South Main Street is part of Wexford Town centre. It runs between North Main Street and King Street at the southern end of the town.
South Main Street, near the junction of Cinema Lane and Peter Street. The now-closed Heffernan’s Pub is visible on the right. The front of Fifty One, formerly known as South 51, is on the left. This photograph was taken in late 2014, before the building was remodelled. In 2015, it became the home of Costa Coffee, which closed in January 2026.
Cinema Lane on the left leads down to Crescent Quay, while Peter Street on the right leads up to Peter’s Square.
This photograph was taken further up, outside the now-closed Heatons department store. Heatons was converted into a Sports Direct outlet in 2018. In years long gone, this was the location of Coffey’s. Coffey’s is fondly remembered by older Wexford shoppers as the preferred place for a new jacket or pair of shoes. It delivered clothes to customers’ doors so that they could try them on at home. Coffey’s also had a payment plan that allowed customers to pay for items in weekly or monthly installments.
This photograph was taken outside Penneys. In the past, the building was occupied by Woolworths. Woolworths shut in 1984 when the company decided to pull out of Ireland, which was in the midst of a deep recession at the time. Giftware store Barkers, which will close in June 2026 after more than 175 years in business, can be seen on the left.Taken during the summer of 2025.The Penneys store in Wexford Town (2014).Taken outside Meteor on South Main Street (later rebranded as an Eir store). The discount store Euro 2 (left) is now gone. Rattigan’s Jewellers and Rob’s Ranch House are also visible.
O’Neills newsagents and the former Dunnes Stores building (on the right). O’Neills had three shops in the town until its owner, Bobby O’Neill, fell into financial difficulties. The old Dunnes Stores premises lay vacant for nearly a decade before Boots occupied it.Carraig Donn and the Book Centre. The empty premises on the right later became a men’s clothing store called Jeans Depot. These days, it is the home of Flying Tiger Copenhagen.
This photograph was taken further south, across from the entrance to the former Lowney’s Mall. 147 Snooker Club (now closed), Paddy Powers, Dream Drapes, the Dun Mhuire Theatre (mostly demolished), and Shoe Rack are visible on the left.
This section of the town was hit hard in the late 2000s. In 2007, supermarket giant Tesco moved to a new location on Distillery Road. Its withdrawal from the southern end of the town, combined with the onset of the post-2008 financial crisis, contributed to several business closures in the area.
In 2015, South Main Street received a boost when American retail chain T.K.Maxx opened a store on Paul Quay.
Bugler Doyles and Carry Out are on the left. The group on the right are standing outside The Premier, a popular fish and chip shop. The street on the right is Bride Street.The end of South Main Street, where it intersects with King Street and Barrack Street. This was taken outside The Sky and The Ground pub.
