Hook Lighthouse is among the oldest lighthouses
Hook Lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse in Ireland and the second oldest in the world, after the Tower of Hercules in Spain, which dates from the 1st century AD. William Marshall, Strongbow’s son-in-law, built the tower in the early 1200s. He needed a lighthouse in the area after establishing a port in the nearby town of New Ross. Monks from a nearby monastery are believed to have served as the first custodians. They reportedly assisted in the construction and warned sailors by lighting beacon fires on the Hook peninsula.
Selskar Abbey
Selskar Abbey in Wexford Town stands on the site where Diarmait Mac Murchada and Norman representatives signed the first Anglo-Irish peace treaty in 1169. Other Leinster kings had recently removed him as King of Leinster, setting in motion the events that led to the Norman invasion of Ireland.
Yola
Until the mid-1800s, people in southern County Wexford spoke a dialect of English known as Yola. It evolved from Middle English, which the Normans brought to Wexford during the invasion. The Wexford Slang word “quare,” meaning “very,” is a surviving Yola term.
Narrow streets
Wexford Town’s narrow streets are a legacy of the Vikings, who founded the town in 800 AD. They preferred narrow, winding streets measuring between four and six metres in width because they made large-scale attacks difficult for enemies.
Zorro
Professor Fabio Troncarelli of Viterbo University found evidence in the Vatican’s Inquisition archives that the real Zorro was a man called William Lamport. Lamport was an Irish Catholic adventurer born in Wexford Town in the 1600s.
Saving Private Ryan
Filmmakers shot the D-Day landing scenes from Saving Private Ryan (1998) on Ballinesker Beach in County Wexford. Filming began in June 1997, and the production injected over £6 million into the local economy.
Wexford Opera House
Wexford Opera House is Ireland’s first custom-built, multi-purpose opera house. The Wexford Opera Festival has been running since 1951.
John Barry
The “Father of the American Navy,” John Barry, was born in the village of Tacumshane, County Wexford. In 1797, President George Washington appointed Barry as the senior captain of the US Navy, issuing him Commission Number 1. The bronze statue on Wexford Town’s Crescent Quay was a gift from the USA, delivered by the United States Navy Destroyer USS John R. Pierce (DD-753) in the 1950s.
Sunshine
County Wexford is the sunniest county in Ireland. Statistics show that the “sunny south east” receives an average of 4.38 hours of sunshine per day, well above the 3.2 hours per day recorded in counties such as Offaly.
Leinster
Geographically, County Wexford is the largest county in Leinster, covering 2,353 km². This makes it roughly the same size as Lake Edward in Africa.
The 1798 Rebellion
During the 1798 rebellion, the most successful and destructive uprising took place in County Wexford. The uprising lasted from 27 May to 22 June and led to the establishment of a republican regime. After British forces crushed the rebellion, they arrested and hanged its leaders, most of them on Wexford Bridge.
St. Iberius Church
St. Iberius Church on Wexford Town’s Main Street is thought to stand on a Christian site dating back to 400 AD, from the time of St. Patrick.
The Bullring
The Bull Ring takes its name from a blood sport known as bull-baiting, which settlers introduced to Wexford Town in the 1600s. The Cruelty to Animals Act of 1835 outlawed the sport, which had become a public nuisance.
Pre-history
Humans were living in County Wexford as far back as 5000 BC, making it one of the earliest inhabited areas in Ireland due to its proximity to Britain.
John F. Kennedy
Patrick Kennedy, the great-grandfather of US President John F. Kennedy, emigrated to the United States from Dunganstown in New Ross during the mid-1800s. In June 1963, Kennedy visited his ancestral home in County Wexford.
Nuclear Plant
During the 1970s, Carnsore Point was the proposed site of a nuclear power plant, prompting protest rallies and concerts organised by anti-nuclear groups. The British and Irish Communist Organisation, which supported nuclear power, picketed these protest concerts.
The Count of Monte Cristo
Filmmakers shot scenes from The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) in the village of Duncannon, including a major scene at Duncannon Fort, a fortress built in 1588. The film, starring Guy Pearce, Jim Caviezel, and Luis Guzmán, grossed over $75 million at the worldwide box office.