The Soul of Wexford

“The Soul of Wexford” a Town and an Estuary where the River Slaney meets the Irish Sea Church interiors and town and harbour scenes, artifacts that had not been captured before are presented among 200 original images in a new 148 page coffee table hardback book titled The Soul of Wexford by specialist photographer John Ironside The book is subtitled Where the River Slaney meets the Irish Sea, putting Wexford town (Population 19,000) of Viking and Norman notoriety in a geographical and historical context at the point where the Slaney estuary meets the turbulent waters of the Irish Sea Among the images that have excited historians are rare images captured at low tide of the remains of an old fort village at Rosslare point which was there until 1925 and 1926 when it was flattened by storms and its Duggan, Walsh and Wickham families had to leave for new homes in the harbour a mile away Historian Nicky Furlong said that the village once had a majestic house designed by the Anglo Irish explorer, Sir Henry Hughes of Ballytrent Double-page and major full page spreads in the book feature breathtaking images of dawn and sunset over Wexford Harbour, seagulls in the harbour, ragworm casts, a unique photograph of a gathering storm over Wexford and another of a close-up of the historic Friary bell The beautiful cloister and the ceiling and altar of the church in St Peter’s College seminary, designed by Augustin Pugin, are among the prominent images in the book The book includes images of The Quays, the Wexford Main Street, Wexford Harbour, Mary’s Bar in Cornmarket, Church of the Immaculate Conception, Rowe Street, St Peter’s College, Institute of Perpetual Adoration, Church of the Annunciation, Clonard, Wexford Opera House, Selskar Abbey, St Iberius’ Church, The Friary, Presbyterian and Methodist Church, Church of the Assumption, Loreto Convent, Presentation Convent and St John of God Convent and extra theme pieces on the Lifeboat, Seals, Oyster Farming, Maudlintown Regatta, and traditional dinghies on the Slaney estuary The author, John Ironside, majors on his loves of church architecture and the environment of the town and estuary He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and he has worked on photographic assignments in Ireland, the Amazon, and Southern Africa and North Africa and in the emerging countries of Europe On his various returns to Wexford he observed that the town had changed, and that much of it had gone forever He felt that the town and its important artifacts should be captured at this point in time not alone to promote and illustrate the beauty of where the townspeople live but also to awaken them to the wonderful assets that they have on their doorstep