Wexford

Wexford (Irish: Loch Garman) is the county town of County Wexford in the Republic of Ireland. It is situated near the south-eastern tip of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to the capital Dublin via the N11 National Primary Route (European route E1), and the national rail network.

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Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney. The town was founded by the Vikings in about 800 AD. They named it Waes Fjord, inlet of the mud flats, and the name has changed only slightly into its present form.

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Wexford was not very successful as a port, because of the constantly changing sands of Wexford Harbour. In the early 20th Century, a new port was built, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) south, at Rosslare Harbour, now known as Rosslare Europort. This is a deepwater harbour unaffected by tides and currents. All major shipping now uses this port and Wexford port is used only by small fishing boats.

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The town of Wexford closely follows the quays, which run in a northwest to southeast direction. The main street runs more or less parallel to the river and is about a mile long from Redmond Square at the northwest end to Barrack Street at the southeast end. It starts as Selskar Street, runs into the square called the Bull Ring, then proceeds as Main Street. Almost all the shops in Wexford lie along this one line.

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A modern bridge connects Wexford town with the northern part of the county. It is one of the longest bridges in Ireland.

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Eoin Colfer, the author of the Artemis Fowl series of children's books, is from Wexford, and is frequently seen in the Wexford Book Centre on Main Street, signing books or promoting children's literature.

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John Banville the critically renowned novelist was also born in Wexford.

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Irish: Irish may refer to:...

County Wexford: County Wexford (Contae Loch Garman in Irish) is a maritime county in the southeast of Ireland, in the province of Leinster. Area: 2,352 km² (908 square miles). Largely low-lying fertile land is the characteristic landscape of the county....

Republic of Ireland: :For an explanation of often confusing terms like Ulster, (Republic of) Ireland, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology) ....

Wexford related Images and Photos (experimental)

Castle at Wexford