Crescent Quay is a part of Wexford Quay in Wexford Town. It is best known for being home to a striking bronze statue of Commodore John Barry, which the USA gave to Wexford as a gift back in the 1950s.
In the photograph above, you can see two streets on either side of the Crescent View Restaurant. Cinema Lane is the small one-way street on the left of the restaurant, whereas Henrietta Street is the street on the right. Both of them lead to Wexford’s South Main Street.
The bronze statue of John Barry was given to Wexford Town as a gift back in the 1950s. It was officially unveiled on Wexford’s quay-front in 1956. Barry, who was born in Tacumshane in County Wexford, is often referred to as the father of the American Navy. He was America’s first commissioned naval officer. The statue was brought to Ireland on board the USS John R. Pierce (DD-753). In 1963, during his visit to County Wexford, US President John F. Kennedy laid a wreath at the base of the statue during a memorial ceremony.
Above, you’ll find a Youtube video showing American president JFK at the wreath-laying ceremony on Crescent Quay.
Above: Taken outside of the Crescent View Restaurant, on the corner of Henrietta Street. The brick building in the distance was once home to a popular pub called Asples. The building on the left was once used as a tourism office. The large building on the corner is home to Asple & Co Accountancy. It was first occupied by the Bank of Ireland back in 1829.
Above: A wider shot of the quay, which was taken by the railway, in front of the new tourism building.
The right side of the quay. Unfortunately, Forde’s Restaurant was recently forced to close its doors. The blue-painted building beside it has seen a number of occupants. Supermarkets Quinnsworth, Crazy Prices and Tesco have all occupied the building at one time or another. This area was used as a bus stop for decades. In the past, shoppers ordered their groceries in Tescos or Crazy Prices before waiting at the bus stop on the quay so that they could make their way home.
In 2007, Tesco made the decision to leave the premises; opting to build a brand new supermarket on Distillery Road, on the site that Pierce’s Foundry once stood on. The move was highly controversial at the time, as Tesco’s withdrawal negatively impacted footfall in the area, which many believed caused the closure of a number of local businesses on South Main Street.
Above: A shot of Crescent Quay, as seen from Wexford’s quay front. Visible are the Potato Market (recently closed) and Eoin O’Gorman solicitors. On the right, you can see the entrance to the car park at Crescent Quay.
Map.
A map showing the location of Crescent Quay. The red marker pinpoints the exact location of the John Barry statue.
