Duncannon () is a village in southwest County Wexford,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Bordered to the west by

Waterford harbour Waterford Harbour ( gle, Loch Dá Chaoch / Cuan Phort Láirge) is a natural harbour at the mouth of the Three Sisters; the River Nore, the River Suir and the River Barrow in Ireland. It is navigable for shipping to both Waterford and New Ross ...

and sitting on a rocky headland jutting into the channel is the strategically prominent Duncannon Fort which dominates the village. Primarily a

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

village, Duncannon also relies heavily on tourism and is situated on the clearly signposted and very scenic ''Ring of

Hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

'' drive. Duncannon beach, a mile long golden beach, was once a blue flag recipient. Duncannon Fort, which was built in 1588, incorporates a maritime museum, Cockleshell Arts Gallery, Officer's Mess Café and Craft shop and various other Art and Craft outlets and is open daily to visitors seven days from June to September. During the off season guided tours are available from Monday to Friday. Duncannon Fort was the location for the opening scenes of the 2002 remake of ' The Count of Monte Cristo', starring Jim Caviezel and

Richard Harris Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Red Desert'', Frank Machin in '' This Sporting ...

. After being closed for some time, Duncannon Fort reopened to the public in 2016 when guided tours recommenced.

History

According to legend, the settlement at Duncannon dates back to the time of

Fionn mac Cumhaill Fionn mac Cumhaill ( ; Old and mga, Find or ''mac Cumail'' or ''mac Umaill''), often anglicized Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of y ...

(pop: Finn McCool) and the

Fianna ''Fianna'' ( , ; singular ''Fian''; gd, Fèinne ) were small warrior-hunter bands in Gaelic Ireland during the Iron Age and early Middle Ages. A ''fian'' was made up of freeborn young males, often aristocrats, "who had left fosterage but had ...

in the 3rd century AD. Duncannon was of vital strategic importance as its fort commanded the bay giving sea access to

Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...

harbour. As a result, it was centrally involved in wars and sieges during the 17th and 18th centuries. During the Irish Confederate Wars (1641–1652), the fort at Duncannon was initially occupied by English soldiers and used as a base for an attack on nearby Redmond's Hall (now Loftus Hall). During this period it was besieged three times. In 1645, it was taken by an Irish Confederate army under general Thomas Preston. Its English garrison surrendered after lengthy bombardment, during which their second in command Larcan was killed, and a ship, ''The Great Lewis'', trying to bring supplies to the garrison was sunk with the loss of 200 lives (see

Siege of Duncannon The siege of Duncannon took place in 1645, during the Irish Confederate Wars. An Irish Catholic Confederate army under Thomas Preston besieged and successfully took the town of Duncannon in County Wexford from an English Parliamentaria ...

). During the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Duncannon was besieged again, as part of the

Siege of Waterford The city of Waterford in southeastern Ireland was besieged twice during 1649 and 1650 during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. The town was held by Irish Confederate Catholic under General Richard Farrell and English Royalist troops u ...

, firstly in November 1649 by

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...

and Michael Jones in 1649. The fort's Irish garrison held out, and the siege was abandoned in December of that year. However, in July 1650, Henry Ireton renewed the siege, and the fort and town surrendered after the fall of Waterford, but before their food and supplies had run out. In 1659 and 1660, Duncannon was the only town to remain openly loyal to Edmund Ludlow after forces loyal to General

George Monck George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle JP KG PC (6 December 1608 – 3 January 1670) was an English soldier, who fought on both sides during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A prominent military figure under the Commonwealth, his support was cruc ...

took control of Dublin and other towns. In the

Williamite war in Ireland The Williamite War in Ireland (1688–1691; ga, Cogadh an Dá Rí, "war of the two kings"), was a conflict between Jacobite supporters of deposed monarch James II and Williamite supporters of his successor, William III. It is also called th ...

(1689–1691) James II, after his defeat at the

battle of the Boyne The Battle of the Boyne ( ga, Cath na Bóinne ) was a battle in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II of England and Ireland, VII of Scotland, and those of King William III who, with his wife Queen Mary II (his cousin and J ...

, embarked at Duncannon for

Kinsale Kinsale ( ; ) is a historic port and fishing town in County Cork, Ireland. Located approximately south of Cork City on the southeast coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon, and has a population of 5,281 (a ...

and then to exile in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. Later his son in law and enemy William of Orange, marched on its cobblestones as the town and fort surrendered to his army without resistance. The fort at Duncannon was one of the few places in county Wexford that did not fall to the rebels during the

1798 rebellion The Irish Rebellion of 1798 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ''The Hurries'') was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen, a Irish republicanism, ...

though a force sent out from the fort to defend Wexford town was defeated at the battle of Three Rocks. The fort and town then became a

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a sa ...

for fleeing

loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

and troops in south Wexford and was also used as a prison and place of execution for suspected rebels. Duncannon's strategic importance continued to be recognised throughout the 19th century.

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

sought and got intelligence on its strength and weakness, in preparation for a possible invasion of Ireland. Duncannon fort was used by the FCA (Irish army reserve) as a barracks and training facility until recent years.

Transport

Bus Éireann route 370 links Duncannon to New Ross,

and

Wellingtonbridge Wellingtonbridge (), also spelled Wellington Bridge, is a village in south County Wexford, Ireland. It lies some 24 km west of Wexford and 28 km east of Waterford, at the intersection of the R733 and R736 regional roads. It was his ...

. There are several buses daily except Sundays. The nearest railway station is

Waterford railway station Waterford railway station (Plunkett Station, ga, Phort Láirge Stáisiún Phluincéid) serves the city of Waterford in County Waterford, Ireland. The station is located across Rice Bridge on the north side of the city. There are two bays at ...

which is located 22km away in Waterford travelling via the Ballyhack - Passage East ferry.

Sports

The local

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include t ...

club team is called St James' G.A.A club, and plays in the

Wexford Senior Football Championship The Wexford Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition contested by top-tier Wexford GAA clubs. The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association has organised it since 1886. The 2022 champions are Castlet ...

and the Wexford Intermediate Hurling Championship. The club won the Wexford Senior Football Championship in 2015, having been promoted from the Intermediate rank the previous year. The hurling team have won several county titles having begun at Junior D level in 2009. In recent years

Matthew O'Hanlon Matthew O'Hanlon (born 28 October 1991) is an Irish hurler who plays for Wexford Intermediate Championship club St James's and at inter-county level with the Wexford senior hurling team. He usually lines out as a wing-back. Playing career Go ...

has captained the Wexford Senior Hurling team to win the Leinster SHC final in 2019 and village native Graeme Molloy has also captained the Wexford senior football side prior to his retirement. Brendan Doyle was also a pivotal member of the panel during the 2000s and early 2010s. The local soccer team is Duncannon United who play in the Wexford League.

Local Business and Services

Duncannon is currently host to three pubs, two cafes and a local shop is due to be finished reconstruction during April 2022. Local restaurants includ
Aldridge Lodge
and Dunbrody Country House, There are also cafe including th
Wild Rose Cafe
at the Fort Conan Hotel an
Gralinn
on the beach front. Duncannon Holiday Park is a holiday village which provides accommodation and camping facilities.

Events

There are three festivals of note held in Duncannon every year. In August there are two festivals. Firstly a Sand Festival is held on the beach. This includes a Sand Sculpting exhibition in a large tent on the beach and many other events including crab fishing competitions and one of the largest fireworks displays in Ireland to launch every festival, off of a boat near Duncannon beach. A Kitesurfing Festival is also held every August, date dependent on tides. Previously an annual Military and Vehicle Re-Enactment was held on the June Bank Holiday week-end. However this has been discontinued.

References

* Philip McKeiver, "A New History of Cromwell's Irish Campaign", ''Advance Press'', Manchester 2007,

External links

Parish of Duncannon

Official Catholic Parish Website
{{County Wexford, state=collapsed 1640s in Ireland Irish Confederate Wars Towns and villages in County Wexford Beaches of County Wexford