Cornmarket, a historic marketplace in the centre of Wexford Town, traces its origins to a pre-Viking Irish settlement.
Dr George Hadden, a native of Wexford Town, medical doctor, and historian, suggested that the area was home to a marketplace that pre-dated the arrival of the Vikings in 800 AD. According to Nicky Rossiter’s book The Streets of Wexford, this early settlement formed the foundation for what became the town’s official corn exchange.
Authorities formally designated it as a market following the Norman arrival in Ireland in the late 12th century. It became an official trading space for the sale of corn, giving the street its name.
The market continued to flourish under Norman rule. Authorities introduced regulations stipulating that corn had to be sold exclusively at Cornmarket. Officials designated John’s Gate (near the exit of the Rowe Street Church car park) as the official entry point for farmers bringing their produce into the town.
Today, Cornmarket is a modern street lined with shops, restaurants, and businesses, connecting Mallin Street and John’s Gate Street with Abbey Street and The Bullring.
Wexford Arts Centre
The Wexford Arts Centre occupies a historic building on the western side that was originally known as The Market House or The Assembly Rooms.
Construction began in 1772 and was completed in 1776. The building featured open arches on the front, which were later converted into windows to facilitate trading, and a ballroom and supper room on the top floor.
It served as the town hall for the Wexford Corporation, later the Wexford Borough Council, until 1951, when the council relocated to the municipal buildings in Wygram.
In 1974, the building became the Wexford Arts Centre.
Thomas Moore
The building that houses Thomas Moore Tavern was built circa 1750 to serve as a three-storey house. Anastasia Codd, the mother of Irish poet and songwriter Thomas Moore, was born here.
During the mid-2000s, the building was renovated and connected with the commercial building beside Whites Hotel.
The Gut
The section beside Kelly’s of Cornmarket was known as The Gut before it was widened to accommodate traffic.
The Gut connected The Bullring and North Main Street with the Cornmarket.
This is a common term used to describe narrow passages, sometimes referred to as “squeeze-gut” alleys.
The building now housing Kelly’s of Cornmarket comprised several different shops in the past. It also contained an independent church called Bethesda with Reverend Thomas Dillon as its pastor. A theatre operated here from around 1830 until 1832.
Map
A map showing the location of Cornmarket: