WEXFORD, a maritime county in the south east of Ireland, is bounded on the east and south by the sea, on the west by Waterford, Kilkenny, and Carlow, and on the north by Wicklow. It is about 56 miles long from north to south, and 32 from east to west, and contains 934 English square miles, and 597,760 English acres.
The county is divided into 8 baronies and 142 parishes, all of which but two are in the diocese of Ferns. The two islands called Salters belong to the county.
This county is mountainous in its north, north west and west confipes. It contains much coarse land, and stiff clay soil, which, from the want of limestone, it is difficult to improve. The best part of the county is the baronies of Bargie and Forth on the east, where the land is less elevated, and where the soil is sufficiently light to produce ex cellent crops of barley. Beans are successfully cultivated, and also clover and turnips. Potatoes are planted in drills, and lime and marl, though expensive, are much used as manure. Whole fields are kept under furze as in Cork and Water ford for fuel. Although there are no rich grazing farms, yet there are numerous dairies, which are ill-managed. The cows and the sheep are of an inferior kind. .
The rivers are the Slaney and the Barrow. The former crosses the county from Newton-Barry to Wexford, and receiving the Barrow from the north, exhibits on its fine wooded banks much beautiful and picturesque scenery. It is navigable
to Enniscorthy near the middle of the county. By means of the Barrow which divides the county from Kilkenny on the west, large vessels can reach the town of New Ross, situated near the junction of the Barrow and Nore.
The principal towns are Wexford, the county town, described in a separate article, Enniscorthy on the Slaney, New Ross, and Gorey, and the plea sant village of Newton-Barry. Enniscorthy was once celebrated for its iron works, of which some still exist. The cotton manufacture is now car ried on here, and a great deal of coarse wool len cloth is made. There is a fine old castle here in tolerable repair. The town was nearly destroyed during the rebellion in 1798. New Ross, on the Barrow, is well fitted for becoming a place of commercial importance. The buildings are said to be numerous and elegant, and the popu lation rapidly increasing. Vessels of large size can unload at the quay, and it is one of the principal ports for the exportation of wool.
The county sends two members to parliament, and Wexford and New Ross send one each.
The population in 1821 was 169,304. Accord ing to Wakefield, the Catholics were to the Pro testants as 10 to 1, and most of the personal pro perty and part of the landed was in the hands of the former. See Frazer's Statistical Survey of Wexford.