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.

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The news caught most people by surprise, as it had been in business for 35 years, having first opened its doors in September 1988.

The front bar of the Centenary Stores in November 2014.

For many, it was the first place they thought of when someone mentioned Wexford’s nightlife. Over the years, it had proved its staying power by beating off competition from the likes of The Colony, The Music Factory, The Renaissance, and Mooneys.

It was opened by the late businessman Michael Tierney, who sadly passed away in December 2022 following a battle with motor neurone disease (MND). It started as a small bar on Charlotte Street before the rooms at the back were added. Later, it became a three-floor nightclub, with each floor playing different music.

The front of The Stores. The building was remodeled at some point in the early-to-mid 2000s.

It was so popular that it had to limit admissions to ticket holders on special occasions such as New Year’s Eve.

Summer nights would see the place packed, particularly when Wexford’s hurling team overperformed. During the financial exuberance of the Celtic Tiger era, it would even open on Tuesdays, allowing people who worked on the weekends to have a night out.

Queues were a common sight.

The Centenary Stores wasn’t just known for its nightclub. On Sunday afternoons, it hosted trad sessions on the street outside. It was also a very popular spot for lunch.

Why did it close?

Nightclubs across Ireland have been struggling to keep their doors open due to rising costs and dwindling customer numbers.

Business owners typically identify insurance costs as a key issue. For example, in 2023, it was estimated that the average nightclub paid approximately €92,000 per year in insurance premiums.

To make matters worse, the cost of living has significantly increased since 2020, and many young people are suffering due to the ongoing rental crisis. If they are struggling to pay rent and put food on the table, they’re unlikely to spend €100 on a night out.

In addition to this, young people are now drinking less than they did before. They go to the gym and visit coffee shops. Living a healthy lifestyle is no longer considered “boring.” Furthermore, the “party hard” culture of the previous generations appears to fallen out of favour. This shift may be due to the rise of fitness influencers on social media and increased awareness about the dangers of alcohol.

The ongoing taxi shortage is another issue that is impacting nightlife in Wexford and Ireland in general. During the 1990s and 2000s, it was common to see minibuses pulling up, packed with patrons from the countryside. These days, it is difficult to find a taxi. And if you do happen to find one, it’ll cost you a pretty penny.

Ten years ago, you could stumble out of The Stores, wait inside Wexford Cabs across the road, and get a taxi within 10-30 minutes. Sometimes, even sooner. These days, you have to worry about how long you’ll be standing outside Dunnes Stores in the rain and cold.

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An abandoned wheelchair:

Hospital beds that have been stripped bare:

A wheelchair that reads “Cardiac Cath Lab”:

Aerie-looking corridors:

Empty rooms:

What looks to be a reception area:

The staff canteen:

An old stairway:

A weathered swing set:

Teddy bear:

Trolley dolly – a makeshift cart that was probably used to carry around refreshments:

If you want to see more interesting photographs like these, be sure to check out the Uncharted Ireland Facebook page!

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St. Senan’s Psychiatric Hospital.

An aerial photograph of St. Senan’s Psychiatric Hospital in Enniscorthy – most of which lays abandoned:

St. Senan’s Psychiatric Hospital in Enniscorthy.

St. Senan’s was originally opened during the 19th Century as the “Lunatic Asylum for the Insane Poor of Mind”.

Castleboro House.

Castleboro House was built during the 1700s by Robert Shapland Carew. In 1923, during the Irish Civil War, the mansion set on fire by local IRA sympathisers.

The ruins of Castleboro House in County Wexford.

Wilton Castle.

Wilton Castle is situated in Bree in County Wexford. Its beginnings can be traced back as far as the 1200s, when a fortified tower was built on the land.

Wilton Castle in Bree, Enniscorthy.

Loftus Hall.

Loftus Hall in Wexford’s Hook peninsula is often touted as “the most haunted house in Ireland.” According to local folklore, the house was visited by the devil during a storm in 1766.

Loftus Hall in the Hook peninsula.

To see more aerial shots and photographs of abandoned places, be sure to check out the Uncharted Ireland Facebook page!

The post Four amazing aerial photographs of famous Wexford landmarks. appeared first on Wexford Hub.

Unfortunately, national opinion polls tend to ignore the so-called ‘local factor’. i.e. A voter might not like Party X, but he or she may still vote for a Party X candidate, simply because the candidate in question is perceived to have worked hard for the local community. There are a number of different local dynamics that can come into play during an election, and many of these can be missed by pollsters.

