Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [158]
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ENNISCORTHY
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County Wexford’s second-largest town, Enniscorthy (Inis Coirthaidh) has a warren of steep streets descending from Augustus Pugin’s cathedral to the Norman castle and the River Slaney. Enniscorthy is inextricably linked to some of the fiercest fighting of the 1798 Rising, when rebels captured the town and set up camp at Vinegar Hill.
Information
The tourist office ( 053-923 4699; Mill Park Rd; 9.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, noon-4pm Sat & Sun Jun-Aug, 9.30am-4pm Mon-Fri Sep-May), inside the National 1798 Rebellion Centre, can book accommodation (€4).
At the bottom of Castle Hill, on and around Abbey Sq, are the main post office and two banks. Internet Cafe Plus ( 053-924 3676; Templeshannon; per hr €2; 10am-10pm Mon-Fri, noon-10pm Sat & Sun Apr-Oct, 10am-10pm Mon-Fri, noon-8pm Sat & Sun Nov-Mar) overlooks Enniscorthy Bridge.
Sights
Visiting the excellent National 1798 Rebellion Centre ( 053-923 7198; www.iol.ie/~98com; Mill Park Rd; adult/child €6/3.50; same hr as tourist office) before climbing Vinegar Hill greatly enhances its impact. The centre’s exhibits cover the French and American revolutions that sparked Wexford’s abortive uprising against British rule in Ireland, before chronicling what was one of the most bloodthirsty battles of the 1798 Rebellion, and a turning point in the struggle. A month later, English troops attacked and forced the rebels to retreat, massacring hundreds of women and children in the ‘follow-up’ operation. Interactive displays include a chessboard with pieces representing key figures in the Rising, and a multiscreen re-creation of the finale atop a virtual Vinegar Hill. It’s chilly inside – bring a jacket. From Abbey Sq walk out of town along Mill Park Rd, then take the first right after the school.
To reach Vinegar Hill itself, follow the brown sign from Templeshannon on the eastern side of the river. It takes about 45 minutes to walk to the top of the hill (or five minutes to drive). At the summit there’s a memorial to the uprising.
During the 1798 Rising, rebels used the Enniscorthy Castle as a prison. The stout, four-towered keep was built by the Normans; Queen Elizabeth I awarded its lease to the poet Edmund Spenser for the flattering things he said about her in his epic The Faerie Queene. Rather ungratefully, he sold it to a local landlord. Like everything else in these parts, the castle was attacked by Cromwell in 1649.
Restored to its original glory (check out the star-spangled roof), the dazzling Roman Catholic St Aidan’s Cathedral (1846) was designed by Augustus Pugin, the architect behind the Houses of Parliament in London.
Activities
Eighteen-hole Enniscorthy Golf Club ( 053-923 7600; New Ross Rd; green fee weekday/weekend €30/40) is 2.5km southwest of town.
Fishing is possible through Danny’s Bait & Tackle ( 053-924 3571; St Senan’s Rd).
Festivals & Events
Enniscorthy holds its weekend-long Strawberry Fair (www.enniscorthystrawberryfestival.com) in June, when pubs extend their hours, and strawberries and cream are laid on heavily.
Sleeping
Old Bridge House ( 053-923 4222; oldbridgehousebnb@eircom.net; Slaney Pl; s/d €45/80) Overlooking the Slaney, the Redmonds’ comfortable guesthouse, with bohemian artefacts, pot plants and prints, is the perfect antidote to big-hotel blandness and B&B tweeness.
Treacy’s Hotel ( 053-923 7798; www.treacyshotel.com; Templeshannon; r €150; ) With spruced-up rooms in streamlined, woodsy colours, Treacy’s also scores with two bars, two restaurants (one international, one Thai) and a nightclub. Entertainment includes live bands and Irish dancing, and guests can use the leisure centre opposite for free.
Monart ( 053-923 8999; www.monart.ie; The Still; r from €175; ) Hidden in woodland 2km west of Enniscorthy, rooms at this discreet spa resort surround a pond. Modern touches such as a glass walkway have been added to the main house without lessening