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Wexford Town

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.

Explore Wexford Town

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Wexford Town.

  • Museum

    Irish National Heritage Park

    Over 9000 years of Irish history are squeezed together at this open-air museum 5.5km west of the town centre. After a short audiovisual presentation, take a guided tour (included in admission, but book ahead) or audio self-guided tour (€2), encompassing a Neolithic farmstead, stone circle, ring fort, monastery, crannóg (artificial island), Viking shipyard and Norman castle (on the site of original Norman fort remains). Family-friendly activities include archery, an adventure playground, and workshops such as blacksmithing, flint knapping and foraging.

  • Ruins

    Selskar Abbey

    After Henry II murdered his former ally Thomas Becket, he did penance at Selskar Abbey, founded in 1190. Basilia, the sister of Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare (better known as Strongbow), is thought to have married one of Henry II's lieutenants in the abbey. Its present ruinous state is a result of Cromwell's visit in 1649. Admission is only by guided tour, run by Wexford Walking Tours – gather at the Westgate, off Spawell Rd.

  • Arts Centre

    Creative Hub

    An abandoned 20th-century shopping mall was transformed in 2018 into this innovative arts centre. Its former shops are now home to more than 25 artists, craftspeople and local musicians who create and promote their work here. The Maker's House is a one-stop shop showcasing and selling sculptures, furniture, mirrors, stained glass, paintings, fashion, jewellery, music recordings and more. Concerts, exhibitions and one-off events often take place in the interconnecting passageways.

  • Church

    St Iberius' Church

    St Iberius' Church was built in 1660. The Renaissance-style frontage is worth a look, but the real treat is the Georgian interior with its finely crafted altar rails and 18th-century monuments in the gallery. Oscar Wilde's forebears were rectors here. The church is also famed for its superb acoustics, and is an occasional venue for concerts.

  • Square

    Bull Ring

    The Bull Ring is a small, open square in the city centre that gets its name from having been used as a venue for bull baiting in medieval times. These days the Bull Ring is the site of the city's twice-weekly market.

  • Gate

    Westgate

    The only survivor of the six original town gates is the 14th-century Westgate. It was originally a toll gate, and the recesses used by the toll collectors are still intact, as is the lock-up used to incarcerate 'runagates' – those who tried to avoid paying.

  • Monument

    Lone Pikeman Statue

    Participants in the 1798 Rising used the Bull Ring as an open-air armaments factory; they're commemorated here by the Lone Pikeman statue.