County Wexford () is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. It is in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of

Wexford Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...

, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinnsealaigh''), whose capital was Ferns. Wexford County Council is the

local authority Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...

for the county. The population of the county was 163,527 at the 2022 census.

History

The county is rich in evidence of early human habitation.Stout, Geraldine. "Essay 1: Wexford in Prehistory 5000 B.C. to 300 AD" in ''Wexford: History and Society'', pp 1 – 39. ''Portal tombs'' (sometimes called

dolmen A dolmen, () or portal tomb, is a type of single-chamber Megalith#Tombs, megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the Late Neolithic period (4000 ...

s) exist at Ballybrittas (on Bree Hill) and at Newbawn – and date from the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

period or earlier. Remains from the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

period are far more widespread. 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 of

to be Christianised, in the early 5th century. Later, from 819 onwards, the Vikings invaded and plundered many Christian sites in the county.

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' () or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' () are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Genesis flood narrative, Deluge, dated as 2,242 Anno Mundi, years after crea ...

(A.F.M.) Vikings settled at Wexford town near the end of the 9th century. In 1169, Wexford was the site of the invasion of Ireland by

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...

at the behest of Diarmuid Mac Murrough, King of Uí Cheinnsealaig and king of Leinster (Laigin). This was followed by the subsequent colonisation of the country by the Cambro-Normans. The native Irish began to regain some of their former territories in the 14th century, especially in the north of the county, principally under Art MacMurrough Kavanagh. Under

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

, the great religious houses were dissolved, 1536–41; in County Wexford this included Glascarrig Priory, Clonmines Priory, Tintern Abbey, and Dunbrody Abbey. On 23 October 1641, a major rebellion broke out in Ireland, and County Wexford produced strong support for

Confederate Ireland Confederate Ireland, also referred to as the Irish Catholic Confederation, was a period of Irish Catholic Church, Catholic self-government between 1642 and 1652, during the Irish Confederate Wars, Eleven Years' War. Formed by Catholic aristoc ...

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

and his English 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. At Duncannon, in the south-west of the county, James II, after his defeat at the

Battle of the Boyne The Battle of the Boyne ( ) took place in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II, and those of King William III who, with his wife Queen Mary II (his cousin and James's daughter), had acceded to the Crowns of England and Sc ...

, embarked for

Kinsale Kinsale ( ; ) is a historic port and fishing town in County Cork, Ireland. Located approximately south of Cork (city), Cork City on the southeast coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon, and has a populatio ...

and then to exile in France. County Wexford was the most important area in which the

Irish Rebellion of 1798 The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ''The Turn out'', ''The Hurries'', 1798 Rebellion) was a popular insurrection against the British Crown in what was then the separate, but subordinate, Kingdom of Ireland. The m ...

was fought, during which significant battles occurred at The Battle of Oulart Hill during the 1798 rebellion. Vinegar Hill (Enniscorthy) and New Ross. The famous ballad " Boolavogue" was written in remembrance of the Wexford Rising. At Easter 1916, a small

rebellion Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...

occurred at

Enniscorthy Enniscorthy () is the second-largest town in County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is located on the picturesque River Slaney and in close proximity to the Blackstairs Mountains and Ireland's longest beach, Curracloe. The Plac ...

town, on cue with that in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, German planes bombed Campile. In 1963 John F. Kennedy, then

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

, visited the county and his ancestral home at Dunganstown, near New Ross.

Geography and subdivisions

Wexford is the 13th-largest of Ireland's thirty-two traditional counties in area, and 9th-largest in terms of population. 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 the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

and on the east by St. George's Channel and the

Irish Sea The Irish Sea is a body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel and to the Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland in the north by the North Ch ...

. The River Barrow forms its western boundary. The Blackstairs Mountains form part of the boundary to the north, as do the southern edges of the

Wicklow Mountains The Wicklow Mountains (, archaic: '' Cualu'') form the largest continuous upland area in Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into the counties of Dublin, Wexford and Carlow. Where the mountai ...

. The adjoining counties are

Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...

to the south-west,

Kilkenny Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...

to the west,

Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, it had a population of 27,351, the List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland, ...

to the north-west and

Wicklow Wicklow ( ; , meaning 'church of the toothless one'; ) is the county town of County Wicklow in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located on the east of Ireland, south of Dublin. According to the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, it had ...

in the north.

