WEXFORD, a county of Ireland in the province of Leinster, bounded north by Wicklow, east and south by St. George's Channel, and west by Waterford, Kilkenny and Carlow. The area is 5 76,75 7 acres or about 9o2 sq. miles. Pop. (1926) 95,812. Owing to the number of sandbanks navigation is dangerous near the shore. The only safe harbour on the east coast is Wexford Harbour, which, owing to a bar, is not accessible to large vessels at ebb-tide. The artificial harbour of Rosslare, outside Wexford Harbour to the south, was therefore opened in 1906. On the south coast the great inlet of Waterford Harbour separates the county from Waterford and Kilkenny, and among several inlets Bannow Bay is the largest. South from Crossfarnogue Point are the Saltee Islands, and Coningmore and Coningbeg, beyond the latter of which is the Saltee lightship. South-east from Greenore Point is the Tuskar Rock.
An elevated ridge on the north-western boundary forms the termination of the granitic range in Wicklow, and in Croghan Kinshela, on the borders of Wicklow, rises to a height of 1,985 feet. On the western border, another range, situated chiefly in Carlow, extends from the valley of the Slaney at Newtownbarry to the confluence of the Barrow with the Nore at New Ross, and reaches 2,409 ft. in Blackstairs Mountain, and 2,610 ft. in Mount Leinster on the border of Co. Carlow. In the southern district, a hilly region, reaching in Forth Mountain a height of 725 ft., forms with Wexford Harbour the northern boundaries of the baronies of Forth and Bargy, a peninsula of flat and fertile land. The river Slaney enters the county in the north-west and flows south-east to Wexford Harbour. Its chief tributary, the Bann, flows south-westwards from the borders of Wicklow. The Barrow forms the western boundary of the county from the Blackstairs mountains till its confluence with the Suir at Waterford Harbour.
The northern portion of Wexford was included in Hy Kinselagh, the peculiar territory of the Macmorroughs, overlords of Leinster, who had their chief residence at Ferns. Dermod Macmorrough, having been deposed from the kingdom of Leinster, asked help of Henry II., king of England, secured the aid of Strongbow, and obtained assistance from Robert Fitzstephen and Maurice Fitz gerald of Wales. In 1169 Fitzstephen landed at Bagenbon on the south side of Fethard, and captured the town of Wexford. After this Dermod granted the territory of Wexford to Fitzstephen and Fitzgerald. Macmorrough having died in 1172, Strongbow became lord of Leinster. At first Henry II. retained Wexford, but in he committed it to Strongbow.
Wexford was one of the twelve counties into which the con quered territory in Ireland is generally stated to have been divided by King John, and formed part of the possessions of William Marshal, earl of Pembroke. It ultimately passed to John Talbot, earl of Shrewsbury, who in 1446 was made earl of Water ford and baron of Dungarvan. In 1474 George Talbot was sene schal of the liberty of Wexford. The district was actively con
cerned in the rebellion of 1641; and during the Cromwellian cam paign the town of Wexford was carried by storm in 1649. Wexford was the chief seat of the rebellion of 1798, the leaders there being the priests.
Evidences of the Danish occupation are seen in the numerous raths, or encampments, especially at Dunbrody, Enniscorthy and New Ross. Among the monastic ruins special mention may be made of Dunbrody abbey, of great ,extent, founded about 1178 for Cistercian monks by Hervey de Montmorency, marshal of Henry II. ; Tintern abbey, founded in 1200 by William Marshal, earl of Pembroke, and peopled by monks from Tintern abbey in Monmouthshire; the abbey of St. Sepulchre, Wexford, founded shortly after the invasion by the Roches, lords of Fermoy; Ferns abbey, founded by Dermod Macmorrough (with other remains including the modernized cathedral of a former see, and ruins of a church) ; and the abbey of New Ross, founded by St. Alban in the 6th century. Old castles include Ferns, dismantled by Parliamentary forces in 1641, and occupying the site of the old palace of the Macmorroughs ; Enniscorthy, founded by Raymond le Gros; Carrick Castle, near Wexford, the first built by the Eng lish; and the fort of Duncannon.
The soil of the county of Wexford consists mostly of a cold stiff clay resting on clay-slate. Pre-glacial sands and gravels are used for liming fields, under the name of "manure gravels," on account of the fossil shells which they contain. The interior and western districts are much inferior to those round the coasts. In the south-eastern peninsula of Forth and Bargy the soil is a rich alluvial mould mixed with coralline sandstone and limestone. The peninsula of Hookhead, owing to the limestone formation, is specially fruitful. In the western districts of the county there are large tracts of turf and peat-moss. The principal crops are barley, oats, potatoes and turnips. The numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry are well maintained. Except in the town of Wexford the manufactures and trade are of small importance. The town of Wexford is the headquarters of sea and salmon fishing districts, and there are a few fishing villages on the inlets of the south coast.
A branch of the Great Southern railway enters the county from the north-east and serves Wexford by way of Enniscorthy, with a branch westward to New Ross from Macmine Junction. Palace East, on this branch line, is also served by the Kildare line of the same system. Wexford has railway connections with Rosslare, and a line across the south of the county connects it also with Waterford (Co. Waterford). There is water communication for barges by the Slaney to Enniscorthy ; by the Barrow for larger vessels to New Ross, and by this river and the Grand Canal for barges to Dublin.
The administrative county of Wexford returns five members to Dail Eireann.