Vikings invaded and plundered many Christian sites in the county.[9] Vikings settled at Wexford town near the end of the 9th century.[9]
In 1169, Wexford was the site of the invasion of Ireland byNormans at the behest ofDiarmuid Mac Murrough, King of Uí Cheinnsealaig andking of Leinster (Laigin). This was followed by the subsequent colonisation of the country by theCambro-Normans.
On 23 October 1641, a major rebellion broke out in Ireland, and County Wexford produced strong support forConfederate Ireland.Oliver Cromwell and hisEnglish Parliamentarian Army arrived in 1649 in the county and captured it. The lands of the Irish and Anglo-Normans were confiscated and given to Cromwell's soldiers as payment for their service in the Parliamentarian Army. AtDuncannon, in the south-west of the county,James II, after his defeat at theBattle of the Boyne, embarked forKinsale and then to exile in France.
Wexford is the13th-largest of Ireland's thirty-two traditional counties in area, and9th-largest in terms of population.[2] It is the largest of Leinster's 12 counties in size, and fourth-largest in terms of population. The county is located in the south-east corner of the island of Ireland. It is bounded by the sea on two sides—on the south by theAtlantic Ocean and on the east bySt. George's Channel and theIrish Sea. TheRiver Barrow forms its western boundary. TheBlackstairs Mountains form part of the boundary to the north, as do the southern edges of theWicklow Mountains. The adjoining counties areWaterford to the south-west,Kilkenny to the west,Carlow to the north-west andWicklow in the north.
Largely low-lying fertile land is the characteristic landscape of the county. The highest point in the county is Mount Leinster at 795 metres (2,608 ft),[20] in theBlackstairs Mountains in the north-west on the boundary with County Carlow.
Other high points:
Black Rock Mountain, 599 m (1,965 ft), located near the Wexford-Carlow border, within County Wexford.
Croghan Mountain (orCroghan Kinsella) on the Wexford-Wicklow border – 606 m (1,988 ft)
Annagh Hill, 454 m (1,490 ft), near the Wicklow border
The major rivers are theSlaney and theBarrow. At 192 km (119 mi) in length, the river Barrow is the second-longest river on the island of Ireland.[22] Smaller rivers of note are the Owenduff, Pollmounty, Corrock, Urrin, Boro, Owenavorragh (also spelt Ounavarra), Sow andBann rivers.
There are no significant fresh-water lakes in the county. Small seaside lakes orlagoons exist at two locations – one is calledLady's Island Lake and the other Tacumshin Lake.
TheWexford Cot is a flat-bottomed boat used for fishing on the tidal mudflats in Wexford.[23] A canoe-shaped punt fitted with a gun, called afloat in Wexford, is used traditionally to shoot game birds in theNorth Slob mud flats.[24]
County Wexford, sometimes dubbed Ireland's "sunny southeast", has in general a higher number of hours of sunshine recorded daily than in the rest of the country.[25]This has resulted in Wexford becoming one of the most popular places in Ireland in which to reside.[citation needed] The county has a mild, but changeable,oceanic climate with few extremes. TheNorth Atlantic Drift, a continuation of theGulf Stream, moderates winter temperatures. There is ameteorological station located atRosslare Harbour.[26] January and February are generally the coldest months, with temperatures ranging from 4–9 °C (39–48 °F) on average.[27] July and August are generally the warmest months, with average temperatures ranging from 13–19 °C (55–66 °F) in coastal areas and 12–22 °C (54–72 °F) in inland areas.[28][29] Theprevailing winds blow from the south-west.[30] Precipitation falls throughout the year. Mean annual rainfall is 800–1,200 millimetres (31–47 in).[31] Generally, the county receives less snow than more northerly parts ofIreland. Heavy snowfalls are relatively rare, but can occur. The one exception isMount Leinster, visible from a large portion of the county, and frequently covered with snow during the winter months.Frost is frequent in winter months, less so in coastal areas.
Anice sheet covered most, but not all, of the county during the lastIce age. As theice retreated, County Wexford would have been one of the first areas to be covered withglacial drift (a mixture ofboulders,clay,sand andgravel) that blanketed the existingbedrock. This has led to high-qualitysoils, suitable for a wide range ofagriculture. A very detailed soil survey of the county was published in 1964 as part of the 'National Soil Survey of Ireland'. It classifies each area of the county according to its specificsoil type.[32]
Most of the county is covered with soils calledbrown earths, described as well-drained and having a wide use-range. After that,gleys (poorly to imperfectly drained with a limited use-range) are the next major soil type, primarily located in the south-east of the county and east ofGorey (along the coast). Gleys are dotted elsewhere around the county in small areas, and where they occur they generally formbogland. The last major soil type,brown podzolics, occur mainly near the edges of theBlackstairs Mountain range and aroundBunclody and in thebaronies of EastShelmalier and South Ballaghkeen. Though there are areas covered with othersoil types, these are of limited extent.
Only two types ofseal are found on County Wexford's coast—Atlantic grey seals are very plentiful in coastal areas; the slightly smallercommon (or harbour) seal is less common, yet plentiful. Thesmall tortoiseshell butterfly (reddish-orange colour, with black markings) is the most common species ofbutterfly in the county. Various types ofmoth are also common. Thecommon frog – the only type offrog found – is plentiful.
In 2022, the county had a total population of 163,919 people.[13] Of these, 61.4% (91,969 people) lived in rural areas and 38.6% (57,753 people) lived in urban areas.[40] 83.8% of the population stated their religion as Roman Catholic, 7.1% other religions, and 7.5% stated they had no religion.[13] Between 2006 and 2011, the population increased by 10%, slowing to 3% between 2011 and 2016.[40]
The "Pikeman" statue, a1798 Rebellion memorial inWexford town. A Wexford county flag has been "added" to the statue; 1798 and the rebel tradition form an important part of Wexford identity.[41][42]
Since 1951, anopera festival,Wexford Festival Opera, takes place every year in the Theatre Royal in Wexford town and runs for several weeks.[43] In 2008, a new Opera House replaced the old one on the same site, once called the Wexford Opera House, but in 2014 being designated as Ireland'sNational Opera House. It consists of two theatres, the O'Reilly Theatre and the Jerome Hynes Theatre.
There is a renowned singing tradition in County Wexford. Having an abundance of traditional songs, many of which relate to therebellion of 1798, the county has for many years had a strong presence in the Irish traditional singing scene. Noted singers includeAll-Ireland Fleadh ChampionsPaddy Berry, Seamus Brogan and Niall Wall. Paddy Berry has also collected and published a number of songs from Wexford.
Ballyteigue Burrow, located nearDuncormick, is one of the finest protected sanddune systems in Ireland. Rich in wildflowers, wildlife and butterflies, this 9 km (6 mile) coastal stretch is a protected nature reserve by the golden sands of Ballyteigue Bay, with spectacular scenery.
TheHook Peninsula is noted for its many beaches and spectacular scenery. It features the medievalHook Head lighthouse and the historic townland ofLoftus Hall.
The economy is chiefly agricultural.Cattle,sheep,pig rearing and somehorse breeding are the main types ofhusbandry practised.Poultry rearing, once popular, has very much declined.Wheat,barley,rapeseed, andoats are grown, as arepotatoes.Sugar beet is no longer grown due to the withdrawal ofEUsubsidies. The numbers involved in farming have been declining for many years and many of the seasonal workers are now eastern Europeans.Mushrooms are also grown indoors.Tomatoes are grown under glass, for example atCampile.
Wexfordstrawberries are famous and can be bought in shops and wayside stalls throughout the summer. Every year, near the end of June, a 'Strawberry Fair' Festival takes place in the town ofEnniscorthy, and aStrawberry Queen is crowned.Dairy farming forms an important part of the agricultural industry. Locally producedmilk is on sale in many supermarkets. Wexford IrishCheddar is a brand, and Carrigbyrne, a full-flavoured softcheese, is produced near New Ross.
Evergreen tree species are extensively cultivated, especially in more recent years—Norway spruce andSitka spruce are the most common varieties planted. These are generally sown on poorer quality soils (mainly in bogs and on hills or mountainsides). A small amount ofdeciduous trees are also planted, though these require better soils.