One interesting approach is to look at the odds that bookmakers such as Paddy Power are offering. Although Paddy Power do not disclose how they have calculated their odds, their odds for the Wexford constituency do seem to fall in-line with predictions from internal party polls. If one were to take a guess: Paddy Power’s constituency odds are based on a combination of local poll results, national poll results and betting activity.

If we work on the assumption that these odds are somewhat correct, then this is what the result of the 2016 General Election will look like:

• Fine Gael: 61 seats (38.6%).
• Fianna Fail: 33 seats (20.8%).
• Sinn Fein: 26 seats (16.5%).
• Independents: 13 seats (8.2%).
• Labour: 12 seats (7.6%).
• AAA/PBP: 4 seats (2.5%).
• Social Democrats: 3 seats (1.9%).
• Renua: 3 seats (1.9%).
• Green Party: 1 seat (0.6%).
• United Left: 1 seat (0.6%).

A pie chart of the above data:

A pie chart highlighting Paddy Power’s prediction for the 2016 General Election.

Winners & Losers.

So, who will gain seats and who will lose seats? Note that the number of sitting TDs was reduced from 166 to 158 in 2012, so we’ll have to work on % of seats won:

• Fine Gael’s seat share will drop by 7.1% to 38.6%.
• Fianna Fail’s will increase their seat share by 8.8%, from 12% to 20.8%.
• Sinn Fein will increase their seat share by 8%, from 8.4% to 16.4%.
• Labour’s seat share will drop by 15.3%, from 22.9% to 7.6%.

Both Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein will increase their number of seats:

• Sinn Fein: +48.7%.
• Fianna Fail: +42.3%.
• Fine Gael: -15.5%.
• Labour:  -66.8%.

If the bookmakers are correct, then Labour will have their worst General Election since 1987.

Coalitions.

To form a majority, 79 out of 158 seats will be required. This means that if Fine Gael and Labour want to form the next government, they will need to pick up 79 seats between them. So, where do the possible coalitions stand?

• Fine Gael & Labour: 73 seats. 6 seats away from being able to form a government.
• Fianna Fail & Sinn Fein: 59 seats. 20 seats away.
• Fine Gael, Labour and Renua: 76 seats. 3 seats away.
• Fine Gael, Labour and the Social Democrats: 76 seats. 3 seats away.
• Fine Gael & Fianna Fail: 94 seats. More than enough to form a stable government.
• Sinn Fein, AAA, PBP, United Left and the Social Democrats: 34 seats.
• Fine Gael, Labour, Renua and 3 independent candidates: 79.
• Fine Gael, Labour, Renua and the Social Democrats: 79.

As you can see, most of the coalition possibilities that were listed above have not reached the 79 seats mark that is required for a majority. This tells us that a rainbow coalition of Fine Gael, Labour, Renua / Social Democrats and a number of independents is the most likely outcome. It also tells us that a left-wing-led government is unlikely.

Warning.

These are the odds, not the actual results. In many constituencies, the odds for the last two spots are pretty close. i.e. The last two seats are difficult to try and predict, as transfers from eliminated candidates can bring a number of surprises. For example: In Wexford, it is expected that Fine Gael’s Michael  D’arcy will take the last spot. However, Sinn Fein’s Johnny Mythen is currently at his heels, and he may be able to sneak in if the transfers from other left-wing candidates are favourable enough.

The post Who will win the 2016 General Election? appeared first on Wexford Hub.

The Star.

The Star is probably the most recent example of a popular Wexford outlet closing its doors for the final time. During the Easter period of 2015, The Star restaurant and bakery ceased trading after 43 years of being in business on Wexford’s South Main Street.

A photograph of The Star after it had closed its doors. A small sign on the front window reads “Good Luck”.

Whites For Music.

Whites For Music was situated on South Main Street, at the corner of Keyser’s Lane. Over the years, the store sold CDs, tape cassettes, MP3 players, DVDs and concert tickets. Sadly, it announced that it was closing back in June of 2014. During the 30 years that Whites For Music was in business, it was pretty common to see large groups of people lining up outside of the store at night – positioning themselves for the early-morning ticket release of an upcoming concert.

The Whites For Music store on Wexford’s South Main Street. Nowadays, the premises is home to Nikara Hair & Beauty Studio.

George Bridges toy shop.

George Bridges toy store on Selskar Street was a place of wonder for the children of Wexford. His small Toymaster shop, which stood across from Trimmer’s Lane, was the source of many fond memories. In the run-up to Christmas, Mr Bridges displayed a countdown to the long-awaited day. His shop was also well-known for its fantastic Lego displays.

A photograph of the vacant premises that used to house George Bridges toy store. This was taken in December of 2014, months before the building was completely demolished.

Woolworths.

