Cistín Eile in Wexford. Photo date: December 2014.

Cistín Eile was a traditional Irish restaurant that was situated at 80 South Main Street in Wexford town.

It was opened by Wexford Chef Warren Gillen in 2010.

In September 2022, the popular restaurant announced that it was closing its doors due to rising costs and a lack of trained workers. At the time, Ireland, like many countries, was grappling with rising inflation. Furthermore, unemployment was so low that many businesses were struggling to find and retain employees.

The inside of the restaurant.

I visited Cistín Eile on several occasions and never felt disappointed. My favourite lunch items included the chicken salad sandwich and homefries. One of the standout things about the restaurant was how it transformed very simple recipes into dishes that you would crave.

Prior to Cistín Eile, the building was home to Teo’s Mediterranean restaurant.

Teo’s Mediterranean restaurant in September 2009. Credit: Google Maps.

At the end of 2023, it became the location of another highly-recommended Mediterranean restaurant called Santorinis.

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The former Jean Depot store in Wexford.

Jean Depot was a relatively short-lived store that was situated at 2 South Main Street in Wexford.

It opened in 2014. Judging by its social media profiles, it closed two years later, in 2016. According to Solo Check, the company was officially dissolved in December 2018.

Prior to Jean Depot, this building was the location of an O’Neill’s newsagents shop that had a restaurant/cafe on the second floor. The shop also had a space dedicated to fancy dress costumes.

Sadly, the owner of O’Neill’s Sweetstores, Bobby O’Neill, ran into serious difficulties during the financial crisis of 2008-2011. As a result, creditors seized many of his properties.

Following the closure of Jean Depot, the building became the home of a women and men’s fashion store called Selected.

May 2017. Credit: Google Maps.

These days, the store is occupied by a toy, accessories, and gift shop called Flying Tiger Copenhagen.

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The bar in January 2015.

Jack Bailey’s bar was situated at the corner of Talbot Green and Green Street in the St. Aidan’s area of Wexford town.

The pub was opened in 2001 by Wexford businessman Des Pettitt. It operated until the 28th of August, 2018, when staff members were suddenly told that they were being made redundant.

The other side of the pub in July 2018. The car park belongs to Pettitt’s SuperValu. Credit: Google Maps.

Prior to Jack Bailey’s, it was called the Phoenix.

A Wellington Bridge couple named Tom and Margaret Howlin opened the Phoenix in 1984. The Howlins ran it until July 2001, when they decided to sell the property to Des Pettitt and retire from the pub trade.

In the decades long gone, it was the location of a pub called J. Bailey. The Pettitt family opted to “revive” this name after they purchased the Phoenix. When this photograph was taken, there was no supermarket, only trees and hedges.

The Phoenix became the scene of a horrific shooting on Sunday, the 5th of November, 2000. At around 9.30 p.m. that evening, a local Talbot Green man named John Hendrick (19) turned up at the bar armed with a double-barrelled shotgun. After shooting his ex-girlfriend, Amy Bolger (16), in the back, he turned the gun on himself and committed suicide.

Hendrick and Bolger had been in a rocky relationship for approximately two years. Bolger had reportedly ended things roughly two months prior to the shooting.

On the day of the shooting, Bolger was socialising with her friends in the Phoenix. At around 7pm, Hendrick entered the pub and demanded to see her phone.

One report suggests that Hendrick was upset because he believed Bolger had been texting another man who was also present that night.

During the heated exchange, Hendrick reportedly pulled Bolger by the hair and threw her to the ground.

He eventually left the pub after another person intervened.

Later that evening, he stole a shotgun from his friend’s father’s house in Bishopswater, returned to the pub, and asked to speak to Bolger outside.

Following a quick conversation in the car park, Bolger turned to leave and go back inside the pub. However, at that point, Hendrick called her name.

When she turned around, he fired the gun at her and then turned it on himself.

Hendrick died almost instantly. Fortunately, Bolger, who sustained serious injuries to her shoulder and right arm, survived the shooting.

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Shoe Zone in November 2014.

Shoe Zone was situated at 1 South Main Street in Wexford town, near the corner of Anne Street.

The store, which had been there since the mid-2000s, closed in 2020.

The UK-based retailer decided to pull out of Ireland in order to cut costs. At the time, it was struggling to navigate the various Covid lockdowns and supply chain disruptions.

Following its closure, the former Shoe Zone store in Wexford remained vacant.

In October 2023, the Wexford County Council served the owner of the building with a notice that it intended on adding the property to its derelict sites register. The notice instructed the owner to implement pest control measures and carry out several repairs.

However, the condition of the shopfront remained unchanged, which suggested that the notice was either ignored or not read.

In October 2024, the building was officially added to the derelict sites register.

However, once again, nothing happened.

A busker singing outside of the store. Date: May 2025.

Not long after, the Wexford County Council publicly appealed for help in locating the owner. It later came to light that a Dublin-based company had recently acquired ownership of the building.

