Trinity Street in Wexford Town runs from Paul Quay and the corner of King Street Lower to William Street by Maudlintown. It forms part of the R730 regional road that connects Wexford Quay with Drinagh and the Rosslare Road roundabout.
Trinity Street takes its name from the Church of the Holy Trinity, a Norse-Irish church. No trace of this medieval church remains, as its ruins were likely dismantled to repair Wexford Castle after Oliver Cromwell sacked the town in 1649. As a result, the exact site of the Church of the Holy Trinity remains unknown.
An account from 1644 describes a ceremony that took place at the Church of the Holy Trinity. According to the account, a procession of women took three turns around the ruins before kneeling to pay their respects to the remnants of the church. The older women led the procession, which repeated the circuit several times.
Trinity Street was built on land recovered during 19th-century land reclamation projects in Wexford Town. Maps and illustrations from the time show that a large dockyard existed on the street, constructed by the Redmond family. Over the years, businesses such as Star Iron Works, Wexford Electronix, and Clover Meats have occupied the site. It remains empty, but is slated for conversion into a high-quality business park with corporate office space.
Trinity Street also housed the former South Station, known as Wexford South, which operated from 1891 until its closure in 1977. The town’s original railway station opened at Redmond Square in 1874 and remains Wexford’s train station today. It was known locally as North Station or Wexford North.
The street is home to several businesses, including the Talbot Hotel and ALDI supermarket. Previously, it was the location of Trinity Hire and C+D Providers, both of which have moved.
Trinity Street also provides access to residential areas such as the Seascape apartment building, Parnell Street, Emmet Place, Fisher’s Row, and Seaview Avenue.
Census 1901
The 1901 Census shows that:
- A Presbyterian couple called John and Christina Headrick lived in 1 Trinity Street. They were both born in Scotland and Mr Headrick was an engineer. A 21-year-old Wexford woman called Mary Kavanagh also lived in the house, working as a domestic servant.
- Nine members of the McCabe family lived in 8 Trinity Street. The head of the family, Martin McCabe, was 33 years old and worked as a sailor. Martin and his wife Mary had six sons and one daughter.
- Thomas and Ellen Byrne lived in 20 Trinity Street with their four-month-old daughter, who was also called Ellen. Thomas was a 24-year-old shipwright.
- Ten members of the Rossiter family lived in No. 13. The head of the family was Nicholas Rossiter, a 36-year-old who listed his occupation as “Moulder Iron Works.” He was married to Katherine Rossiter and they had seven children between the ages of 3 and 15. Nicholas’ 30-year-old brother John Rossiter also lived at the house. According to the census, John was a widower with no occupation at the time.
Map
A map showing its location: