1105 



WEXFORD. 



WKXFORD. 



1106 



until it underlies a tongue of stratified limestone, which extends to 

 the extremity of Hook Point, and is arranged in thin strata dipping 

 at an angle of 4 to 8 towards the south. This limestone con- 

 tains numerous bivalves and eorallites. The sandstone rocks form 

 the precipitous coast about Baginbun Point, and appear in several 

 detached spots in the county, among which is the inner haven of 

 Wexford Harbour. The rugged eminence called Tara Hill, alluded to 

 above, consists of porphyry, with a base of compact felspar, occasion- 

 ally passing into hornstone with inlaid crystals of glassy felspar. 

 Greenstone also appears here occasionally. In addition to the lime- 

 stone at Hook Point, some is found a little south of Wexford town, 

 and also at Duncormuck, about the middle of the southern coast. 

 The Saltee Islands are clay-slate surmounted by beds of sandstone. 

 Lead has been found and worked at Cairn, or Cairme. Silver was 

 formerly raised near Clonmines, where there are the remains of an 

 ancient mine ; galena has also been found there. Copper-ore exists 

 at Kerlogue, near Wexford; and plumbago and asbestos have been 

 recently discovered at Greenfield, near Enniscorthy. Horns and bones 

 of the moose-deer hare been discovered in the alluvial district* on 

 the east and south, where marl occurs ; and some years ago a perfect 

 fossil specimen of the Cervtu Megacerot, or gigantic deer of Ireland, 

 of extraordinary dimensions, was found at Ballyhuskard, near the Bog 

 of Itty. 



Climate, Soil, and Produce, In climate, those parts of Wexford 

 which lie open to the aea are milder in temperature than the adjacent 

 counties of Carlow and Kilkenny. Scow seldom remains on the 

 ground in these districts, and agricultural operations may often be 

 carried on without interruption while lands 10 miles inland are 

 covered with snow or locked up with frost. The southern district is 

 exposed to storm* in spring and autumn, and to heavy rains in winter ; 

 but the climate is peculiarly favourable to the perfection of grain 

 crop*. 



In 1853 there were in the county under crop 247,510 acres, of 

 which 17,014 acres grew wheat, 88,218 acres oats, 49,730 acres barley, 

 bere, rye, pea*, and beans ; 25,603 acres potatoes, 15,355 acres 

 turnips, 6247 acres other green crops, 461 acres flax, and 44,882 acres 

 were in meadow in clover. Of plantations, there were 24,343 acres 

 in 1841, yielding oak, ash, elm, beech, fir, mixed timber, and fruit. 

 The stock, on 16,732 holdings in 1852, was 24,465 horse>, 74SO males 

 and awes, 78,172 head of cattle, 81,593 sheep. 63,930 pig*, 9340 goats, 

 and 331,415 head of poultry. The total value of the stock here 

 enumerated was estimated at 900.072/. 



The manufactures of the county are of little importance. The 

 principal external commerce of the county is in agricultural produce, 

 especially barley, of which great quantities are sent to England, Wex- 

 ing the port through which the trade of Enniscorthy and 

 Castlebridge panes. New Ross also export* the like produce to a 

 considerable extent. Butter is sent through Oorey to Dublin, and 

 through Wexford and Waterford to Bristol, Liverpool, Ac.; and cattle, 

 pig*, and poultry are seut to England by steam-boats from the same 

 ports. 



The county belongs to the fishery districts of Oorey and Wexford, 

 which together comprise 103 miles of maritime boundary, and in 

 1853 had 577 registered fishing-vessels, employing 3233 men and boys. 



Diritioiu, Towni, Ac. The county is in the diocese of Fern, with 

 very small part in that of Dublin, and contains 144 parishes. It is 

 divided into nine baronies Ballagh Keen, Bantry, Bargy, Forth, Gorey, 

 Scarawalsh, Shelburne, and SbelmalieTe east and west. The principal 

 towns are WUFORD, EXXISCORTHY, QoRIT, and NEW Ross, which are 

 noticed under their respective names. 



Of the following towns and Tillages the population given is that 

 of 1851 : 



Arthuntovn, or Kintft Bay, is a small port and post-town on the 

 left bank of the N'ore, where it falls into Waterford Harbour : popu- 

 lation, 309. There are a fever hospital, a dispensary, and a convenient 

 pier, at which vessel* of 100 tons can unload or load. Ballycanov is 

 post-town about 4 miles 8. from Oorey, on the road to Wexford 

 Bridge, near the A win-Banna River : population, 361. There are an 

 ancient church, a Roman Catholic chapel, and two schools. Five fairs 

 are held annually. Bannow, population 104, a small post-town on 

 Bannow Harbour, about 6 miles N.E. from Fethard across the harbour, 

 contains the ruins of an old church, a dispensary, a Roman Catholic 

 I, and a school. Two stations of the preventive service are in 

 ^bbourhood. It was formerly the site of an ancient borough, 

 of which scarcely a trace is left. Bridyetovn a a small post-town 

 near Tacumshin Lake, about 10 miles 8. from Wexford : population, 

 244. In it are a small church and a ruined castle ; another ruined 

 castle is about three mile* distant. Camolin is a post-town on the 

 Bann, about 7 miles S.W. from Oorey, on the road to Enniscorthy : 

 population, 713. It contains a Roman Catholic chapel and a dispen- 

 fry. Six yearly fairs are held. N.-ar it in Catnoliu Park, the seat of 

 1 'if Mountnorris. Cattlebndge is a village and post-town at 

 ..Ai'iii of the Sow with the seatuary of Wexford Harbour, about 

 N. from Wexford : population, 473. In it are a Roman Catholic 

 and a dispensary. Eight annual fairs are held. Clonroche is a 

 small thriving poet-town about 9 milei S.W. from Ennfacorthy i popu- 

 lation, 420. It has a dispensary and a savings bank, and petty sessions 

 re held here monthly. There are eleven yearly fairs, and the town 



oioo. KIT. TOL. IT. 



has a cou>i iei a'j!e traJe. Cuurtown is a small sea-port aud post-town, 

 at the head of Courtown, or Kilbride Bay, at the mouth of the Awin- 

 Banna River, about 3 miles S.E. from Gorey : population, 259. The 

 hamlet of Rirerchapd almost joins it however, with a population of 

 348. The places are neatly built, and together forui a rising town. 

 Close to it are the mansiou and demesne of the Earl of Courtown, 

 aud the church stands in the demesne. Duncannon is a fishing village 

 and post-town on the east side of Waterford Harbour, about a mile 

 aud a half S. from Arthurstown : population, 460. The shore is here 

 flat and shallow, and consequently dangerous, but it is broken by a 

 small creek, which, at high-water, can be entered by vessels of 100 tons 

 burden, and a pier has been built. Near the village is a fort, placed 

 on a rocky headland, and within the fort is a lighthouse. The forti- 

 fications occupy about 3 acres ; 30 pieces of cannon are mounted on 

 them, aud a garrison is maintained. It was held for James II., 

 and hence he embarked on his final departure for France. FERNS. 

 Fethard is a small but neat fishing-port aud post-town, situated on a 

 small inlet of the sea running up from Baunow Bay, about 16 miles 

 S. from New Ross : population, 326. A branch of the coast-guard 

 department is stationed here, and a small trade is carried on from 

 the port in the importation of coal and timber, and the exportation 

 of corn : there are also four cattle fairs held yearly. The harbour 

 was constructed by government in 1798. The town was incorporated 

 by James I., but the corporation is now extinct. It sent two members 

 to the Irish Parliament. In the principal street is an ancient church, 

 and an Anglo-Norman castle, now adapted as a resilience. A Roman 

 Catholic chapel and a dispansary are in the town. Kilmore is a fishing 

 village and post-town, having a small harbour on the eastern Bide of 

 13.illyleigue Lough, which is separated from the sea by a long sand- 

 bank. The fishermen have constructed a pier for the accommodation 

 of their craft, which, in sailing- and rowing-boats, number from 60 to 

 70. A Roman Catholic chapel is in the village, and there is a coast- 

 guard station. A'cutovttbarry, a market- and post-town, is situated at 

 the confluence of the Clody with the Slaney, about 22 miles N.W. 

 from Wexford : population, 1307. Newtownbarry was formerly called 

 Bunclody, from its situation at the junction of the Clody and Slaney. 

 The town forms an irregular square, and a western suburb extends 

 into the county of Carlow, with which Newtownbarry is connected by 

 a wooden bridge over the Clody. A stone bridge of seven arches crosses 

 the Slaney. The market is well attended, and there are 13 annual 

 fairs. The church is a neat structure, with a square tower surmounted 

 by a spire. In the town is a handsome Roman Catholic chapel, three 

 public school*, a dispensary, a fever hospital, a constabulary police 

 force, and a detachment of the revenue police. Petty sessions are 

 held monthly. Near the town is a strong chalybeate spring, but it 

 has fallen into disuse. Slate of excellent quality, building-stone, and 

 granite, as well as limestone, and marl for manure, are found in the 

 vicinity. Tuyhmon, a market- and post-town, and, until the Union, a 

 parliamentary borough, stands on the road .from Wexford to New 

 Ross, about 7 miles W. from Wexford : population, 1032. It contains 

 a church, a Roman Catholic chapel, a fever hospital, a dispensary, a 

 savings bank, and a police barrack, and petty sessions are held monthly ; 

 but it is a poor and decaying place, though ip a rich and fertile 

 country, and now chiefly owes what tra le it has to its market, at 

 which butter is sold to a considerable extent, and to its fairs, of which 

 it has 19 every year. The place derived its name, which was originally 

 Theagh Munno, or ' the House of Munno,' from St. Munno, who founded 

 an Auguatinian monastery here, in the 6th century, to which the origin 

 of the town is attributed. 



The county returns four members to the Imperial Parliament two 

 for the county at large, and one for each of the boroughs of Wexford 

 and New Ross. It is in the Leimter circuit. The assizes are held in 

 Wexford, where is tho county jail ; quarter sessions are held there, 

 and at Enniscorthy, New Ross, and Qorey, in which three towns there 

 are bridewells. Petty sessions are held in eleven places. The District 

 Lunatic Asylum, to which the county is entitled to send 44 patients, 

 is in Carlow. The county infirmary is in Wexford. The fever hos- 

 pitals are in Wexford, Arthurstown, Enniscorthy, Gorey, New Ross, 

 Newtownbarry, and Oulart; 28 places have dispensaries. There are 

 savings banks in Wexford and Gorey; and two loan-funds in Wexford, 

 two in New Ross, and one each in Boro, Enniscorthy, and Gorey. The 

 union workhouses are at Wexford, Enniscorthy, Gorey, and New Ross. 

 Tho county is in the military district of Kilkenny; the barrack-stations 

 are at Wexford, Duncannon Fort, and New Hoss. The staff of the 

 county militia is stationed at Wexford, which is also the head-quarters 

 of the county police. The police force consists of 256 men and 

 officers, distributed over 43 stations, in 7 districts. lu September 

 1852, there were in the county 117 National schools, attended by 

 7229 male and 7440 female children. 



Hittory and Antiquities. lu the time of Ptolemams the greater 

 part of the present county of Wexford was inhabited by the Menapii, 

 whose chief town, Menapia, is supposi-d to have occupied the site of 

 the present town of Wexford. The county was i-ucieutly styled 

 Corteigh, Moragh, and Laighion. The term Leinster was chiefly 

 applied to Wexford by Irish, Danish, and Latin writers towards the 

 close of the middle ages. The present name appears to come from 

 .r.l, a name given by the Danes to the chief town, when, after 

 predatory incursions in the county, during which they burnt the 