As of now, it remains unclear what the company intends to do with the site. However, if it fails to cooperate with the council, a compulsory purchase order may be pursued.

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This photo was taken in November 2014, shortly after Grand Theft Auto V was released for the PS4 and Xbox One.

GameStop was situated at 14 South Main Street in Wexford.

In March 2023, the video game retailer announced that it was closing all of its 35 stores in Ireland. The decision was made after the Irish arm of the company continued to rack up losses. In the year leading up to the closures, it registered a loss of over €5 million.

The stores closed their doors for the last time on June 24th, 2003.

For many in Wexford, GameStop was the go-to place for video games and consoles. It was also one of the few stores where you could line up for a midnight release. I still remember queuing outside the shop in November 2010, eagerly waiting to get my hands on the latest Call of Duty release.

GameStop in May 2017. Credit: Google Maps.

I actually worked at the store for a short period during the 2000s, and I still remember how busy it got in the lead-up to Christmas. Those were chaotic times. Back then, it still had the original layout, and the counter was at the back of the store instead of in the middle.

Sadly, GameStop’s closure wasn’t completely surprising. In recent years, more and more gamers have opted to download video games instead of purchasing physical discs. Digital downloads are never out of stock, and you don’t need to drive into town and find parking to pick a game up.

Following its closure, the store remained vacant for a while before it was eventually leased by a clothing brand called Seasalt Cornwall.

Seasalt Cornwall in Wexford. May 2025.

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Thomas Moore Tavern in November 2014.

Thomas Moore Tavern was a popular bar and restaurant that was situated in the Cornmarket area of Wexford town, beside Permanent TSB.

One of the town’s oldest pubs, it was named after the Irish writer and poet Thomas Moore, whose parents once lived in the building. Parts of the structure date back to the 1700s, when it was called the King’s Arms.

The most recent version of the tavern opened in 2011, after Tony and Breda Wright purchased and refurbished the property. The opening of the tavern was somewhat risky due to the ongoing financial crisis in Ireland.

Fortunately, the gamble paid off, and the bar went from strength to strength.

The pub area.

Customers could enjoy food from the bistro menu in the pub or opt for a more formal dining experience in the adjoining Spires Restaurant.

The Spires Restaurant.

I dined at the restaurant on a number of occasions, and I can honestly say that I was never left disappointed. The steak and fries with béarnaise sauce were a favourite of mine.

The restaurant in July 2023.

The tavern closed in June 2024, after the Wrights decided it was no longer viable to continue trading in the current economic climate. At the time, costs were rising across the board, VAT had reverted to its initial, higher rate, and customer dining habits were changing. As a result, many restaurants across Ireland were forced to close their doors.

Before the “newer version” reopened in 2011, Thomas Moore was run by Mike and Cora Watson, a Scottish couple who had purchased the property in July 1980.

Mike was a Celtic-supporting Glaswegian who had a dry sense of humour. He also reportedly hated people using foul language.

He passed away in October 2000. The bar continued to operate until the summer of 2007, when it was closed for renovations. However, it never reopened under the then-owners, possibly due to the onset of the world financial crisis.

During the Covid restrictions, there was some controversy when the restaurant was given planning permission to construct a large outdoor seating area beside the nearby roundabout. Many people took issue with the size of the temporary structure, and some argued that it posed a health risk to motorists.

Others argued that the reaction was a little over-the-top.

Local businessmen Paul Cullen and Craig O’Toole, who own La Vista Group, announced in July 2025 that they had leased the premises. They intend on reopening the bar under the name “Thomas Moore Tavern” before the Fleadh Cheoil starts in Wexford on August 3rd, 2025.

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The former Heatons store on South Main Street.

Heatons was situated at 56-60 South Main Street, Wexford. The department store sold houseware, drapery, sporting goods, and clothes.

Prior to Heatons, the building was home to another long-established department store called Coffey’s, which was run by Ray Coffey.

Coffey’s was a traditional Irish store that allowed customers to purchase school clothes and shoes “on tick.” This meant that you could pick up an item and pay for it at a later date.

Many a child in Wexford was kitted out in Coffey’s!

The store was founded in the late 1800s.

Coffey’s closed in 2001. By October of that year, local newspapers were reporting that the department store chain Heatons was close to purchasing the property.

Following the sale, Heatons spent approximately €6 million refurbishing the building and adding an elevator.

It finally opened its doors on Saturday, May 24th, 2003.

In March 2016, the chain was purchased by the parent company of Sports Direct. In the years that followed, all Heatons properties were gradually converted into Sports Direct stores.

In May 2018, the store in Wexford announced that it was closing down. Following a closing down sale, it was rebranded as Sports Direct.

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A photograph of the Meteor store in Wexford.

This former Meteor outlet was situated at 27 North Main Street in Wexford. The name on the store was changed in 2017 after its parent company, Eir, decided to drop the Meteor brand in lieu of its own name.

