Fethard-on-Sea
Fiodh Ard (Irish)
Village
Fethard Quay
Fethard Quay
Fethard-on-Sea is located in Ireland
Fethard-on-Sea
Fethard-on-Sea
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 52°11′42″N 6°49′59″W / 52.195°N 6.833°W / 52.195; -6.833
CountryIreland
ProvinceLeinster
CountyWexford
Elevation
15 m (49 ft)
Population
 (2016)[1]
311
Irish Grid ReferenceS793049

Fethard-on-Sea or Fethard (Irish: Fiodh Ard, meaning 'high wood')[2] is a village in southwest County Wexford in Ireland. It lies on the R734 road on the eastern side of the Hook peninsula, between Waterford Harbour and Bannow Bay.

The village had a population of 311 as of the 2016 census.[1] It lies in the Fethard electoral district in the Wexford constituency. It is in the Templetown parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns. Its main industries are fishing and tourism.

Public transport

Two Bus Éireann routes serve Fethard-on-Sea: route 370 to Waterford via New Ross and a Tuesday-only route 373 to Wexford via Wellingtonbridge.[3]

History

In the 12th century, Baginbun near Fethard was the site of Norman landings during the Norman invasion of Ireland.[4][5] The remains of Norman-era earthworks and fortifications may be seen at Baginbun Bay, south of Ingard Point.[6]

A 12th-century castle was built by Raymond le Gros, which passed to the Bishop of Ferns and was used as an episcopal residence. There is little evidence of the castle today.

Alexander Devereux, the 16th-century bishop of Ferns and Abbot of Dunbrody, is buried in St. Mogue's Church of Ireland church.[5]

Fethard was granted a charter by James I,[5] and became a municipal borough, with the parliamentary borough of Fethard sending two members to the Irish House of Commons until its dissolution in 1801. The seats were in the control of the Marquess of Ely.[7] In 1798, a harbour,[5] was built and this was a landing site for French troops during the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

Village name

Long known simply as "Fethard", the village became known as Fethard-on-Sea following events in 1914 when the lifeboat Helen Blake capsized. Nine of the lifeboat's fourteen-man crew were drowned during a service mission to the schooner Mexico off the Keeragh Islands.[8] There was an outpouring of sympathy for the village and charitable donations were posted from around the world. To avoid this post from being misdirected to Fethard, County Tipperary, the name of the Fethard in County Wexford was reputedly changed to better distinguish the two.[8]

Local businesses

There are three public houses in the village, a grocery shop and a number of cafes, B&B and a hotel that was refurbished and reopened in 2019.[9] Local tourist attractions include Hook Head Lighthouse and Loftus Hall, further afield on the Hook Peninsula.

Fethard-on-Sea boycott

In May 1957, Roman Catholic villagers ("incited by the local curate") boycotted Protestant-owned local businesses in response to the actions of a Protestant woman, Sheila Cloney, who had left her Catholic husband and the village, to avoid being obliged to send her children to the local Catholic school.[10] The boycott received national and international attention before it concluded.[10] The family was reconciled, with the daughters being home-schooled.[11][12][13]

A film was made about the Cloney family and boycott. Released in 1999, A Love Divided starred Orla Brady and Liam Cunningham.[14][15] A review of the film by the American Catholic League organisation questioned the film's depiction of the Catholic Church in Ireland.[16]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Sapmap Area: Settlements Fethard-on-Sea". Census 2016. Central Statistics Office. 2016.
  2. ↑ "Fiodh Ard / Fethard". logainm.ie. Placenames Database of Ireland. 18 January 2020.
  3. ↑ "Regional Services by County". Bus Éireann. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  4. ↑ "Normans' Baginbun landing book release". wexfordpeople.ie. Wexford People. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Samuel Lewis (1837). Topographical Dictionary of Ireland - Fethard – via libraryireland.com.
  6. ↑ "Fethard-On-Sea". southeastireland.com. Archived from the original on 22 July 2005. Retrieved 20 September 2005.
  7. ↑ "Fethard (Co. Wexford)". History of the Irish Parliament. Ulster Historical Foundation.
  8. 1 2 "A terrible loss... an incredible story of survival". Gorey Guardian. Independent News & Media. 23 February 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  9. ↑ "Fethard on fire!". Irish Independent. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  10. 1 2 "A love divided, but never conquered". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 4 July 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  11. ↑ "Religion: Fethardism". Time. 19 August 1957. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011.
  12. ↑ "LOVE CONQUERS ALL; But for decades a village paid the price of – Sunday Mirror – Find Articles at BNET.com". Archived from the original on 2 March 2011.
  13. ↑ "Fethard boycott recalled". mayonews.ie. The Mayo News.
  14. ↑ A Love Divided Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ "'A Love Divided': In Ireland, The Zeal of Disapproval". washingtonpost.com. 21 September 2001. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  16. ↑ Catholic League: For Religious and Civil Rights: BBC Bashes Catholics in "A Love Divided" Archived 2008-05-10 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ↑ Reid, J. H. (1963). "M. A. Ellison (1909 - 1963)". Irish Astronomical Journal. 6: 152. Bibcode:1963IrAJ....6..152R.
  18. ↑ "Hurling legend being laid to rest in Clonaslee". Laois Today. 21 October 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2023. Born in Fethard-on-Sea in 1939, Neville played for the Wexford senior hurling team
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