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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Chan’s Restaurant in Wexford town. Photo taken in November 2014.

Chan’s was situated at 90 North Main Street in Wexford town.

Raymond and Rose Chan opened the popular Chinese restaurant in the early 1980s. It closed in December 2021 after they decided to retire.

Most Wexford people will have eaten here at some point, especially anyone who grew up during the 1980s or 1990s. Back then, there wasn’t a lot of choice for different types of food in the town. If you weren’t into pub grub, then your options were typically limited to Chinese food, pizza, or fish and chips.

Many a communion and confirmation meal were held inside these walls.

I remember going to Chans with my family on Christmas Eve in the late 1990s. The smoking ban was years away, so most restaurants had a smoking and non-smoking section. To this day, I still remember seeing a blonde, middle-aged woman sitting by herself at the window on the left, lighting up a cigarette just moments after she had finished her meal.

Different times that seem a lifetime away.

Although a handful of other Chinese restaurants sprung up over the years, Chans will always be remembered as one of the originals.

Following its closure, the building became the home of a new Indo-Thai restaurant called Copper Chimney.

P.S. Let’s not forget Chan’s Takeaway in Selskar:

Chan’s Takeaway was situated at 15 Selskar Street.

The building above is now home to Prime Pizza & Kebabs.

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Chocolate Bar in November 2014.

Chocolate Bar was a pub and bistro that was situated on Common Quay Street in Wexford town, near the Bullring. It was a very popular spot throughout the 2000s and early 2010s.

This photograph of the inside is facing towards the bar area.

It closed its doors at the end of 2014. Afterwards, the building became home to an Asian street food restaurant called Ramen.

Chocolate was my go-to choice to watch football games. On the 14th of April, 2009, I visited the bar to watch Chelsea and Liverpool’s exciting 4-4 draw in the Champions League quarter-finals. Five years later, on the 13th of April, 2014, I ate lunch in the smoking area and watched as Philippe Coutinho sealed Liverpool a 3-2 victory over Manchester City.

It had multiple TVs. At night, these would often play music videos from the likes of Timbaland and 50 Cent.

At the end of 2014, it was reported that the property had been listed for sale. Not long after, the smoking area was boarded up.

The outside in January 2015. The windows at the top were still displaying the logo of a nightclub called the Renaissance.

The Renaissance

Up until around 2009, Chocolate also had a nightclub called the Renaissance.

It opened at some point in the mid-2000s. At the time, the two main players in town were the Centenary Stores and the Colony, and clubbers would often swap between them.

When the Renaissance launched, it provided a third option for people who wanted something different. It was considerably smaller than the other two nightclubs, which was actually a good thing, as it gave the place an intimate, personal charm. Its larger competitors often felt empty and deserted on quieter nights.

Many people would head to Chocolate for a few drinks while they waited for the Renaissance to open. At around 10pm, the double doors would open, and people would begin to line up.

People would line up at the double doors on the right.

Once you got past the bouncers, you walked up a flight of stairs and entered the nightclub.

These are photographs of the dancefloor. The photo on the left is pointing towards the stage in the back. The photo on the right is looking towards the entrance to the dancefloor. The Renaissance had a second floor, which looped around the exterior.

Sadly, Wexford’s nightlife suffered tremendously following the post-2008 Irish economic downturn, as the crowds dwindled, young people emigrated, and patrons began to spend less.

Various photographs of the seating areas.

During the recession, nightclubs such as the Renaissance, the Lava Lounge, and the Music Factory were all forced to close their doors.

The Lava Lounge was a short-lived nightclub on Wexford Quay.

When the Renaissance closed, Chocolate remained open. Although it battled through the downturn and continued to operate as a bar for the next four or five years, it seems as though the owners finally decided to throw in the towel at the end of 2014.

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17 Commercial Quay.

I was looking through an old hard drive when I came across these photographs of Metro 17, a bar that was located on Wexford’s Commercial Quay.

Although I only visited the bar a handful of times, it did seem like a pretty nice spot. All of my memories of the place seem to revolve around watching major boxing events and the 2014 World Cup.

Inside the bar.

Metro 17 opened in September 2009. A brave move when you consider that Ireland was in a deep recession, and popular nightclubs were closing left, right, and centre.

Prior to that, the building was home to Shooters, a small bar that had a pool table and a darts board.

Shooters felt like a college dive bar. It offered pitchers and cocktails. Many people would drink here before heading to the Centenary Stores.

Metro 17 closed in 2015. Following its closure, the building lay vacant until it was eventually purchased by the owners of the adjacent Crown Bar.

When I entered the smoking area for the first time, it was packed with people dancing and singing along to “Pursuit Of Happiness” by Kid Cudi. Simpler times.

In recent years, the building was amalgamated into the Crown Bar.

The Crown Bar in July 2023. Credit: Google Maps.

It is now a live venue called the Crown Live, which hosts musicians and comedians.

The projector was often used during big sporting occasions.

On the night of Saturday, the 29th of November, 2014, I grabbed my tripod and started taking night shots of various places around Wexford town. I’m a big fan of night shots, as I think that they give off a nice aesthetic.

When I set up my tripod on the path across from Metro 17, a few staff members at the front door started looking at me and pointing at me.

At first, I thought, “They’re just curious.” However, I was quickly proven wrong.

Before I knew it, a group of bouncers were storming across the road towards me.

When they reached me, they demanded to know why I was taking photographs.

At the time, I was pretty confused, as I wasn’t expecting such a reaction. One of the bouncers told me that I had no permission to take photos of the property. I informed him that he was mistaken, as I was standing in a public place.

I was well within my rights.

They eventually eased up and walked away once I explained that I was taking photos of multiple places and that Metro 17 was just one of many stops.

The entire interaction left me bewildered. I couldn’t understand why they would overreact in such a way.

Later, it dawned on me that they might have been worried that I was a “concerned citizen” who was somehow “vetting” their ID verification process.

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In September 2019, the owners announced that their South Main Street location in Wexford would close for renovations. Fifteen months later, in January 2021, the restaurant reopened as a traditional fish and chip shop called the Salt & Vinegar.

The diner in December 2014.

Unfortunately, the new chipper didn’t last very long. Activity on its Facebook page indicates that it shut down at some point in 2022.

Rita and Pio Veccio established the diner in 1995. However, they sold the business in February 2009 so that they could focus on a new venture in Clonard.

Before big names such as McDonald’s, KFC, Supermac’s, and Domino’s came to Wexford, diners relied on Uncle Sam’s and Burger Mac if they wanted American-style fast food. Otherwise, they had to settle for a bag of chips, a Chinese, or maybe a pizza from Robertino’s.

The diner was particularly popular among pubgoers in the southern end of the town, as it was one of the few places that stayed open late into the night. It also attracted teenagers, especially after they poured out of discos such as “Tracks” and “Twisters,” which were often hosted in the nearby Dun Mhuire.

By 2019, the fast food landscape had entirely changed. Similar restaurants had sprung up around town, and there was also increased competition from the larger brands. These factors may explain why the owners decided to pivot to a more traditional cuisine.

In June 2025, the premises became the home of Mizzoni’s Pizza and Mario’s Pasta Bar.

Mizzoni’s Pizza on South Main Street.

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