Towns and villages

*County Town:

*Market Town:

Gorey Gorey () is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland. It is bypassed by the main N11 road (Ireland), M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the Gorey railway station, railway network along the same route. Local newspape ...

* Adamstown * Arthurstown * Ballycanew * Ballycullane * Ballyedmond * Ballyfad *

Ballygarrett Ballygarrett () is a rural village in the southeastern corner of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in County Wexford south-east of Gorey on the R742 road. The birthplace of Texas empresario James Power (empresario), James Power, Ballygarrett ...

* Ballyhack * Ballymitty * Ballywilliam * Bannow * Barntown * Blackwater * Bree *

Bridgetown Bridgetown (UN/LOCODE: BB BGI) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Barbados. Formerly The Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the Parishes of Barbados, parish of Saint Michael, Barbados, Saint Mic ...

* Broadway * Bunclody * Camolin * Campile * Castlebridge * Castletown * Cleariestown * Clohamon * Clonroche * Coolgreany * Courtown *

Craanford Craanford () is a small village in north County Wexford, Ireland, situated on the R725 regional road midway between Gorey and Carnew. It is closely associated with the Irish Rebellion of 1798. The village features an early 17th-century corn ...

* Crossabeg * Cullenstown * Curracloe * Duncannon * Duncormick *

* Ferns * Fethard-on-Sea * Foulkesmill *

* Hollyfort *

Inch The inch (symbol: in or prime (symbol), ) is a Units of measurement, unit of length in the imperial units, British Imperial and the United States customary units, United States customary System of measurement, systems of measurement. It is eq ...

* Killinierin * Kilmore * Kilmore Quay * Kilmuckridge * Kiltealy * Monamolin * Monaseed * Murrintown * Monageer * Monbeg * Newbawn * New Ross * Oulart * Oylegate * Poulpeasty * Rathangan * Rosslare * Rosslare Harbour * Raheen * Rathnure * Saltmills *

Taghmon Taghmon (; ) is a village in County Wexford, Ireland. It lies on the R738 regional road, west of Wexford town and east-southeast of New Ross. The village is in a townland and civil parish of the same name. History It can be established, ...

* Watch House Village * Wellingtonbridge *

Mountains and hills

Largely low-lying fertile land is the characteristic landscape of the county. The highest point in the county is Mount Leinster at , in the Blackstairs Mountains in the north-west on the boundary with County Carlow. Other high points: * Black Rock Mountain, , located near the Wexford-Carlow border, within County Wexford. *

Croghan Mountain Croghan Mountain, also known as Croghan Kinsella or Croghan Kinshelagh () at , is the 211th–highest peak in Ireland on the Lists of mountains in Ireland#Arderins, Arderin scale, and the 258th–highest peak on the Lists of mountains in Irela ...

(or ''Croghan Kinsella'') on the Wexford-Wicklow border – *Annagh Hill, , near the Wicklow border * Slieveboy, Notable hills include: Carrigbyrne Hill; Camross (or Camaross) Hill, ;OSI, ''Discovery Series 77''. Carrigmaistia, ; Bree Hill, ; Gibbet Hill; Vinegar Hill; Slievecoiltia; Forth Mountain, ; and Tara Hill. Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge

Rivers and lakes

The major rivers are the Slaney and the Barrow. At in length, the river Barrow is the second-longest river on the island of Ireland. Smaller rivers of note are the Owenduff, Pollmounty, Corrock, Urrin, Boro, Owenavorragh (also spelt Ounavarra), Sow and Bann rivers. There are no significant fresh-water lakes in the county. Small seaside lakes or

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') an ...

s exist at two locations – one is called

Lady's Island Lake Lady's Island Lake () is a brackish lake in the south of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The lake is technically a back-barrier seepage lagoon, one of only two in Ireland. The other is nearby Tacumshin Lake. The lake has no natura ...

and the other Tacumshin Lake. The ''Wexford Cot'' is a flat-bottomed boat used for fishing on the tidal mudflats in Wexford. A canoe-shaped punt fitted with a gun, called a ''float'' in Wexford, is used traditionally to shoot game birds in the

North Slob The North Slob is an area of mud-flats at the estuary of the River Slaney at Wexford Harbour, Ireland. The North Slob is an area of that was reclaimed in the mid-19th century by the building of a sea wall.Saltee Islands lie offshore from Kilmore Quay, while the smaller Keeragh Islands are offshore from Bannow.

