Roche’s Road is a small street in Wexford Town that connects St. Peter’s Square with Bride Street.
It is named after Father James Roche, a Catholic priest who built the town’s “Twin Churches”: Bride Street Church and Rowe Street Church.
Roche’s Terrace overlooks the street from a raised platform with steps at either side. It was among the first housing estates built by the local authority in the town (along with Carrigeen Street). According to local historian Nicky Rossiter’s book, The Streets of Wexford, the houses were completed in September 1889.
US President John F. Kennedy visited County Wexford in 1963. During his visit, his motorcade drove through Roche’s Road. A black and white photograph from the day shows locals taking advantage of the elevated position of Roche’s Terrace to get a better view of the president.
The Wexford garda station was built in the late 1930s on a site locally referred to as The Deddery.
The garda station operated for approximately 80 years before it was relocated to a new facility in the Mulgannon area in 2017. Minister Charlie Flanagan officially opened the new station on 1 August 2018. It houses approximately 120 personnel and was part of a €100 million investment in Garda infrastructure across three regional headquarters. The former station on Roche’s Road was sold at auction in March 2023 for €800,000 to a County Wexford buyer and is intended for residential redevelopment.
Map
A map showing the location of Roche’s Road: