Wexford

Wexford, town, Republic of Ireland

Wexford, town (1991 pop. 15,393), seat of Co. Wexford, SE Republic of Ireland, on Wexford Harbour, which is formed by the Slaney River estuary. Wexford serves as the headquarters of the Roman Catholic diocese of Ferns. It is a business center; agricultural produce and farm animals are raised. Malting, fishing, and tourism are important. English invaders signed a treaty there with the Irish in 1169; Oliver Cromwell sacked it in 1649; and the United Irishmen made it their headquarters in 1798. Of interest are Selskar, or St. Sepulchre, Abbey (12th cent.), the Church of St. Patrick, and the old Bull Ring (scene of bullfights). The town was once noted for its fairs and tourneys. Today its opera company specializes in rarely heard works.

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Wexford, county, Republic of Ireland

Wexford (wĕks`fərd), county (1991 pop. 102,069), 910 sq mi (2,357 sq km), SE Republic of Ireland. The county seat is the port city of Wexford. Most of the land is low and fertile, but on the western border Mt. Leinster in the Blackstairs Mts. rises to 2,610 ft (796 m). The Slaney is the principal river. Wexford is chiefly an agricultural region; wheat is the chief crop, and cattle are raised. The chief port is Rosslare. The name Wexford is Danish in origin, and evidence exists of the area's early Danish occupation.

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Wexford

1. a county of SE Republic of Ireland, in Leinster province on the Irish Sea: the first Irish county to be colonized from England; mostly low-lying and fertile. County town: Wexford. Pop.: 116 596 (2002). Area: 2352 sq. km (908 sq. miles)

2. a port in SE Republic of Ireland, county town of Co. Wexford: sacked by Oliver Cromwell in 1649. Pop.: 17 235 (2002)