Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [148]
St Declan’s Way Click here – 94km pilgrim route via Lismore Castle
Comeragh Mountains Click here – glacial moraine and Stone Age remains
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Self-caterers can stock up on supplies at Dunnes Stores (Slaney St; 8am-12am) or put together a gourmet picnic at Greenacres Food Hall ( 053-912 2975; 7 Selskar St; 9.30am-6pm Mon-Sat), whose enticing wares include cheeses, meats, olives and wines. Wexford’s weekly farmers market ( 9am-2pm Fri) takes place beside the Bull Ring.
Drinking
Centenary Stores ( 053-912 4424; www.thestores.ie; Charlotte St) One of Wexford’s livelier spots, this former warehouse is a mix of old and new, with friezes on the ceiling above the plasma screens in the bar. Its Guinness is the best in the vicinity, and the nightclub is full even on Sundays. More civilised are the Sunday lunchtime trad music sessions.
Sky & the Ground ( 053-912 1273; 112-113 South Main St) A longstanding Wexford favourite, the Sky & the Ground’s decor is pure old-man’s pub, with enamel signage and a roaring fire, but it attracts a youthful clientele. Trad sessions frequently take place on weeknights.
Ballast Bar ( 053-912 2566; Talbot Hotel, Trinity St) Taking its cue from the quay out front, this cavernous venue has vaulted ceilings, elaborate woodwork and chunks of ships’ ballast mounted on the walls. There’s live music at weekends.
Entertainment
The website www.wexlive.com lists gigs, theatre, exhibitions and more.
Wexford Opera House ( 053-912 2400; www.wexfordoperahouse.ie; High St) Opened in 2008 on the site of the old Theatre Royal, Wexford’s gleaming new opera house packs more architectural punch inside than out. In addition to opera, it stages drama and concerts by local and touring artists.
Wexford Arts Centre ( 053-912 3764; www.wexfordartscentre.ie; Cornmarket) In an 18th-century market hall, this centre hosts exhibitions, theatre (including occasional productions in Irish), dance and music.
Getting There & Around
BUS
Bus Éireann ( 053-912 2522; www.buseireann.ie) buses leave from O’Hanrahan train station on Redmond Sq and travel to Rosslare Harbour (€4.50, 30 minutes, at least nine daily), Waterford (€7.20, one hour, six daily Monday to Saturday, three Sunday) and Dublin (€13.10, three hours, at least nine daily), normally via Enniscorthy (€5.80, 25 minutes). Tickets are available across the street at the Mace newsagency.
Wexford Bus ( 053-914 2742; www.wexfordbus.com) operates seven services daily to/from Dublin airport (€19, two hours, 35 minutes) via Enniscorthy and Ferns, though it doesn’t stop in Dublin city centre.
Ardcavan Coach Company ( 053-912 2561; www.ardcavan.com) runs one to three buses per day between Dublin airport (€15, three hours) and Dublin city centre (€11, 2½ hours) and Wexford. Bicycles can be transported for €5.
TRAIN
O’Hanrahan Station ( 053-912 2522; Redmond Pl) is at the northern end of town. Wexford is on the Dublin Connolly Station (€22.50, 2½ hours) to Rosslare Europort (€4.70, 25 minutes) line (via Enniscorthy and Rosslare Strand), serviced by three trains daily in each direction.
TAXI
For a 24-hour taxi service, call Wexford Cabs ( 053912 3123; 3 Charlotte St) or AA Cabs ( 053-914 0222). Most fares around the centre are €6 to €7.
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AROUND WEXFORD TOWN
Irish National Heritage Park
This heritage park ( 053-912 0733; Ferrycarrig; adult/under 13yr/13-16yr/family incl 90min guided tour €8/4/6.50/20; 9.30am-6.30pm Apr-Sep, 9.30am-5.30pm Oct-Mar) successfully squashes 9000 years of Irish history, up to the Normans, into an entertaining and informative visit. Costumed actors guide you past a recreated Neolithic farmstead, stone circle, ring fort, monastery, crannóg (lake settlement on an artifical island), Viking shipyard and Norman castle, while sound effects and smoking fires add to the realism.
The park is 3.5km northwest of Wexford town on the N11. A taxi from Wexford town costs about €7.
Johnstown Castle & Gardens
Parading peacocks guard this splendid 19th-century castellated house, the former home of the once-mighty Fitzgerald