The O'Briens of Wexford, Ireland

Wexford County Information

Description Size & Population Towns Town Pictures Place Lookups Churhs Tourism History Businesses Wexford O'Brien Businesses Government Wexford in the Diaspara

County Wexford Name

"The county takes its name from the principal town, which was founded by the Norsemen in the tenth century as "Waesfjord". A similar reference to Wexford Harbour, the large sheltered lagoon which is the reason for the town's existence, is found in the Irish name.

Co. Wexford was the landing place of the Norman invasion in 1169 and the region was settled extensively by the newcomers. This Norman influence, the warmth of its climate, the relative prosperity of its farms, and the fact that most of the county is situated between mountains and sea, have all combined to make Wexford a unique place. It was the scene of the most intense and widespread fighting in the rebellion of 1798, and for a time a citizens' republic was established on the French model in Wexford town.

Perhaps because of its comparative prosperity, emigration from Wexford was not extensive until the latter half of the nineteenth century, and then took place mainly from the relatively poorer northern part of the county"

This extract was taken from following reference. See this site for more information:
Wexford records & description

See these sites for further descriptions:Good Geographical Summary of County Wexford (is at the bottom of the page)
Fianna

Genuki

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Size - Length from Hook Head to the boundary near Coolgreany, 55 miles; breadth from New Ross to Carnsore Point, 29 miles; breadth from Mount Leinster to the coast near Blackwater, 23 miles; area, 901 square miles;

Population, 123,587.

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Towns - Wexford (12,055), the assize town, on the shore of Wexford Harbor, was the first place of any consequence taken by the Anglo-Normans in the reign of Henry II.

Enniscorthy (5,594) is situated on the slope of a steep hill which rises over the Slaney; in the town is the ruin of a very fine Anglo-Norman castle originally built by Raymond le Gros, and also some abbey ruins.

Higher up on the Slaney is the little town of Newtownbarry (1,014) situated in a wooded valley traversed by the river.

On the western side of the county is New Ross (6,626, of whom 357 are in that part of the town belonging to Kilkenny), in a beautiful situation on the Barrow.

The village of Duncannon (604) is situated on the shore of Waterford Harbor; and near it, on a rocky headland over the river, is a strong military fort with a lighthouse.

In the north-east of the county, three miles from the sea-shore, is Gorey (2,639).

Three-quarters of a mile from the shore of the Bann is the ancient episcopal town of Ferns (568), which derived it origin from a church founded there in the sixth century by the celebrated St. Aidan, or Maidoc, its first bishop, on a site granted to him by Branduff, king of Leinster. Minerals - Copper ore is found at Kerloge, a little south of the town of Wexford; and lead ore at Caim, north-west of Enniscorthy.

Silver was in former times raised at Clonmines, at the head of Bannow Bay, and the ancient mines are still to be seen. Ancient Divisions and Designations - The descendents of Enna Kinsella, King of Leinster in the fourth century, were called Hy Kinsella, and gave their name to a large territory in Leinster, which included a great portion of Wexford; the name of this old district is still preserved by the mountain Croghan Kinsella. The southern Hy Felimy, who after the tenth century took the family name of O'Murcada (now Murphy), were seated in the present barony of Ballaghkeen. The barony of Forth preserves the name of the old territory of Fotharta.