Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-09-30
Mountain Fringes, Hills and Plains
Give II n Diversified
Aspect.
Scene of Cruel Massacre Of Women
and Children by Tyrant
Cromwell.
ABOUNDS IN INTERESTING RUINS

miles long from Hook Head to the
boundary near Coolgreary, and from
New Ross to Carnsore Point Is
twenty-nine miles broad. It has a
population of 122,S54. The name
Wexford is Danish, the old form is
Weis-fiord. The Gaelic name Is
Doch-Garmonk. The northwest mar
gin has a grand mountain fringe. On
the northern frontier the wicklow
Mountains, subsiding toward the
south, send spurs and offshoots into
Wexford. The southeast angle of
the county, which includes the baron
les of Fourth and Bargy, is almost a
dead level. The rest of the county
is a plain diversified by ridges and
mills.
Between Wexford and Carlow run
the ranges of Mount Leinster, which
are 1910 feet high, and Blackstairs,
2,409 feet high. Tara Hill, which is
826 feet tall, stands quite detached
near the coast three miles northeast
of Corey. 1t is very conspicuous and
commands a fine view. The coast is
low and for the most part sandy, in
terrupted in few places by fringes
of rock, but is much indented by
inlets Kilmichael Point in the
north, only slightly projecting,
marks the beginning of the Wexford
coast. The Raven Point and Ross
lare Point stand at opposite sides of
Wexford harbor and are at the ex-
tremities of two long sandy PENN
sulas Hook Head is the end of a
long, rock-fringed peninsula, which
defines Waterford harbor on the
east; at the point is the ancient
Tower of Hook, now converted into
lighthouse.
In Lady's Island Bay, near earn
nish and Lady's Island; the latter
contains the ruins of castle built
by the Anglo-Roman adventures.
The bays are full of little isles that
TEEN with historic and Legendary in
terest. Wexford harbor, at the
mouth of the Slaney river, is large
and sheltered, but shallow and
sandy. The county is plentifully
watered by rivers and streams.
Among them are the Barrow, the
Pollmounty, the Slaney, the SUR,
the Mountain, the Clody, the Derry,
the Bann, the Sow, the Owenavor-
ragh, the Owenduff and the Corack
rivers.
Wexford has a population of about
~, 900 and is the assize town. 1t
was the first place of any conse-
quence taken by the Anglo-Normans
in the reign of Henry ii. Ennis
corthy, situated on the slope OF
steep hill that rises over the Slaney,
contains the ruin of fine Anglo
Norman castle and also some abbey
ruins. Other pretty towns in the
county are New Ross, Newtownbarry,
Duncannon, Corey and Ferns. The
last named place derives its origin
from a church founded there I'M the
sixth century by the celebrated st.
Aidon, who was also called Maidoc,
it's first Bishop, on site granted
him by Branduff, King of Leinster.
Copper ore is found at Kerlage,
near the town of Wexford, and lead
ore is found at Calm, northwest OF
Enniscorthy. Silver was formerly
mined at Clonmines, near the head
of Bannow Bay, and the abandoned
mines are still to be seen.
The descendants of Emma Kinsella,
King of Leinster in the fourth cen
fury, were called Hy Kinsella, and
gave their name to large territory
in Leinster, which included great
portion of Wexford. The name OF
the old district is still preserved by
the Mountain Croghan Kinsella. The
southern Hy Felimy, who after the
tenth century took the family name
of O'Murcady, now Murphy, were
seated in the present barony of
Ballaghkeen. The barony OF Forth
preserves the name of the old terri
tory of Fotharta.
Overlooking the historic town OF
Enniscorthy is the equally historic
Vinegar Hill, an ELEVATION about 400
feet in height. This spot Is noted
for the bloody conflicts that occurred
there In the rebellion OF 1898. The
half-armed and poorly led peasants
held their own for a time against
10000 well-armed British soldiers.
Vinegar Hill, an elevation about 400
monument TO Irish valor and pa
triotism.
st. Peters chapel and college in
the town OF Wexford presents an i'm
lposing view from Summer Hill. The
church Is elegantly finished andis
adorned with beautiful rose windows.
Wexford is a place OF great antiquity,
the town having been founded by the
Danes In the ninth century, who
called II Weis-fiord, from the shall
l1owness OF the water at low tide. II
Is situated on che River Slaney, so
called from Slainge, a Firbolg chief
who landed there 1900 years before
the Christian era. The town has
played an important part in Irish his
tory from the Norman invasion In the
twelfth century to the rebellion OF
l179S. Among the many memorable
incidents of its history is the brutal
massacre OF 500 women and children
at the foot of a cross in the marquei
square by the Puritan butcher
oliver Cromwell
l