Climate

Curracloe dunes and beach along Wexford Bay - geograph

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. This has resulted in Wexford becoming one of the most popular places in Ireland in which to reside. The county has a mild, but changeable,

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

with few extremes. The North Atlantic Drift, a continuation of the

Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida and up the eastern coastline of the United States, then veers east near 36°N latitude (North Carolin ...

, moderates winter temperatures. There is a

meteorological station A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for measuring atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include tempera ...

located at Rosslare Harbour. January and February are generally the coldest months, with temperatures ranging from on average. July and August are generally the warmest months, with average temperatures ranging from in coastal areas and in inland areas. The

prevailing winds In meteorology, prevailing wind in a region of the Earth's surface is a surface wind that blows predominantly from a particular Wind direction, direction. The dominant winds are the trends in direction of wind with the highest speed over a partic ...

blow from the south-west. Precipitation falls throughout the year. Mean annual rainfall is . Generally, the county receives less snow than more northerly parts of

. Heavy snowfalls are relatively rare, but can occur. The one exception is Mount 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.

Soil

ice sheet In glaciology, an ice sheet, also known as a continental glacier, is a mass of glacier, glacial ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than . The only current ice sheets are the Antarctic ice sheet and the Greenland ice sheet. Ice s ...

covered most, but not all, of the county during the last

Ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...

. As the

ice Ice is water that is frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 ° C, 32 ° F, or 273.15 K. It occurs naturally on Earth, on other planets, in Oort cloud objects, and as interstellar ice. As a naturally oc ...

retreated, County Wexford would have been one of the first areas to be covered with glacial drift (a mixture of

boulder In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In ...

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...

and

gravel Gravel () is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally on Earth as a result of sedimentation, sedimentary and erosion, erosive geological processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gr ...

) that blanketed the existing

bedrock In geology, bedrock is solid rock that lies under loose material ( regolith) within the crust of Earth or another terrestrial planet. Definition Bedrock is the solid rock that underlies looser surface material. An exposed portion of bed ...

. This has led to high-quality

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

s, suitable for a wide range of

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

. 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 specific

soil type A soil type is a taxonomic unit in soil science. All soils that share a certain set of well-defined properties form a distinctive soil type. Soil type is a technical term of soil classification, the science that deals with the systematic categ ...

. Most of the county is covered with soils called '' brown 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 of

(along the coast). Gleys are dotted elsewhere around the county in small areas, and where they occur they generally form

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and musk ...

land. The last major soil type, '' brown podzolics'', occur mainly near the edges of the Blackstairs Mountain range and around Bunclody and in the baronies of East Shelmalier and South Ballaghkeen. Though there are areas covered with other

s, these are of limited extent.

Flora

Common species of tree include

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

, ash,

sycamore Sycamore is a name which has been applied to several types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms. The name derives from the Ancient Greek () meaning . Species of otherwise unrelated trees known as sycamore: * ''Acer pseudoplatanus'', a ...

alder Alders are trees of the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus includes about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few species ex ...

, blackthorn, hawthorn,

beech Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...

and

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...

. Less common (but plentiful) species include wild cherry and Scots pine (also called red deal). Elm is now far less common, due to the devastating effects of Dutch elm disease. Gorse (or furze) is very common. A priority habitat in Wexford is the grey dune, on which many native wild flora grow, including bee orchid and pyramidal orchid. Despite the designation of much of this habitat as a

Special Area of Conservation A special area of conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...

, it remains threatened by destruction for agricultural intensification. There is very little natural forest in the county. Most natural trees and vegetation grow on hedgerows.

Fauna

South-eastern Wexford is an important site for wild birds—the north side of Wexford Harbour, the

North Slob The North Slob is an area of mud-flats at the estuary of the River Slaney at Wexford Harbour, Ireland. The North Slob is an area of that was reclaimed in the mid-19th century by the building of a sea wall.Greenland white-fronted geese each winter (roughly one third of the entire world's population), while in the summer

is an important breeding site for

tern Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae, subfamily Sterninae, that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands. Terns are treated in eleven genera in a subgroup of the family Laridae, which also ...

s, especially the roseate tern. The grey heron is also seen. Throughout the county

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera's native range is restricted to Eura ...