Meteor was launched in February 2001. In the years that followed, it became extremely popular among teenagers, as it offered cheap prepaid SMS rates and free text messaging between 085 numbers. There were also offers on free calls.

Back then, you had three networks: Vodafone, O2, and Meteor.

Meteor was purchased by Eircom in 2005. Five years later, in 2010, Eircom launched a new brand called eMobile.

In 2015, Eircom rebranded itself by dropping the “com” from its name. Its mobile network was subsequently renamed Eir Mobile.

Two years later, it announced that it was killing off the Meteor brand and that all of its orange-coloured stores would be rebranded under “Eir”.

The Eir store on Wexford’s North Main Street.

Meteor chat

One Meteor feature that everyone seems to have forgotten about is its relatively short-lived SMS-based chatroom service.

So forgotten about, in fact, that there is zero mention of it online. That is until now, of course.

In 2002-2003, Meteor Chat was all the rage among my teenage peers. You could text Meteor’s chat number, specify what chatroom you wanted to join, and even set up your own private room.

For example, our friend group had a specific room number that we would all join.

This was long before social media or WhatsApp became the norm, so it was pretty novel being able to text all of your friends at once and have a group discussion.

Admittedly, it was a bit awkward to use. Every time someone sent a new chat message, it would arrive on your phone as an individual SMS.

Bear in mind that this was during the glory days of the Nokia 3310 and 3210, so there were no such things as “threaded” messages. Texts weren’t neatly organised into contacts or anything like that. Your inbox simply displayed them as one long list. If you joined a chatroom and left your phone unattended, your inbox would quickly fill up with other people’s conversations.

Unfortunately, there were concerns that the service posed a risk to children, as there was little to no moderation. If my memory serves me correctly, the service was closed down in 2003 or 2004.

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A photograph of The Boker. Date: 3rd of January, 2015.

The Boker was situated at 16 Bride Place in Wexford town, near the corner of Carrigeen Street.

Prior to its closure, a corner shop had existed at this location for roughly 70 years.

The name is believed to have originated from the Irish word “bóthar”, which means “road” or “path.” People would often say they were going “up the road” when referring to this area, as it sits at a higher elevation than the surrounding neighbourhoods of Bride Street and Maudlintown.

Over time, the word gradually evolved until it was pronounced as “boker.” This change is a good example of a localised phonetic shift.

The Boker’s most recent long-term owner was Hasan Sunguroglu, who ran the business with his wife, Marie, between the mid-1990s and 2016.

During the summer of 2016, Hasan sold the business to a local woman named Carmel Nolan. Although Carmel attempted to continue running The Boker as a shop, Google Street View images show that the property had once again been listed for sale by May 2017.

Many small shops have struggled to compete with the likes of Tesco, as larger retailers can strike deals with suppliers and afford to sell certain items below the average retail price. In the past 15 years, local shops such as Crossroads, the Olde Pound, Moore’s, Byrne’s of Bishopswater, Downtown News, and Orla Hore have all closed their doors.

The Boker was particularly popular among the students at the nearby CBS, as it sold rolls, sandwiches, sausage rolls, and other deli foods. At lunchtime, the shop would be crammed with students clamouring for a spot in front of the counter.

Some of the students would hang around outside the shop in the mornings, at lunch times, and in the evenings. These were sometimes called the Boker boys.

Those who smoked cigarettes would hilariously refer to themselves as “the Boker smokers.”

Following its closure, it became a vape shop called “the Superior Vape Company.”

September 2019. Credit: Google Maps.

In August 2021, Declan and Mary Roche leased the premises and opened a new “spin-off” shop called An Boker Nua (the new Boker), which was a nod to its original name. Unfortunately, the odds were stacked against them, and they were forced to close their doors in December 2022.

In more recent times, the unit has become the home of the Boker Barbers, which appears to be a relatively busy spot. Hopefully, the business will be a lasting success.

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The exterior of Heffernan’s Pub in Wexford. Photo: June 2025.

Heffernan’s was a pub that was situated at 64 South Main Street in Wexford town.

It had a reputation for being a bit rough. However, I drank at the pub on several occasions over the years, and I never experienced any issues. A number of my older relatives were also regulars up until the late 2000s, and they never mentioned any serious trouble.

Heffernan’s was one of the few establishments that hosted the Irish Traveller community for special events such as funerals. Many of the other businesses around town would find a way to avoid serving them.

It was an old-fashioned, traditional Irish pub that was popular among the working class. Since its closure, many of its patrons have spread out to other bars such as the Foggy Dew, the Pike, Jim McGee’s, and Casey’s (Gaynors).

Heffernan’s closed at some point in 2021. Judging by reviews on social media, it appears as though the doors were shut during the summer of that year. Obviously, it was a difficult time for many publicans due to the social distancing restrictions that were in place. For many, it was the final blow. Especially for those who were weighing up the possibility of retirement.

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