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Hooked on wild Wexford
 Wexford has a hard time of it.
Invaded in the ninth century by the Vikings who gave the county its
name Ueig-fjoror (Ueig’s fjord) it barely had time to recover before
the Normans arrived. The date was 1169 and the man at whose behest they
came was Diarmuid MacMurrough, King of Leinster.
The area subsequently came under the control of Strongbow, and Wexford,
particularly the baronies of Bargy and Forth, saw one of the heaviest
concentrations of medieval Anglo-Norman settlements in Ireland.
An old dialect of English, known as Yola, was spoken uniquely in Wexford
up until the 19th century.
The north of the county remained Gaelic Irish in character, somewhat ironically
under the control of the MacMurroughs.
Of course you don’t need to know any history to enjoy Wexford
it has so much to recommend it.
Sometimes called the sunny south east, the county is globally famous for
its opera festival, its birdwatching in the sloblands and its seafood
restaurants.
Oh, and it also boasts a VIP saint.
Local legend claims that the head honcho of hagiology, St. Nicholas himself,
is buried here.
Yup, while the rest of the world generally believes that Santy Claus
is buried in Bari in Italy although spiritually living in the North Pole
a substantial proportion of the people living near Jerpoint Abbey believe
he’s buried there. That’s what’s called hubris in the
business.
The existence of the Wexford Slobs, on the other hand, can’t be
argued about.
This world famous stretch of dunes and mudflats is home to thousands of
seabirds, wildfowl and waders. Wexford Wildfowl Reserve is located on
the N25 south of Wexford town.
You’ll not even need a pair of binoculars half the world’s
population of Greenland white-fronted geese stop off here to dine and
you can hardly miss them.
Further to the south of Wexford town lies Hook Peninsula and the eponymous
lighthouse.
It dates back to the early 13th century, probably the longest continuously
operational lighthouse in the world.
A visitors’ centre boasts first class displays tracing the history
of the beacon — it seems Ireland’s first beam team were monks
who may have blagged the design for their distinctive tower from the Pharos
in Alexandra.
Nobody is quite sure who first vowed to take Ireland by Hook or by Crooke
— contrary to popular belief it probably wasn’t Cromwell but
the phrase is said to be a reference to the settlement of Crooke on the
Waterford side of the Barrow estuary and Hook Head on the other.
But by hook or by crook try to visit this shining example of Irish technology.
Wexford is a handsome town, with a harbour boasting more than 1,000 years
of service.
The town has progressed from its early days as a Norse trading port, through
the Anglo Saxon takeover, the sacking of the town by Cromwell and on to
the Pikemen of the 1798 Rebellion.
Not far from the harbour stands the West Gate Tower, part of the five
original entrances to the walled settlement.
Towards the end of the harbour boardwalk at Crescent Quay stands the imposing
statue of Commodore John Barry, a native of the town who started out as
a cabin boy, became an American naval hero during the War of Independence
and subsequently earned fame as “the father of the American navy”.
Notwithstanding John Barry’s enormous contribution to matters maritime,
it’s the high Cs and not the high seas which has made Wexford famous.
The opera festival is usually in October but this year it was in June
because of the building phase of the new Opera House.
Everything will be back to normal for the October 2008 Festival.
The town of Gorey is almost as old as Wexford.
A settlement since the 13th century, it wasn’t until 1619 that the
town of Newborough was granted a charter by James I as part of the plantation
of Wexford.
Gorey was on its way.
But not before a few shocks were delivered to the town’s system.
The scene of many battles during the 1798 Rebellion, Gorey changed hands
several times after bloody exchanges.
A granite Celtic cross pays eloquent testimony to the rebel encampment
on Gorey Hill during the uprising.
A ramble through the streets of Gorey will evoke memories of old Ireland.
A millennium of history, magnificent old churches, an ancient courthouse,
an old schoolhouse here is old Erin writ large.
Nearby Courtown Harbour is a thriving fishing village and holiday resort.
Beaches, water-sports and fishing and behind the sand-dunes the lovely
Courtown Wood.
A huge carpet of bluebells, wild garlic, moss and ferns tumble down the
gentle hills to the babbling Brachan River.
The trees are no less impressive a huge cedar of Lebanon takes pride
of place beside the river, a near neighbour of two gigantic redwoods.
Underfoot the ground is delicate with the white lace-like flowers of cow
parsley. And everywhere there is the sound of birdsong.
Further south lies the ancient town of New Ross, once under the sway of
the notorious Dermot MacMurrough.
Richard Stanyhurst, writing in Elizabethan times, said of the walls of
New Ross that they “in circuit are equal to London walles”.
Standing by the River Barrow the second longest riveNew Ross is notable
for its steep hill and numerous narrow, winding streets.
From the wide quays the town rises to the hill behind and the streets,
no more than lanes, were built just wide enough for a few donkeys to negotiate
with their loads taken from the waiting ships below.
The town was founded exactly 800 years ago in 1207 by Isabella, one of
Strongbow’s daughters, who married Guillame de Marechal, Earl of
Pembroke.
Originally called Nova Villa Pontis by the Anglo Normans, great industries
such as shipbuilding took root, the perfect natural harbour accommodating
well over 350 ships at one time.
About 14 Guilds flourished here and at least five languages were spoken.
New Ross boasts a Tholsel, which may sound like a throat infection but
is in fact a Norse word for a toll house.
Here, for centuries past, rights of passage were paid.
The present Tholsel was built in 1749 and renovated 50 years later.
Now the seat of local government, it guards two treasures, the maces of
Edward III and Charles II.
The Dunbrody Famine Ship, a reconstruction of a three-masted barque originally
built in Quebec (1845) is now moored in New Ross.
She carried many emigrants to a new life in the Americas from 1845-1870.
It was from here that ancestors of famous Americans such as the Kennedys
and Eugene O’Neill (the Nobel prize-winning author) set sail for
the New World.
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