Wexford Quay is a 700-metre stretch of reclaimed land along the eastern edge of Wexford Town. It sits on the western shore of Wexford Harbour, near the mouth of the River Slaney.
The promenade consists of a 38-metre-wide wooden and concrete boardwalk that runs from the bridge to the marina arm and Paul Quay.
Wexford Quay is not an official street. Instead, it is a collective name commonly used to describe four adjoining quays: Commercial Quay, Custom House Quay, Crescent Quay, and Paul Quay.
History
Wexford Harbour was a busy trading port that exported goods such as beef, herrings, butter, corn, and tallow. At the end of the 18th century, it was Ireland’s sixth busiest port.
Most of the quay is an artificial construct that began to appear in the early 1800s. It was built on reclaimed areas that were once part of the harbour.
The shoreline once extended as far as Henrietta Street and Anne Street.
A change in tidal flows occurred after a major land reclamation project was completed in the mid-1800s.
This change in tidal flows led to a build-up of sand and clay, known as silt, which made the harbour difficult for ships to navigate. Although local authorities made several attempts to address the issue, the harbour continued to silt.
In the 1860s, the Dublin, Wicklow, and Wexford Railway lodged an application to build a railway line along the quays of Wexford Town. The application was granted on the basis that the company would build an alternative quay-front to load and unload ships. This led to the construction of Wexford’s wooden works. The new railway line also led to the construction of a bridge across Wexford’s Crescent Quay.
Between 1866 and 1959, no bridge connected the quay-front with Ferrybank, as the older wooden bridge had been demolished. During this period, a bridge connected Redmond Road on the northern side of the town with Riverside in Crosstown. The entrance to the former bridge now serves Wexford Boat Club. At the time, a man in a small rowing boat provided a ferry between the quay and Ferrybank. The ferry sailed between two piers, which were located where the two entry points to Wexford Bridge are today.
Until the early 1920s, the quay was home to the Wexford Courthouse, which stood directly across from the town side entrance of Wexford Bridge. From 1899 to 1920, the building also served as the headquarters for Wexford County Council. On 18 June 1921, during the Irish War of Independence, the IRA set fire to the courthouse, completely gutting it. The building remained derelict for decades before authorities demolished it in the early 1960s. A petrol station later occupied the site. In modern times, the area serves as a car park.
By the 1950s, Wexford Harbour had ceased to be a viable port. In 1968, the local economy declined when the quays closed to commercial traffic. Today, the port is mostly used by mussel dredgers and private vessels.
By the 1990s, the wooden works had fallen into disrepair. The Main Drainage Scheme demolished them and replaced them with a modern waterfront plaza and an accompanying marina.
Map
A map showing its location: