Take a walk through history!

Medieval Ferns grew up around the monastery founded by St Aidan (also known as Mogue) some 1,400 years ago. Aidan had studied with St David in Wales before returning to Ireland around 580AD and then founding his monastery here in Ferns in 598AD. The village today still lies almost completely within the outer enclosure of that monastery.  Ferns grew to become the capital of the Gaelic Kings of Leinster and then a centre of Norman power under Strongbow and the great William Marshal. Echoes of its historic past are everywhere from remarkable medieval monastic remains, an imposing Norman Castle, a miraculous well and the grave of a famous Irish King!

Our trail takes you through the heart of this historic village, where you can visit the remarkable medieval remains around the Cathedral at one end, and the imposing Norman Castle at the other. As you walk the trail through the village, keep an eye out for some Norman helmets along the way – they all have their own story to tell!

As you walk along the trail…

Watch for new Heritage Trail markers

Because Ferns is an archaeologically sensitive site, we were advised to look for way markers in keeping with its historical significance and urban setting.   As you walk the heritage trail, look out for these way marker studs which are minimally invasive and located on pavements throughout Upper and Lower Main St. – they number from 1 to 18.  Two additional sites have been added since the map below was produced (the map will be updated in due course).  The new additions are the Bee Skeps (now No 2) located in the old graveyard adjacent to St. Edan’s Cathedral and the Medieval Ferns Experience located on Upper Main St. (now No 11)  The Ferns Heritage Trail was developed under Wexford Walking Trails – funding for the way marking studs was also sourced through Wexford Walking Trails.   For a brief description of each site, go to ‘Points of Interest Along the Trail’ below.

Check out the Helmets!

As you pass from one end of the village to the other you may notice some Norman Helmets here and there.  These are not just decorative – they are designed to be little discovery points, each with their own story to tell about Ferns.  The helmets all open too so you can have a look inside. Under each is a little sculpture that relates to the story being told. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

The Murals

You can’t help noticing that we have a lot of very interesting murals in the village.  Our murals all depict characters from Ferns’ rich medieval history. They include two medieval ‘power-couples’ – the Norman knight Strongbow and the Irish princess Aoife, and the great William Marshal with his wife Isabel de Clare, one of the richest and most powerful women in Europe. And of course, Diarmait MacMurrough King of Leinster, the man who started it all! Look closely at the background images too – they all shine a light on aspects of these people’s stories and characters.

Caption to each mural:

Points of Interest Along the Trail

1. Where old ghosts meet – the Cathedral Graveyard

Framed by the Cathedral, St Mary’s Abbey and the village itself, this old graveyard is full of surprises. 

Grave of Rebel Commander Father John Murphy
Fr John Murphy was one of the main commanders of the 1798 Rebellion in Wexford. He was born in Tincurry, near Ferns in 1753 and educated in Seville in Spain. While not a member of the secret republican organisation The United Irishmen himself, many of his associates were and he was certainly well acquainted with their plans for a rebellion in 1798. At first, he tried to stop the rebellion but continuing atrocities by Crown forces drove him to call on the people to defend themselves. He emerged as one of the most charismatic and gifted leaders of the rebellion. He was eventually captured in Carlow by Crown forces, tortured, murdered and his body burned in a tar barrel. Some of his remains were recovered and are laid here.

Grave of Fr Ned Redmond

In June 1812, Fr Redmond, parish priest of Ferns, told John Trotter, a writer visiting Wexford, that he had once shared lodgings with a young man in Bas Poitou in France. Fr Redmond went on to say that one day they went out shooting together and the young man fell into a deep stream and would have drowned if he hadn’t managed to pull him out. His name was Napoleon Bonaparte and Fr Redmond had just changed the course of history!  Fact or fiction?  Who knows – Fr Redmond was in no doubt however.  You can find his grave alongside Fr Murphy’s.

Grave of ‘Dandy’ Pat Byrne

‘Dandy’ Pat Byrne, remembered for his efforts to ease the sufferings of those caught up in the Liverpool Dock Strike of 1887, rests here too.  He was born in 1845 here in Ferns, moving to Liverpool in 1862/3 where he worked first as a docker before opening a string of pubs and hotels. His penchant for fine clothes earned him the nickname ‘Dandy Pat’. During the Dock Strike of 1887, Pat worked tirelessly with a committee to help the wives and children of the men on strike. Pat himself died just three years later in 1890 at the age of just 45. His body was brought home to Ferns for burial.

Carved tombstones

If carved tombstones are your thing, you’ve come to the right place!  The graveyard contains a large collection of decorative eighteenth and nineteenth century gravestones, some by the noted local sculptor James Byrne who was in high demand all over Wexford during the 18^th century for his work. His style was very distinctive – initially it seems primitive, even childlike, but get closer and look at the detail and storytelling hidden on each one. His work is full of symbols and needs interpretation to fully understand but among the most usual are images of the Crucifixion, of the Temple, of devils and angels, and very commonly the sun and moon humanised with faces. 

Perforated headstones

A curious feature of this graveyard are some old gravestones which have holes bored through them.  No-one knows just why this was done – local folklore says they were used for target practice by Redcoats during the 1798 Rebellion but musketballs would not pass through a headstone. In any case, these holes are clearly bored or drilled. A story from England, where a similar phenomenon was observed, has it that cavalry troops used them for tethering their horses but again that seems unlikely.  Another suggestion, again from examples in England, is that they were used to bolt the headstone to a wooden stake behind when it was first raised, to stop it leaning until the ground settled. The location of some of the perforations in Ferns, cutting through expensive carved iconography, makes that seem unlikely too. A final suggestion is that these were used in some way in connection with swearing oaths, which we know was done in some graveyards.  If you have come across something similar elsewhere, please let us know!  You can find these stones in the southern part of the graveyard, not far from Fr Murphy’s grave.

2. A Sweet Link to Wales – St Aidan’s Bees

One of the most beautiful stories about St Aidan relates to his love of bees – and bees’ love for him. 

While he was in Wales studying with St David one of his responsibilities was to care for the monastery’s bees.  Bees were hugely important then as now, but particularly so for a monastery where honey was used in medicine and to make mead, and where beeswax was essential for making church candles.  The story goes that, on leaving St David, Aidan was followed by David’s bees three times to the ship as he attempted to return to Ireland. Each time St Aidan dutifully returned the bees to the monastery but on the third occasion Saint David, seeing St Aidan’s kindness, agreed that the bees should accompany him to Ireland.  Even today, 1,400 years later, Ferns is famous for the quality of its honey.

Inspired by the story of St Aidan, St David and the bees, the artist Bedwyr Williams has created a series of giant beehives, three in the grounds around the Cathedral in St Davids in Wales and three in the grounds around the Cathedral in Ferns. These giant bee hives are part of a cross-border community project with our friends in Wales, created through the EU-funded Ancient Connections Project which ran from 2020 to 2023.  These evocative structures are modelled loosely on the kind of traditional straw skep hives that St Aidan might have used in the care of St David’s bees. Though much larger in scale and simpler in form, these skep sculptures are designed to be living sculptures with real live bees. Beekeepers in both communities are taking care of the bee colonies. In time, both Ferns and St Davids will produce their own honey, which will be harvested and jarred for sale at both sites and shared across the Irish Sea between the neighbouring communities.

You can find our giant beehives in the southeast corner of the old graveyard beside the Cathedral. And don’t worry – although the hives are huge, we can assure you all the bees are normal sized!

3. Grave of King Diarmait MacMurrough

Local hero or national villain? Diarmait is one of medieval Ireland’s most fascinating characters. Born in the year 1110, Diarmait grew to become one of Ireland’s most brilliant, ambitious and feared kings. Described by one contemporary as ‘a man who liked better to be feared by all than loved by any…his hand was against every man and every man’s hand against him’. Yet he was also a patron of the arts and Church reformer, referred to by Bernard of Clairvaux, probably the most influential churchman of the day, as the ‘noble and glorious King of Ireland’.   And indeed Diarmait had designs on the High Kingship of Ireland.  Unfortunately, the existing High King had other plans and effectively destroyed Diarmait and drove him overseas. From where he returned with an army of Norman troops, leading ultimately to a fullscale Norman invasion of Ireland. He died here in Ferns in 1171, on the verge of achieving his ambitions to be High King.  The broken shaft of a once enormous High Cross is traditionally said to mark his resting-place.

4. Medieval Treasure Trove

The grounds around the Cathedral are a medieval treasure-trove!

The original monastery was founded about 1,400 years ago by Aedán mac Sétna, more commonly known at the time as Maedóc or Maedhóg and known today as St Mogue or St Aidan. Ferns was also the political and ecclesiastical seat of the Kings of Leinster with its power and influence peaking in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.  The cult of Ferns’ patron saint flourished at the same time, with pilgrims flocking here to pray and to see the relics of St Aidan – notably the Bachall Bhrandaibh, or ‘Staff of Brandubh’, St Aidan’s crozier. The wealth brought by these pilgrims along with the royal connections enjoyed by Ferns is reflected in the monumental remains surviving today. The status of Ferns was enhanced further when it was confirmed as the seat of a Bishop at the Synod of Rath Breasail in 1111.  Its church officially became a Cathedral, quickly taken over by the Normans following their invasion 60 years later who began adding their own layer of architecture to the site.  The legacy of perhaps 600 years of Gaelic and Norman Christianity can be found scattered around the Cathedral grounds.

 The High Crosses are the earliest, dating back to pre-Norman times well over a thousand years ago.  Look out for the ruins of the Chapter House too, which was the administrative centre for the Cathedral’s vast estate. Then cross the field to visit St Mary’s Abbey, founded around 1160 by King Diarmait ‘for the health of my soul and my ancestors and successors’.

Ruins of the Chapter House

Once thought to be the ruins of the original medieval Cathedral, it is now generally agreed that this a separate building and probably the Chapter House, where the ‘Cathedral Chapter’ would have met. Their function as to advise the Bishop and undertake much of the administration of the Cathedral estate.  Located to the east of the present Cathedral, the ruins consist of two side walls with beautiful closely set ‘lancet’ windows which would have flooded the room with light. This was often a feature of a Chapter House and made sense for a place where meetings were held. However, you will also note that the windows are high above the ground – this is to prevent the uninvited from peeping in from the outside or eavesdropping on the discussion inside! These windows may well have held stained glass too and the effect inside would have been stunning.

The Knight on the Tile

One of the most famous chance finds from Ferns of recent years was ‘The Knight on the Tile’, discovered when a new grave was being dug near the Chapter House. It is a floor tile showing an armoured knight on horseback, wearing a full-face helmet with eyeslit, kite-shaped shield on one arm and either a sword or lance in the other.  In its fragmentary form, the sense of movement is impressive and we can only imagine the effect when this was laid, with hundreds of others, on the floor of some important medieval building nearby – perhaps the Chapter House itself. It is now held by the National Museum of Ireland.

5. St Mary’s Abbey

In 1158 or around that date, Diarmait MacMurrough King of Leinster founded an Augustinian Abbey in Ferns ‘for the health of my soul and my ancestors and successors’. Its foundation charter included an entitlement to a ‘portion of all beer brewed in Ferns’!  Diarmait was a reforming King in many ways and a major patron of the church, bringing in continental orders as well, like the Augustinians. The abbey is a Gaelic foundation, i.e. it predates the arrival of the Normans into Ireland.  The belfry, which recalls the Round Towers found at so many Irish monasteries, may well be a deliberate link between the old Gaelic practice and the new continental style monasteries that kings like Diarmait were introducing.

What you see today is only a fragment of the original building complex. For example archaeological investigations have shown that it once had a cloister attached to it, to the southeast. It would also have had dormitories and residential quarters – some fit for a King, as Diarmait MacMurrough himself spent the winter of 1167/8 here whilst he awaited the arrival of his Anglo Norman allies. While the shaft of a High Cross near the Cathedral is traditionally pointed out as marking his grave, it is much more likely that when Diarmait died in 1171 he was buried here, in the Abbey he had founded, where prayers could be offered for his soul by the monks he had endowed.

In 1317 the Abbey was plundered and burnt by Irish forces during the Bruce wars but it was rebuilt and reoccupied. It was finally closed in 1538, in the general suppression of monasteries across much of Britain and Ireland. At that time it was described as including a church and belfry, dormitory, chapterhouse, hall, and other buildings with around 600 acres of land and other interests.

6. More to this than meets the eye – St Edan’s Cathedral

Welcome to the smallest working Cathedral in Europe! 

And it’s a lot older than it looks. The Cathedral was renovated in 1817 and as a result it looks like a 19^th century church. However nothing could be further from the truth!  What you are actually looking at is the original Cathedral which was built some 800 years ago – around the same time as St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin or Notre Dame in Paris.  It used to be much bigger and like most great churches of the time it was originally cruciform or cross-shaped in ground-plan, with two great ‘transepts’ jutting out on either side.  If you look carefully you can see the arches for both of these still built into the walls outside.  The long narrow windows at the eastern end, called ‘lancet’ windows, are another clue to its early date. You can also see entrances to the two crypts from the outside.

Ferns was associated with several important bishops in the medieval period including Ailbhe O’ Mulloy (d. 1223) and John St John (d. 1253). Bishop O’Mulloy is famous as the man who cursed the great William Marshal following a dispute over land, promising him that his name would die out within a generation (which it did). Bishop John St John, the first English Bishop of Ferns, is most frequently associated with the construction of the Cathedral which survives in part today. Another famous visitor to the Cathedral was the Gaelic chief Fiach Mac Hugh O’Byrne from Wicklow, who burnt it down in 1575 and then agreed to rebuild it in 1577!

The Cathedral is open for services so if you get a chance, have a look inside. The tomb of its builder Bishop John St John (d.1243 or 1253) is just inside the door, his feet resting upon a dog. The tomb is nearly 800 years old but still looks almost new. Elsewhere inside you can still see traces of the old medieval cathedral trapped in the fabric of the building. The pillars on the along the walls inside are all part of the original Cathedral: if you look on the left side you can see how these framed the entrance to the transept that originally opened up to the north, forming one of the ‘arms’ of the cross.  If you closer still, here and at the base of the pillars to the right of the altar  you will find symbols carved by the Norman stone masons who worked here 800 years ago – signing-off on their own work! Some cross-shaped markings higher up may be consecration crosses, which would have been marked by the Bishop when the building was being consecrated as a church, quite probably by Bishop John St John himself who lies in the tomb by the door. Another feature still surviving from the medieval Cathedral is the double ‘piscina’, ritual stone basins for washing sacred vessels and the celebrant’s hands.

A lot more here than meets the eye!

7.  High Crosses

Carved High Crosses are a unique feature of early Irish monasteries. In the grounds around the Cathedral here in Ferns are three tall granite crosses, a smaller stone cross and a cross slab. The High Crosses are plainly carved with just raised mouldings along their edges but their massive bulk gives them a commanding presence. These are all around a thousand years old.  The original bases and carved heads have survived but the shafts were stolen long ago, probably for use as lintels. They are replaced here by concrete shafts of similar height. On the south side of the Cathedral you can see the broken shaft of a once enormous decorated High Cross which is probably a little later and is traditionally held to mark the burial place of Diarmait MacMurrough.  Not far away part of what looks like another similarly decorated cross was found by an archaeologist working here in 2020. Across the field in St Mary’s Abbey is the base of yet another High Cross.

8. Straight from a Fairytale – Mogue’s Cottage

This impossibly pretty thatched cottage dates back to the 1700s, with an extension added in the late 1800s. It was originally the home of the Sexton or caretaker of the nearby St Edan’s Cathedral. He would also have acted as the bell-ringer. An old photograph from the 1800s shows the cottage with a thatched roof, ivy covered walls and a rustic ‘portico’ all along the front supporting the overhang of the roof. The cottage was thatched up until 1938 when it was replaced with tiles. The whole cottage was restored early in the 21^st century, putting back the thatched roof it had originally and restoring the grounds around it.  It was formally reopened in 2004 by the then President of Ireland Mary McAleese. The cottage is used for lots of different community events but is not generally open to the public. However, the grounds around it are and are easily accessed from the Cathedral side.   

9. The puzzle that is Peter’s

This church is a bit of a puzzle!  It looks like quite an early building and at one stage was thought to be nearly a thousand years old.  However, it does not appear on a list of ecclesiastical buildings in Ferns that was drawn up around 1537, which must mean it was built after that, much later than it looks.  So, how do we explain its appearance? Well, most scholars now think it was built around 400-500 years ago using parts of much earlier buildings nearby and this is why it looks so much older. For example, the Romanesque window in the south wall may have come from the nearby St Mary’s Abbey or more likely the Romanesque church at Clone not far from here.  St Mogue’s Well, 40 metres to the south of here, also has architectural fragments believed to be taken from Clone. The two ‘lancet’ windows in the east wall – tall nar row windows above where the altar would have been – are Gothic in style.  In fact, they are very similar to those in the cathedral and may have been robbed from that site in one of its various alterations.   

It’s well worth the short walk to see it – it is a particularly tranquil, peaceful spot.

10. A Medieval Miracle – St Mogue’s Well

First, you should know that ‘Mogue’ is just another name for St Aidan – it’s his ‘pet’ name in many ways and it comes from the Irish ‘Mo Aodh Óg’ or ‘My Young Aodh’.  Mogue is still a popular name around this part of Wexford.  

St Aidan was actually born hundreds of miles away from here in Templeport, Co. Cavan around 560 AD.  He travelled to Wales to study under the famous St David, later to become patron saint of Wales. On his return to Ireland Aidan established his first monastery here in Ferns on land granted to him by King Bran Dubh.  The legends say that as they were building the monastery his monks complained that there was no water to be had nearby. Aidan told them to cut down a certain tree and when they did a spring of water suddenly gushed forth. The well has been flowing ever since. The well-head that you see today was built in 1847 but if you look closely you will see what looks like a much older carved head built into it.  This is close on a thousand years old and came from came from pre-Norman medieval church at nearby Clone. The famous sundial from Clone can be seen in the Visitor Centre at the Castle.   

Aidan’s original well is still there today but is hidden in a secret chamber that now lies under the main road. The water you see today flows directly from this hidden well.

11. Where history comes to life-The Medieval Ferns Experience

Discover tales of Gaelic kingship, miracle-working saints, Norman knights, and a real-life Game of Thrones! Why did the Normans invade Ireland? What did they find here and what did they leave behind? Maybe you could have been King yourself? All is revealed in an immersive and highly entertaining visitor experience!

There is something for everyone here, young and old.  A special audio visual unlocks the events surrounding the arrival of the Normans and the secret messages hidden in Daniel Maclise’s famous painting ‘The Marriage of Aoife and Strongbow’ (courtesy of the National Gallery of Ireland). A Brehon Judge of the MacMurroughs tests your knowledge of Irish Law and assesses whether you are fit to be King. Saint Aidan talks about his friend St David while Ireland’s much-maligned King Diarmait MacMurrough makes an appearance to set the story straight. And if virtual reality is your thing, you can even take a VR journey around key sites in the area. Or why not have the full experience and book a guided tour?  We can arrange that for you too!

Opening Times:

 June – October      Tuesday to Saturday              11.00am – 5.00pm (last entry at 4.00pm)

November – May    Wednesday to Saturday         11.00am – 5.00pm (last entry at 4.00pm)

12. St Aidan’s Monastery
In 1990, on the site of the old Roman Catholic Church, the Sisters of Adoration built a convent, a church of perpetual adoration and individual stone hermitages, continuing a tradition of spiritual reflection extending back 1,400 years. With the exception of the altar, Tabernacle and Crosses, all the materials came from local sources. Here you can experience the solitude and the quietness of the 6th and 7th centuries with the comforts of modern living.

13. Fr Murphy Monument (opposite the entrance to the Castle)

Taking the form of an ancient Irish High Cross, this monument carved in limestone on a granite plinth, commemorates Fr John Murphy, one of the most charismatic and beloved leaders of the 1798 Rebellion. It was in Ferns and its hinterland that the spark that was to become the conflagration of 1798 was lit.  Initially opposed to the rising, Fr Murphy rapidly became one of the most effective rebel commanders.  After the disaster of Vinegar Hill, he was captured in Carlow, tortured and murdered. Part of his remains which were recovered are buried in the old Graveyard by the Cathedral.

14. ‘It’s our legacy to the town’ – the beautiful Ferns Tapestry

This 15m long tapestry tells the story of Ferns from the arrival of St. Aidan in 598AD to the coming of the Normans in 1169, with some ‘snapshots’ in there of 20^th century Ferns too. The 25 individual panels were stitched by local women using the thousand year old art of crewel embroidery, a type of embroidery used by the Normans themselves. Two years of planning, sorting wool and discussing took place before the stitching could even begin. The local historical society provided advice on the key events to be recorded while local artist Stephanie Breen and colour coordinator Kristine Byrne were brought on board to provide the images for the panels. The scenes recorded include the arrival of St Aidan and the building of his monastery 1,400 years ago, the plundering of Ferns by the Vikings and the pivotal career of Diarmait MacMurrough, Gaelic King of Leinster whose recruitment of Norman mercenaries precipitated a full-scale invasion of his country.  Irish linen was used for the panels and coloured two ply wool for the stitching.

The team was led by expert embroiderer Betty Byrne who provided initial training and step-by-step instructions on how to create the embroidery show piece. Lessons began in September 1998 and continued until Christmas week by which time team-members could master a French knot, long stitch, short stitch and more.

Then, every Thursday evening for five years the women got together in the community centre to stitch and bring pictures to life.

‘It’s our legacy to the town,’ they say. You can see it for yourself in the Visitor Centre beside the Castle, open from end-May to end-September.

Visitor Centre

The open areas of the Castle are accessible all year round but during the main visitor season (end-May to end September) the small Visitor Centre is also open. This has a fascinating landscape model of medieval Ferns, reconstructing the castle, village and monastery. It also has a number of early medieval carvings on display, including the thousand year old sundial from the monastery at nearby Clone, which was used to mark the hours for prayer. The beautiful Ferns Tapestry is also displayed here. There are free guided tours of the Castle whenever the Centre is open, taking you through the dungeon, chapel and right to the top of one of the towers. 

Simply not to be missed!

15. Statement of Norman Power – Ferns Castle

In its day this was one of the finest castles in Ireland, built in that first great wave of castle-construction following the Norman Invasion. The castle you see today was built on the site of at least one earlier castle and is generally thought to have been completed in 1224 by William Marshal the Younger, son of the great William Marshal and Isabel of Leinster and grandson of Strongbow and Aoife, daughter of Diarmait King of Leinster.  It was originally a tall, rectangular keep flanked with massive circular towers at each corner (of which just two survive today). It probably overlooked a marketplace on one side and the road north to the Cathedral on the other. Medieval Ferns grew up between the Castle and the Cathedral.

The entire keep may have been roofed over or more likely a central courtyard may have been retained, allowing light into the interior rooms. These were probably built from timber to create long galleries and living quarters on each side.  When you pass through the gate, crossing where the drawbridge once bridged the moat, the line of the various floors inside become visible, the tall windows with their window-seats and beautiful carved fireplaces. The Great Hall was probably on the east side where you can still see a massive stone fireplace.

The intact south east tower features a beautiful chapel with a magnificent vaulted ceiling – an architectural gem which has been described by that great authority on Irish castles Harold Leask as ‘the most perfect chapel to be found in any Irish castle’.   From the top of the tower there are incredible views of the surrounding countryside for miles around, giving the medieval inhabitants of the castle good notice of any trouble on the way. That trouble arrived in 1346 when the Irish captured and burnt it.  Ferns remained under Gaelic control for the next 200 years, with the castle at one stage occupied by the Bishop of Ferns. It was taken and largely destroyed by Cromwell’s forces in 1649. 

What lies beneath?

As you might expect, there’s more to Ferns than meets the eye! Archaeologists have been studying Ferns for years.

A Bronze Age burial site, consisting of six cremation pits was found just 70m from St Edan’s Cathedral site while an Iron Age ring-ditch was identified on the southeast side of the village. This excavation produced the skeletal remains of a minimum of seven individuals, as well as glass beads and dates indicating a site lifespan running from the fourth century BC to the first century AD. 

A combination of both geophysics (which allows archaeologists look under the soil without digging) and actual excavation has located the outer wall of the original monastery from over a thousand years ago – and it’s huge! Measuring some  300-350m across, this wall enclosed an area of between 7-9 hectares (17-22 acres), and possibly more depending on where the line of the outer wall is traced.  One way or another, this is one of the biggest monastic enclosures in early medieval Ireland – even today much of the modern village, Cathedral and graveyard lie within it.    

At the Castle archaeologists have found the original moat that surrounded the stronghold. It was 5m wide at the top and 3.5m deep, cut through the living rock. They also found evidence of the drawbridge the Knights clattered across on their way inside. 

In recent years the focus of research has been in the fields around St Mary’s Abbey, near the Cathedral. In May 2015 The Discovery Programme undertook geophysical survey here as part of the Monastic Ireland Project. The survey revealed an incredible wealth of archaeological features under the surface including part of the monastic enclosure, an unusual double-aisled structure inside a circular enclosure and what looked like part of a cloister on the south side of the ruined St Mary’s Abbey. Excavation by the Irish Archaeological Field School from 2021-2023 supported by the EU-funded Ancient Connections project investigated these further.  Meanwhile a commercial excavation by TVAS (Ireland) Ltd in 2019 and 2020 at the northeastern corner of the site, revealed the remains of medieval settlement, including a water-mill! 

16. 1916 Commemorative Plaque

Because of confusion and countermanded orders, the countrywide rising which had been planned for 1916 ended up largely confined to Dublin.  However, here in Wexford the rising proceeded and IRA volunteers quickly captured much of the north county. The Ferns contingent was particularly active, sabotaging railway lines and taking the village itself on 28 April, 1916. This plaque was put in place in 2016 to commemorate the role played by the people of Ferns in the 1916 Rising.

17. St Aidan’s Church

This is the new Church of St Aidan, begun in 1974 and replacing the old church which dated from 1826. The foundation stone for the new church was laid on the Feast of St. Aidan, 31st January 1974. A plaque listing the names of parish priests of Ferns stretching back to 1644, is on the wall to the right of the altar. The granite lectern and chair were designed by O’ Neill and Roe, Dublin; the Stations of the Cross in beaten cooper are the work of Paul Meehan, Shankill; and the stained-glass windows are by Lua Breen, Howth. The main contractor was P.J. Furlong & Sons and the architects were Meehan Levins Associates, Arklow.  

18. Haughton’s Plaque

Joseph Haughton was a Quaker who operated a merchant’s premises in the centre of the village at the time of the 1798 Rebellion. The Quakers are generally remembered for their humanitarian efforts during the rebellion and Haughton was no exception, providing shelter, food and care to the many destitute and wounded during this terrible time.  At one stage he famously refused to sell rope to a Yeoman, knowing that it was to be used to hang rebels. His service and charity is remembered in a plaque on the site of his original shop.