On Friday, the 4th of April, 1952, Woolworths brought a new retail experience to Wexford’s main street. The Woolworths store on South Main Street sold a wide variety of goods, such as clothes, ice cream, Christmas decorations, music records, books, toys and cosmetics. For many Wexford people, it was their first real experience of visiting a superstore. Unfortunately, “Woolies” closed in 1984 when the company decided to pull out of Ireland due to financial concerns. Nowadays, the premises is occupied by Penneys.

A photograph of the Woolworths outlet on South Main Street. This photograph belongs to the Denis O’Connor Archive. Taken in 1956.

Pierce’s Foundry.

Pierce’s Foundry was situated on Distillery Road, where the Tesco supermarket is today. The company was a major source of employment for Wexford Town and the surrounding area. Many people that grew up during this era often reminisce about  “Pierce’s horn”, which rang out across the town. For many children in the area, Pierce’s lunchtime horn acted as a reminder that they needed to return home for dinner!

Pierce’s Foundry in later times. The company was forced to close in 2002.

BPM.

This one is for our younger readers, whom I’m sure will fondly remember BPM and the wide selection of music that it offered. It was best known for its posters, its listening station and its wide selection of music material.

The BPM records store on Selskar Street.

Unfortunately, BPM was one of the first businesses in Wexford to fall victim to the Internet, as it struggled to compete with online sales and the rise of music piracy. The chain was forced to suspend its business activities back in 2011.

M&J’s.

M&J’s was a chipper that was situated on North Main Street, where Westgate Design and Lifestyle Sports are today. Many Wexfordians will recall how tasty a bag of chips from M&J’s tended to be!

Buckland.

Buckland was a booksellers, newsagents and tobacconists that was located on South Main Street, close to where Hores Stores is. It was run by two ladies called May and Ita. This was the go-to place for Christmas annuals, foreign newspapers, magazines and comic books such as Bunty, Judy and The Beano.

Above: A photograph of Buckland. Taken by Kevin Freeney – [email protected]

Quinnsworth & Crazy Prices.

Before Tesco, the supermarket at the end of Lowney’s Mall was called Quinnsworth (in later years, Quinnsworth began to use their brand name “Crazy Prices” instead). In 1997, Tesco purchased the Quinnsworth supermarket chain and rebranded it as “Tesco Ireland”. Ten years later, in 2007, Tesco left Lowney’s Mall and moved to a new site on Distillery Road. Unfortunately, this had a harmful effect on businesses that had been operating in the mall, as the back entrance on Oyster Lane was closed off and places such as Rendezvous cafe closed due to the decreased footfall.

The old entrance to Lowney’s Mall and Quinnsworth.

Pubs.

A number of great pubs have disappeared from the town over the years. These include The Tower Bar on North Main Street, Andy Kinsellas on South Main Street, Reds, Archers, The Bohemian Girl on Selskar Street, The Selskar Lounge, Tim’s Tavern and The Commodore.

On the left, you can see The Selskar Lounge and Bar. On the right, you can see Finegan’s newsagents.

Sadly, Selskar Bar closed its doors in January of 2007 after 100 years of being in business.

The County Hotel.

The County Hotel on Anne Street was popular for staff dinners, wedding receptions, Thursday night discos and live music from bands such as Wexford group Cry Before Dawn:

The hotel closed its doors in 1989 / 1990.

Coffey’s.

Clothing store Coffey’s was situated on South Main Street, where Heatons is today. The store was best known for its popular payment plan, which allowed customers to pay for purchased items at a later date, via weekly or monthly installments. Many a child in Wexford was kitted out with a new jacket or pair of shoes in Coffey’s!

Cinemas.

Wexford has also had its fair share of cinemas over the years. You had The Palace Cinema in Cinema Lane, The Capitol Cinema on South Main Street, the Abbey Theater on Upper George’s Street and the Savoy Cineplex on Redmond Road:

The Savoy Cineplex cinema in Wexford Town.

And the rest…

A list of some of the other institutions that Wexford people regularly reminisce about:

• Grace’s chipper on Bride Street.
• The Red Rooster chipper on John’s Gate Street.
• O’Faolain’s on Monck Street.
• Sidetracks on Wexford Quay.
• The service station across from the entrance to Wexford Bridge.
• Record shop T.V.R.S.
• The Gem corner shop on Abbey Street.
• Crossroads foodstore at the top of Hill Street.
• O’Tooles on South Main Street.
• Bessie O’Connor’s bakery shop.
• Whelan’s newsagents.
• Jenkins department store.
• Loves Cafe on North Main Street.
• Woolhead on South Main Street.
• The Ritz Cafe in the Bullring.

Think we’re missing an obvious one? Post a comment below!

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