Anne Street, Wexford

Anne Street runs through the centre of Wexford Town. It connects Wexford Quay with North Main Street and South Main Street, which meet at the top of the street. According to Wexford historian Nicky Rossiter, the street likely got its name from Queen Anne, who became Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1702.

Anne Street, Wexford
Anne Street from the railway tracks on Wexford Quay. The blue and grey building on the right is a seafood restaurant called La Cote. Previously, the premises were home to a long-running business called Sidetracks, a popular spot for breakfast and lunch owned by Fergie and Frances Kehoe. The modern building on the left is currently used by the Wexford Credit Union. The bright lights at the top of the street emanate from DV8, a clothing store. Previously, the building was home to fashion retailer AWear and an electrical goods merchant called Joyces of Wexford.
Anne Street
The top of Anne Street in May 2025.

Before local authorities reclaimed the land around Wexford Quay, the shoreline extended up into Anne Street. This became evident in the 19th century when construction workers on the street uncovered remnants of a sandy shoreline.

In the 1920s, Wexford Borough Council attempted to rename the street Thomas Ashe Street, after a founding member of the Irish Volunteers. The proposed change was not legalised, as locals rejected the new name during a plebiscite vote in 1932.

Locally, the street is best known for the social welfare office, now the Intreo Centre. That has made Anne Street synonymous with unemployment, and its name regularly comes up in local jokes and conversation.

The Wexford post office is on the opposite side of the street, housed inside a red-brick building built in 1894.

Anne Street
Anne Street at night, October 2014.

The street was once home to the County Hotel, which stood where the Intreo Centre is today. Many locals recalled the hotel’s Thursday night disco and performances by bands such as Cry Before Dawn and the Bushers.

The street is also home to a 19th-century Presbyterian Church, designed by architect Thomas Willis and built in 1843.

Anne Street also connects with Church Lane car park and North Main Street via a small lane called Fettit’s Lane.

Anne Street
Anne Street in 1981. A still from an RTÉ news report on the economic challenges the town faced at the time.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records families such as Godbey, Creed, Semple, Reilly, Purcell, Lambert, and Murphy living on Anne Street. Examples of the households include:

  • 1 Anne Street: Five members of the Godbey family lived here, along with a 21-year-old domestic servant, Mary Mockley. The Godbeys belonged to the Methodist Church in Ireland. Robert Walter Godbey was the head of the family. The 41-year-old shipping agent was born in Waterford City. His 41-year-old wife Elizabeth was born in County Limerick. They had two sons and a daughter. Their eldest son, George Albert, aged 12, was born in Waterford City. The younger children, Mary Emily Helene, aged 7, and Harold Rowland, aged 2, were both born in Wexford Town. This suggests the Godbey family originally lived in Waterford City. They moved to Wexford Town between 1889 and 1901, likely so Robert Walter could take up a position at Wexford Quay.
  • 3 Anne Street: Three members of the Reilly family lived here. James Reilly was a 62-year-old blacksmith. His wife Frances Reilly was a 67-year-old plain sewer. Their daughter Mary Ellen Reilly, aged 32, was listed as a dressmaker. Frances Reilly was recorded as an “imbecile,” a vague term that could have described a learning difficulty or dementia.

Map

A map showing the location of Anne Street in Wexford Town:

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