Introduction

Wexford's rich and bloody history includes being founded by the Vikings and nearly obliterated by Oliver Cromwell. Its claustrophobic maze of medieval streets is lined with a mixture of old-time pubs, modern steel-and-glass facades and repurposed buildings, such as Creative Hub, a disused shopping mall now converted into an arts centre.

Arty Wexford has plenty of craft shops and galleries – and innovative restaurants – but the biggest cultural attraction is the world-famous Wexford Opera Festival, a 12-day autumn extravaganza that presents rarely performed works to packed audiences in the town's shiny National Opera House.