The Rocks, officially known as Trespan Rock, is a popular scenic spot in the south of Wexford Town beside The Faythe and Maudlintown. It offers views of Wexford Town and its harbour.
The site is named for its quartzite outcrops, which provide a vantage point over the low-lying areas of Wexford Town.
These outcrops exist because quartzite, a metamorphic rock, has proved relatively resistant to erosion.
The site was formerly the location of a quarry. A newspaper article from June 1917 described blasting operations there: “The force of an explosion at blasting operations in the Corporation Quarry at Trespan Rock, near the Faythe, was so great on Thursday afternoon that splinters of stone were blown four or five hundred yards distant, and smashed a few window panes in some houses in the Faythe. A piece of stone two pounds in weight is said to have penetrated the roof of one house, thereby terrifying the occupants. Fortunately, no person was hurt and no damage of a serious nature was caused.” After the quarry became disused, the pit would regularly fill up with water.
In the past, The Rocks also served as a navigational aid for sailors navigating Wexford Harbour. A Dutch navigational chart from the 1600s notes Trespan Rock alongside Forth Mountain, Wexford Castle, and Artramon Castle.
Trespan Rock also has historical significance, as Oliver Cromwell used it during his siege of the town in 1649. On 9 October 1649, Cromwell moved his New Model Army from the Spawell Road area of Wexford Town to the site to the south of the town. Around the same time, his fleet landed in the area before unloading siege guns, ammunition, and food supplies. Cromwell positioned the siege guns there, as the location provided his gunners with a strategic view of Wexford Castle and the town wall that protected Wexford Town. This position allowed his forces to bombard the castle with cannon fire until it was breached, an event that ultimately led to the sacking of Wexford Town.
Cromwellsfort House reflects this historical significance. The large, three-storey country house was built in the area in 1783. The surrounding area now includes similarly named residential estates such as Cromwellsfort Avenue, Cromwellsfort Grove, Cromwellsfort Court, Cromwellsfort Heights, and Cromwellsfort Drive.
The flat piece of land below the hill, also known as Hilly Holly, serves as the home ground of St. Mary’s of Maudlintown, a local Gaelic football team. Sometimes referred to as first field, it has hosted primary school sports days in the past.
The site has been rejuvenated in recent years. St. Mary’s of Maudlintown GFC was awarded a 99-year lease for the area in 2011, which allowed the club to transform the land into a well-maintained GAA pitch.
In January 2016, St. Mary’s of Maudlintown officially opened its new clubhouse.
Map
The map shows the location of Trespan Rock in Maudlintown. The site is accessible via a small pedestrian walkway to the left of the bookmaker’s shop on the corner between The Faythe and Maudlintown.