, woodpigeon and feral pigeons are widespread.

Mute swan The mute swan (''Cygnus olor'') is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Eurasia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home to ...

mallard The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa. It has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...

, kingfisher, and owls (the

long-eared owl The long-eared owl (''Asio otus''), also known as the northern long-eared owlOlsen, P.D. & Marks, J.S. (2019). ''Northern Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)''. In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook o ...

, the

short-eared owl The short-eared owl (''Asio flammeus'') is a widespread grassland species in the family Strigidae. Owls belonging to genus ''Asio'' are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or ...

, and the

barn owl The barn owls, owls in the genus '' Tyto'', are the most widely distributed genus of owls in the world. They are medium-sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons. The ter ...

) are less common – but plentiful.

Red grouse The red grouse (''Lagopus scotica'') is a medium-sized bird of the grouse family which is found in Calluna, heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the willow ptarmigan (''Lagopus lagopus'') ...

, once common, is now extremely scarce. The species has been in decline for some decades. Threats include habitat degradation, disease, predation and over-hunting. Red grouse in Ireland are now considered threatened. The

corncrake The corn crake, corncrake or landrail (''Crex crex'') is a bird in the Rallidae, rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and bird migration, migrates to Africa for the Northern Hemisphere's winter. It is a medium ...

, also once very common, is now almost never seen. Smaller birds—such as crows, swallows, robins, wrens and so on—are very common. The first magpies in

were recorded by Robert Leigh, of Rosegarland, County Wexford, as having appeared in the County of Wexford about 1676. Land mammals include

badger Badgers are medium-sized short-legged omnivores in the superfamily Musteloidea. Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by their squat bodies and adaptions for fossorial activity rather than by the ...

rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated ...

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which includes weasels, badgers, mink, and wolverines, among ...

hedgehog A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduction. The ...

red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plus ...

mink Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera ''Neogale'' and '' Mustela'' and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": the A ...

bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae (), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrel ...

s ( red and

grey Grey (more frequent in British English) or gray (more frequent in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning that it has no chroma. It is the color of a cloud-covered s ...

rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include '' Neotoma'' (pack rats), '' Bandicota'' (bandicoo ...

s (

brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing and painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors Orange (colour), orange and black. In the ...

and

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

– both

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...

), and

mice A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

( wood (or field) and

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

). Two types of

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores and live Solitary animal, solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are precociality, able to fend for themselves ...

—the Irish (or mountain) hare and the less common brown (or European) hare—are found. Hare is not nearly as common as rabbit. The

stoat The stoat (''Mustela erminea''), also known as the Eurasian ermine or ermine, is a species of mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern regions of North America. Because of its wide circumpolar distribution, it is listed as Least Concern on th ...

(''Mustela erminea hibernica'') is also reasonably common. Locally the stoat is just as often incorrectly called a

weasel Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets, and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slend ...

. Only two types of seal are found on County Wexford's coast— Atlantic grey seals are very plentiful in coastal areas; the slightly smaller common (or harbour) seal is less common, yet plentiful. The '' small tortoiseshell butterfly'' (reddish-orange colour, with black markings) is the most common species of

butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

in the county. Various types of

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

are also common. The common frog – the only type of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

found – is plentiful.

Governance and politics

Local government

Wexford County Council has thirty-four members. The council has three representatives on the Southern Regional Assembly, where it is part of the South-East strategic planning area.

National politics

County Wexford is represented by the Dáil constituency of

(5 seats). The county is part of the

European Parliament constituency Member of the European Parliament, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are Elections in the European Union, elected by the population of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union (EU). The European Elect ...

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

(5 seats).

Demographics

In 2022, the county had a total population of 163,919 people. Of these, 61.4% (91,969 people) lived in rural areas and 38.6% (57,753 people) lived in urban areas. 83.8% of the population stated their religion as Roman Catholic, 7.1% other religions, and 7.5% stated they had no religion. Between 2006 and 2011, the population increased by 10%, slowing to 3% between 2011 and 2016.

Urban areas and populations

Culture

Wexford Pikeman Statue by Oliver Sheppard 2010 09 29

Since 1951, an

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

festival, Wexford Festival Opera, takes place every year in the Theatre Royal in Wexford town and runs for several weeks. 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's National Opera House (Ireland), National 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 the Irish Rebellion of 1798, rebellion of 1798, the county has for many years had a strong presence in the Irish traditional singing scene. Noted singers include List of All-Ireland Fleadh champions, All-Ireland Fleadh Champions Paddy Berry, Seamus Brogan and Niall Wall. Paddy Berry has also collected and published a number of songs from Wexford. Beaches in Curracloe, County Wexford were used to film the opening scenes of the movie ''Saving Private Ryan'', which depicted the Normandy landings, D-day assault on Omaha Beach. ''The Count of Monte Cristo (2002 film), The Count of Monte Cristo'', directed by Kevin Reynolds (director), Kevin Reynolds, was partly filmed in the village of Duncannon in 2000 – Duncannon Fort being used for one of the main scenes. The movie ''Brooklyn (film), Brooklyn'' was partially set and filmed in

and featured some of the locals as extras. Both ''The Violent Enemy'' and ''Underground (1970 film), Underground'' were shot in and around Enniscorthy in the 1960s.

Media

Two radio stations are based in the county: South East Radio and Beat 102-103. The county's main newspapers include ''Wexford People'', ''New Ross Standard'', ''Gorey Guardian'', and ''Enniscorthy Echo''.

Places of interest

The scenic Bannow Drive, popular amongst tourists, is a signposted route through four Wexford villages: Duncormick, Cullenstown, Bannow and Wellingtonbridge. Ballyteigue Burrow, located near Duncormick, is one of the finest protected sand dune 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. The Hook Peninsula is noted for its many beaches and spectacular scenery. It features the medieval Hook Head lighthouse and the historic townland of Loftus Hall. Popular beaches are located at Courtown, Curracloe, Carnsore Point, Duncannon and Rosslare Strand. Other places of interest include: * Ferns Castle and Abbey *

Castle and Museum *Battle of Vinegar Hill, Vinegar Hill *National 1798 Visitor Centre *Boolavogue *The Browne-Clayton Monument *Battle of Oulart Hill, Oulart Hill *Castleboro House *The Seven 'Castles' of Clonmines *Johnstown Castle *Dollar Bay *Loftus Hall – Abandoned Haunted House (the first Hall was built on this site in 1350) www.loftushall.ie *Ballyteigue Castle * Bannow Church (dates from the 13th century) *Selskar Abbey,

town *Irish National Heritage Park (Ferrycarrig) *Tacumshane, Tacumshin windmill (southeast County Wexford) *St. Mary's Church, New Ross * Dunbrody Abbey * Tintern Abbey *Slade Castle * Ballyhack Castle *J.F. Kennedy homestead and park *Slieve Coilte *Wells House (Wexford, Ireland), Wells House and Gardens * Duncannon Fort * Saltee Islands

Economy

Agriculture

The economy is chiefly agricultural. Cattle, Domestic sheep, sheep, pig rearing and some horse breeding are the main types of Animal husbandry, husbandry practised. Poultry rearing, once popular, has very much declined. Wheat, barley, rapeseed, and oats are grown, as are potatoes. Sugar beet is no longer grown due to the withdrawal of European Union, EU Subsidy, subsidies. 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 at Campile. Wexford Garden strawberry, strawberries 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 of

, and a ''Strawberry Queen'' is crowned. Dairy farming forms an important part of the agricultural industry. Locally produced milk is on sale in many supermarkets. Wexford Irish Cheddar cheese, Cheddar is a brand, and Carrigbyrne, a full-flavoured soft cheese, is produced near New Ross.

Forestry

Evergreen tree species are extensively cultivated, especially in more recent years—Norway spruce and Picea sitchensis, Sitka 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 of deciduous trees are also planted, though these require better soils.

Mining

Silver was once mined at Clonmines—primarily in Tudor times. Lead was mined at Caim, 1818 – c. 1850—this mine also contains zinc; the two are usually found together. Copper ore (malachite) is found at Kerloge, just south of the town of

. 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 off Hook Head in County Wexford.

Energy

Carnsore Point made the national headlines in the late 1970s after a proposal was made to build a nuclear power, nuclear energy plant there; the plans were abandoned after extensive protests from the public, due to environmental and health concerns. Great Island Power Station opened in 1967 and was operated by the ESB Group, Electricity Supply Board (ESB) until it was sold to Endesa (Spain), Endesa in January 2009. It is an electricity-generating station fueled by Fuel oil, heavy fuel oil and rated at 240 MW. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Barrow and River Suir, Suir, near Campile. Before its sale, the station was scheduled to close by 2010. Endesa propose building a 430 MW combined cycle, combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) Natural gas, gas fired plant on the site. The project would need a new gas pipeline from the existing transmission network at Baunlusk, south of Kilkenny City. A wind 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 as Ballywater Wind Farm, at Cahore (near Kilmuckridge), on the county's east coast, and Richfield wind farm, located in the southeast of the county.

Transport

* Bus: Wexford and Dublin are linked by Bus Éireann route 2 and Wexford Bus routes 740 and 740A. While route 5 operates Waterford-New Ross-Enniscorthy-Dublin. There are numerous local bus routes radiating from Wexford town to places such as Kilmore Quay, Lady's Island Lake, Lady's Island, Kilmuckridge. * Rail: The Dublin–Rosslare railway line, Rosslare–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. The Limerick–Rosslare railway line, Rosslare–Limerick railway line which traverses the southern part of the county is now mothballed but being maintained (it served stations at Bridgetown, Wellington Bridge, Ballycullane and Campile). * Ferry: Rosslare Europort, located at Rosslare Harbour, operates a busy ferry service. There are regular sailings to Wales (Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Pembroke and Fishguard) and France (Cherbourg-Octeville, Cherbourg and in the summer months to Roscoff) for passengers and vehicles. There is also ferry service in operation between Ballyhack and Passage East (County Waterford), crossing the River Barrow, Barrow estuary.

Sport and events

Gaelic games

In recent years the county Gaelic football, Football team has been making rapid advances. Camogie, a women's version of hurling, is also played, and Wexford won the All Ireland in 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Wexford Park is the county's main Gaelic Athletic Association, GAA pitch, holding 25,000 supporters. Also, Gaelic handball, handball is played on a limited basis; there are a number of handball alleys located throughout the county. As a county, Wexford are most noted for hurling have won the Leinster Senior Hurling Championships a total of 21 times, first in 1890 and most recently in 2019. In the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, All Ireland Senior Hurling Championships, Wexford have won 6 times, first in 1910 and most recently in 1996, beating Limerick in the final.

Football

Wexford Youths F.C., formed 2007, renamed as Wexford FC in 2017, is the major football club in the county, currently playing in the League of Ireland First Division.

Golf

There are numerous golf clubs in the county – including Rosslare Golf Club, Rosslare (a Links (golf), Links course), and Enniscorthy. Two more are located near Gorey – Ballymoney Golf Club and Courtown Golf Club – are 18 hole golf courses. Bunclody Golf and Fishing Club, boasting Europe's only golf lift, is situated just inside County Carlow. There are also a few others. New Ross Golf Club, however, is actually located in County Kilkenny – about 1 km (1,000 yards) from New Ross town. There are also many par-3 courses in the county, such as Scarke Golf Course & Driving Range, located about east of New Ross, the 'Abbey Par 3' course, at Winningtown, Fethard-on-Sea, Blackwater Par 3 Golf Course, 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. KilmoreMarina

Fishing

Maritime activity takes at various locations in County Wexford, including at Kilmore Quay and Slade, County Wexford, Slade Harbour. Common fish species include herring, mackerel, cod, monkfish, Merlangius merlangus, whiting, Bass (fish), bass, perch, Sea robin, gurnard, haddock, Mullet (fish), mullet, pollock, John Dory, Sole (fish), sole, European conger, conger eel, shad, salmon, trout, Northern pike, pike, carp, and tench. Shellfish include mussels, Cockle (bivalve), cockles, Common periwinkle, periwinkles, clams, and oysters.

