When he launched his 20th book in 2023, he said: “I am constantly reading and storing away the pieces of information I find. This leads to me looking up more on the topic and querying what was written in the past. When I settle on a theme and finish a book, I can’t wait to get it out there.
“I will never get rich writing local history but I am happy if one book brings in enough to publish the next one.”
The foundation for his new book Walks in Wexford Town, reveal nine self-guided, illustrated walks around our stunning and ancient town. It marks his 25th publication as an author or co-author and Nicky’s work focuses almost exclusively on Wexford.
Some of the walks on offer will keep you around the Main Street area with two in particular giving insights into the history you witness by just strolling from King Street to Redmond Square. Others will bring you into the wilds of Bishopswater or Maudlintown with little snippets along the way to help you cast your mind back to an older Wexford.
“We turn right into King Street or Partridge Street. King Street comes in two parts – lower from the seafront to the Main Street and upper leading to the “Cross of the Folly” at Tesco. The consensus is that the common name of the street derives from the Kinge family who received lands in the area in the early 1600s rather than any regal connotation. The official name was changed to Partridge Street in 1920 but this failed to stick among Wexfordians although it is used on the street name plaque,” an extract from the book documents.
Walks in Wexford Town by Nicky Rossiter
The book features a wide selection of photographs, many not previously published. With this book you can cosy up to the fireside and enjoy a few “mental meanders” through our characterful streets and it is the perfect gift for Wexford natives living outside the town.
Nicky emphasises that taking a stroll through the history of the town with the entertaining, engaging and informative, WexWalks, is well worth it and this book is not here to replace that experience.
The book recounts a remarkable piece of history that happened at the Rock of Mauldintown.
“In 1887 there are reports that over 25,000 people attended a series of inter-county club matches at Maudlintown, probably “up the Rocks” where St. Mary’s Club now play.
“At the base of the hill, is a stone built hut, bearing the legend ‘Aqua Pura 1944’. This is “the spout”, the source of fine spring water, used especially during water rationing of the long hot summers.
On the Main Street, one focus point for the book is “Eddie Hall’s pub. “Directly opposite Hall’s was Shudall’s Sweet Shop. I recall this little shop of about eight feet by twenty with a counter down the right as you entered and a bench or form on the left wall under a mirror. An elderly lady owned the shop but most of the service was by Angie Molloy. It was the place to stock up on sweets heading for The Cinema Palace.”
Among the Table of Contents contained in this book are strolls from Stonebridge Lane, Redmond Square to The Bullring, Talbot Hotel to Browne’s Pub, The Old Country Hall to Still Lane, The Crescent, Thomas Street to Peter’s Square, Cornmarket to The Bullring, South Main Street and North Main Street.
The book is currently on sale from Red Books and Wexford Book Centre only, and funds raised will fund Nicky’s next publication.