Silver was once mined at Clonmines—primarily in Tudor times.Lead was mined at Caim, 1818 – c. 1850—this mine also containszinc; the two are usually found together. Copper ore (malachite) is found at Kerloge, just south of the town ofWexford.Iron is found in small quantities at Courtown Harbour. The county is not noted for mineral reserves. No significant mining activity is currently practised, with the exception of quarrying for stone. In 2007, a significant oil find was made 60 km (37 mi) off Hook Head in County Wexford.[52]
Carnsore Point made the national headlines in the late 1970s after a proposal was made to build anuclear energy plant there; the plans were abandoned after extensive protests from the public, due to environmental and health concerns.[53]Great Island Power Station opened in 1967 and was operated by theElectricity Supply Board (ESB) until it was sold toEndesa in January 2009.[54] It is an electricity-generating station fueled byheavy fuel oil and rated at 240 MW.[55] It is located at the confluence of the riversBarrow andSuir, nearCampile. Before its sale, the station was scheduled to close by 2010.[56][57] Endesa propose building a 430 MWcombined cycle gas turbine (CCGT)gas fired plant on the site.[55] The project would need a new 44.5 km (27.7 mi) gas pipeline from the existing transmission network at Baunlusk, 6 km (3.7 mi) south ofKilkenny City.[58] Awind farm has now been built on the site, featuring 14 wind turbines generating electricity. It was completed in November 2002 and was the first wind farm on the east coast of Ireland. Wind farms now exist at a few other locations in the county, such asBallywater Wind Farm, at Cahore (nearKilmuckridge), on the county's east coast, and Richfield wind farm, located in the southeast of the county.
Bus: Wexford and Dublin are linked byBus Éireann route 2[59] and Wexford Bus routes 740 and 740A. While route 5 operates Waterford-New Ross-Enniscorthy-Dublin.[60] There are numerous local bus routes radiating from Wexford town to places such asKilmore Quay,Lady's Island,Kilmuckridge.
Rail: TheRosslare–Dublin railway line runs through the county, serving Rosslare Europort, Rosslare Strand, Wexford, Enniscorthy and Gorey. Four trains run in each direction daily (three at weekends), with additional commuter services from Gorey. TheRosslare–Limerick railway line which traverses the southern part of the county is now mothballed but being maintained (it served stations atBridgetown,Wellington Bridge,Ballycullane andCampile).
In recent years the countyFootball team has been making rapid advances.Camogie, a women's version ofhurling, is also played, and Wexford won the All Ireland in 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012.Wexford Park is the county's mainGAA pitch, holding 25,000 supporters. Also,handball is played on a limited basis; there are a number of handball alleys located throughout the county.
The colourful lodge at the entrance to Rathaspeck Manor golf course
There are numerous golf clubs in the county – includingRosslare (aLinks course),[61] and Enniscorthy.[62] Two more are located near Gorey – Ballymoney Golf Club and Courtown Golf Club – are 18 hole golf courses.[63] Bunclody Golf and Fishing Club, boasting Europe's only golf lift, is situated just insideCounty Carlow.[64] There are also a few others.New Ross Golf Club, however, is actually located inCounty Kilkenny – about 1 km (1,000 yards) from New Ross town.[65]
There are also many par-3 courses in the county, such as Scarke Golf Course & Driving Range,[66] located about 2 km (1.2 mi) east of New Ross, the 'Abbey Par 3' course, at Winningtown, Fethard-on-Sea, Blackwater Par 3 Golf Course,[67] Kilnew, Blackwater, located a few kilometres northeast of Wexford town, Garrylough Golf Course and Driving Range, Screen, and Rathaspeck Manor Golf Course, Rathaspeck, near Rosslare (there are also few Par-4 holes on this course). There are also a number of other Par-3 courses in the county.
^Lee, JJ (1981). "On the accuracy of thePre-famine Irish censuses". In Goldstrom, J. M.; Clarkson, L. A. (eds.).Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
^Davenport, Fionn; Dixon, Belinda; Le Nevez, Catherine; Wilson, Neil; Albiston, Isabel (March 2020).Lonely Planet Ireland's Best Trips. Travel Guide. Lonely Planet (published 2020).ISBN9781788689700. Retrieved24 July 2022.Collectively labelled the 'sunny southeast', Wexford and Waterford get less rainfall and more sunshine than anywhere else in Ireland, but the southeastern counties are about more than resort towns and pretty beaches.
^Herbert F. Hore (ed.),"A Chorographic Account of the Southern part of the County of Wexford, written Anno 1684, by Robert Leigh. Esq., of Rosegarland, in that County" in"The Journal of the Kilkenny and South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society" (Dublin, 1859), p. 467.
^See William Thompson,"The Natural History of Ireland", Vol. 1 – (London, 1849), p. 328, for further details – other historical accounts mentioned here confirm Leigh's statement.
^European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Act 2019, s. 7: Substitution of Third Schedule to Principal Act (No. 7 of 2019, s. 7). Enacted on 12 March 2019. Act of theOireachtas. Retrieved fromIrish Statute Book on 21 May 2022.
^"Llegan funcionarios de Irlanda a Yanga" [Irish officials arrive in Yanga] (in Spanish). El Informante de Veracruz. Archived from the original on 25 February 2015. Retrieved25 February 2015.