Racing

Wexford Racecourse (horse racing) is in Wexford, Wexford town and there is a Greyhound Racing track at

People

*Bunny Ahearne – president of the International Ice Hockey Federation *Michael William Balfe, Michael Balfe – 19th-century composer, grew up in Wexford *John Banville – novelist (2005 Booker Prize and 2013 Austrian State Prize for European Literature) *Major Gerald Edwin Hamilton Barrett-Hamilton, G. E. H. Barrett-Hamilton – zoologist, grew up in Kilmanock *John Barry (naval officer), John Barry – Commander United States Navy *Paddy Berry – Traditional Irish Singers, singer, song collector and folklorist *Wallis Bird – musician *Des Bishop – New York-raised comedian, went to school in County Wexford *Jim Bolger ONZ – former Prime Minister of New Zealand. *Jim Bolger (racehorse trainer) – horse trainer. *Myles Byrne – participant in the

*Thomas Cloney – participant in the

*John Henry Colclough – participant in the

*Eoin Colfer – best-selling writer of children's literature *Brendan Corish – Labour Party (Ireland), Irish Labour Party leader and Tánaiste *Richard Corish – Trade Unionist *Gordon D'Arcy- Rugby player, Leinster Rugby, Leinster & Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland *Tadhg Furlong- Rugby player, Leinster Rugby, Leinster & Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland *Francis Danby – 19th-century painter *Chris de Burgh – Argentinian-born singer-songwriter, based in County Wexford *Pádraic Delaney – actor *John Doran (British Army officer) *Anne Doyle – RTÉ newsreader *Kevin Doyle (footballer), Kevin Doyle – football player *Mary Fitzgerald (trade unionist) *Nicholas French – former RC Bishop of Ferns *Nicholas Furlong (writer), Nicholas Furlong – writer, journalist and historian *Eileen Gray – 20th-century Irish furniture designer and architect and a pioneer of the Modern Movement in architecture, raised in

*Anna Maria Hall (Mrs. S.C. Hall) – 19th-century novelist, raised in Bannow *John Harrison (VC 1857), John Harrison – recipient of the Victoria Cross *Bagenal Harvey, Beauchamp Bagenal Harvey – participant in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 *Edward Hay (County Wexford), Edward Hay – writer of a history of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 *Herbert F. Hore, Herbert Hore – historian *William Kehoe (businessman), William Kehoe – iron founder *Bridget Murphy (Kennedy) – great-grandmother of John F. Kennedy (former president of the United States). *Patrick Kennedy – great-grandfather of John F. Kennedy (former president of the United States). *John Murphy (priest), Father John Murphy – participant in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. *Col Joshua Nunn – veterinarian and barrister *Aidan O'Brien – horse trainer *Joseph O'Brien (jockey) – son of Aidan O'Brien and horse trainer, formerly jockey *Thomas O'Connor (rancher) – Irish rancher and landowner *Michael O'Hanrahan – Irish rebel executed for fighting in the 1916 Easter Rising. *Chris O'Neill (YouTuber), Chris O'Neill – animator/musician and online entertainer *Nicky Rackard – hurling player *John Redmond – 19th- 20th-century nationalist politician *Billy Roche – playwright *Dick Roche – politician *Patrick Roche (Wisconsin politician), Patrick Roche – politician *James Ryan (Irish politician), James Ryan – politician and Irish Revolutionary *Martin Storey – hurling player *Colm Tóibín – novelist (2006 International Dublin Literary Award) *Maverick Sabre – singer/songwriter

Twinning

County Wexford is town twinning, twinned with the following places: * Yanga, Veracruz, Mexico

References

Bibliography

*Byrne, Francis J. ''Irish Kings and High Kings''. Dublin, 1973–2001 *Carlyle, Thomas. ''"Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches"''. Vol. 1. New York: Wiley & Putnam, 1845 *Gerald of Wales, Cambrensis, Giraldus. ''Expugnatio Hibernica – The Conquest of Ireland''. Dublin: R.I.A., 1978 *Colfer, Billy. ''The County of Wexford''. County Wexford: Foillsitheoirí Cois Sláine, n.d. – 1980 or 1981. * * *Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi). ''Discovery Series 77 – Co Wexford (part).'' Scale 1: 50,000. Dublin: OSI, Phoenix Park, 1997. *''The Times Atlas of the World – Reference Edition''. London: Times Books, 1995–2002. *Whelan, K.(ed) & W. Nolan (assoc. ed.). ''Wexford: History and Society''. Dublin: Geography Publications, 1987

External links

*
Late 19th-century map of County Wexford

History Articles
County Wexford, Leinster, Wexford Counties of the Republic of Ireland, Wexford Local government areas of the Republic of Ireland, Wexford