Southend stories paint vivid picture of maritime Wexford
A LARGE crowd gathered at Wexford town library recently for the launch of the Southend Maritime Heritage Oral History Project.
The aim of the project was to record the maritime stories of the Southend area, for inclusion in the Wexford Oral History Project run by the county library service. The idea was first mooted at the Men’s Breakfast Morning in the Family Resource Centre. Some of the men had been to sea, others had made a living from the sea through fishing, and others were ‘lighters of lamps’.
It was decided that some of these stories should be recorded to capture an aspect of the social heritage of the area.
An informal committee was set up, which included local Maritime Historian Jack O’Leary and Captain Michael Murphy of the Faythe. The library and county archive both enthusiastically backed the project from the start. A grant was also given by the Heritage Council of Ireland to fund a researcher.
The result is 12 recordings of 15 local people, including men who were at sea, wives who were at home, men who fished, and men who worked in the lighthouses and light ships. One man dived below the sea and another was born and raised below sea level! A record of the names and stories of the people from the Southend who were at sea over the years has also been collages and is laid out on a street by street basis. It is hoped that this document will form the basis of a booklet on the maritime history of the area.
Southend Family Resource Centre was founded in 2006 and is based in Seaview House, Maudlintown. It is funded by TUSLA and supported by Wexford County Council and WWETB. Its aim is to support families and individuals in improving their quality of life and to help achieve their potential. There are a variety of groups and programmes run in the centre on a weekly basis.
These include parent and toddler groups, educational courses, youth groups, a kayak club, a camera club and an art group. There are healthy eating programmes, a Boules and Horseshoes group, and a monthly story house. Inter-generational activities are central and there is a strong link with the St John of God primary school in The Faythe.