A maritime county of the province of Leinster, is bounded, on the north, by Wicklow and Carlow; on the east, by St. George’s Channel; on the south, by the Atlantic Ocean and Waterford Harbour; and on the west, by Kilkenny and Carlow. Its greatest length, from north to south, is about 60 miles; its greatest breadth, from east to west, is about 35 miles; and its area is 576,588 statute acres, or about 901 square miles, of which about 450,000 acres are arable or under cultivation, 80,000 bog and waste, 20,000 woodland, and the rest towns, villages, roads, and water (including portions of bays and harbours).
POPULATION, In 1831, 202,239; in 1841, 202,033, showing a slight decrease of 206, or about 0.1 per cent. Houses in 1841, 33,614. Families chiefly employed in agriculture, 27,614; in manufactures and trade, 4,000; in other pursuits, 2,000. Families dependent chiefly on property and professions, 1,614; on the direction of labour, 10,614; on their own manual labour, 25,614; on means not specified, small number.
The county is divided into 11 baronies: Ballaghkeen North, Ballaghkeen South, Bantry, Bargy, Forth, Scarawalsh, Shelmaliere East, Shelmaliere West, and three others (often listed as Gorey, Enniscorthy, Wexford). It contains 135 civil parishes, and parts of others; about 2,000 townlands. Poor Law Unions: Enniscorthy, New Ross (part), Wexford. The Poor-Law valuation is about £300,000 to £350,000.
SURFACE AND TOPOGRAPHY, The surface is diversified: the north and centre undulating champaign with fertile plains and valleys; the south-east low and level with sandy shores; the south-west hilly with the Blackstairs Mountains (on border with Carlow, up to 2,400 feet in Mount Leinster); the east coast bold in parts with cliffs, bays, and harbours. Mean elevation about 300 feet above sea-level. Bogs occur in low tracts (reclaimable); limestone in north and centre (good manure); sandstone, slate in hills; scenery picturesque with river valleys, wooded demesnes, and sea-views.
RIVERS AND BAYS, The chief rivers are the Slaney (principal, rises in Wicklow, traverses centre to Wexford Harbour, navigable to Enniscorthy); the Barrow (forms western boundary in part, navigable); the Bride (tributary); Owen Duff, Boro, Urrin, etc. Bays and harbours: Wexford Harbour (sheltered, but bar difficult); Waterford Harbour (southern, excellent); Rosslare Bay, Courtown Harbour (small), Cahore Point. Fisheries valuable (herring, cod, haddock on coast; salmon in rivers).
SOIL AND AGRICULTURE, The soil is generally fertile: rich loam and clay in valleys and north (excellent for wheat, barley, oats); sandy or gravelly near coast; strong clayey in parts. Limestone districts highly productive with marl. Crops: wheat (noted quality), barley, oats, potatoes extensive, turnips improving. Pasture supports dairy cattle (butter high quality), sheep. Tillage advanced with rotations, liming; farms medium; husbandry superior in east, backward in hilly west.
CLIMATE, Mild, moist; heavy rainfall from Atlantic and sea influence; salubrious, tempered by proximity to St. George’s Channel.
MINERALS, Limestone abundant; sandstone, slate (quarried); iron ore (worked limitedly); coal traces; marl, ochre.
TRADE AND MANUFACTURES, Chiefly agricultural; exports via Wexford port (grain, butter, cattle, provisions to Liverpool, Bristol); imports coal, timber. Fisheries important. Manufactures limited: brewing, distilling, milling, coarse linen.
TOWNS, Wexford (county town, seaport, pop. about 11,000); Enniscorthy (market town on Slaney, pop. about 6,000); New Ross (on Barrow, pop. about 8,000, shared with Kilkenny); Gorey (pop. about 2,500); Ferns; Taghmon; Rosslare; Courtown; etc.
ECCLESIASTICAL, Diocese of Ferns (province of Dublin; cathedral at Ferns ruins); parts in Ossory. Roman Catholic diocese of Ferns; numerous chapels. Protestant churches in towns. Tithes commuted.
ANTIQUITIES, Very rich: Ferns Castle and cathedral ruins; Enniscorthy Castle; Vinegar Hill (battle site 1798); Johnstown Castle; abbeys (Selskar in Wexford, Dunbrody, Tintern); round towers (Ferns, etc.); high crosses; raths, forts, cromlechs; Norman castles and churches abundant; 1798 rebellion sites
Ireland in 1846
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
County Wexford:
Ireland’s county Wexford combines coastal beauty with historic sites, with the Hook Lighthouse, one of the world’s oldest, offering scenic coastal views. The Irish National Heritage Park recreates ancient and medieval settlements, while Wexford’s beaches, like Curracloe, provide sandy shores for walking. Other attractions include the historic town of Enniscorthy and its castle. Wexford is Ireland’s 13th largest county by size (2,351 square km) and 14th largest by population (163,919). Population peaked at 202,033 in 1841 and reached its lowest point, 83,308 in 1961. In terms of hospitality, Wexford is Ireland’s eighth most visited tourist county with around 229,000 international visitors per year.
Introduction – Adventure – Anthem – Archaeology – Attractions – Awards – Birdwatching – Camping – Castles – Churches – Contact list – Cycling – Dining – Equestrian – Festivals – Fishing – Folklore – Gardens – Golf – Graveyards – Happening – Haunted – Highest – Hiking – History – Holy Wells – Hotels – Hotels top 8 – Hunting & shooting – Instagrammable – Itineraries – Largest town – Luxury – MICE – Movies – Music – Name – New – Novelists – Off the beaten track – Poets – Pubs – Quotes – Random Facts – Restaurant Awards – Sacred Places – Saints – Songs – Spas – Sports – Sunsets – Sustainable – Things to do – Towns – Video – Villages – Walking – Wanderlist – Weddings– Wild swimming – Writers – 1837 – 1846– 1852 – 1909 – 1955 – 1980 –
