County Wexford

County Wexford (Contae Loch Garman) is a maritime county in the south-east of, in the province of. Area: 2,352 km² (908 mi²). It takes its name from the principal town,, founded by and named by them 'Waesfjord', meaning 'inlet of the mud-flats' in the. It is known as 'Ireland's sunny south-east' for its high amount of sunshine.

Geographic Features
Largely low-lying fertile land is the characteristic landscape of the county. The highest point in the county is (795 m, 2610 ft) in the  around the north-west boundary.

The economy is chiefly agricultural; however there is also much maritime activity.

Southeastern Wexford is an important site for wild birds - the north side of Wexford Harbour, the, is home to 10,000 each winter (roughly one third of the entire world's population), while in the Summer  is an important breeding site for s, especially the.

was placed on national headlines in the 1970s after a proposal to build a nuclear energy plant. A has now been built on the site, featuring 14 windmills generating electricity.

History
Wexford was the site of an invasion by in 1169 at the behest of, King of Leinster, which led to the subsequent colonisation of the country by the English.

Wexford, particularly the baronies of Bargy and Forth, saw one of the most heavy concentrations of medieval settlements in Ireland. An old dialect of English, known as, was spoken uniquely in Wexford up until the 19th century. The north of the county remained Irish in character, predominantly under the control of the MacMurrough Kavanagh clan.

County Wexford produced strong support for during the 1640s. A fleet of Confederate was based in Wexford town. As a result, by the English Parliamentarians during the.

County Wexford was one of the main areas in which the was fought, during which significant battles were fought at  and. The famous ballad was written in remembrance of the Wexford Rising.

Transport in Wexford
The runs through the county, serving Rosslare Europort, Rosslare Strand, Wexford, Enniscorthy and Gorey. Three trains run in each direction daily, with additional commuter services from Gorey. The runs through the southern part of the county, serving Bridgetown, Wellington Bridge, Ballycullane and Campile. Rosslare and Dublin are also linked by route 2, while route 5 operates Waterford-New Ross-Ennicorthy-Dublin.

Towns and villages in Wexford


Principal port:

In popular culture
Beaches in, Co. Wexford were used to film the opening scenes of the movie , which depicted the assault on.