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County WEXFORD: a county
of Ireland in the province of Leinster, bounded N. by Wicklow, E. and
S. by St George's Channel, and W. by Waterford, Kilkenny and Carlow.
The area is 576,757 acres or about 902 sq. m. The coast-line does not
present any striking features, and owing to the number of sandbanks
navigation is dangerous near the shore. The only inlet of importance
en the east coast and the only safe harbour is Wexford Harbour, which,
owing to a bar, is not accessible to large vessels at ebb-tide. The
artificial harbour of Rosslare, outside Wexford Harbour to the south,
was therefore opened in 1906. On the south coast the great inlet of
Waterford Harbour separates the county from Waterford and Kilkenny,
and among several inlets Bannow Bay is the largest. Several islets adjoin
the coast. South from Crossfarnogue Point are the Saltee Islands, and
Coningmore and Coningbeg, beyond the latter of which is the Saltee lightship.
South-east from Greenore Point is the Tuskar Rock. The surface of the
county is chiefly a series of verdant low hills, except towards the
northern and western boundaries. An elevated ridge on the north-western
boundary forms the termination of the granitic range in Wicklow, and
in Croghan Kinshela, on the borders of Wicklow, rises to a height of
1985 ft. On the western border, another range, situated chiefly in Carlow,
extends from the valley of the Slaney at Newtownbarry to the confluence
of the Barrow with the Nore at New Ross, and reaches 2409 ft. in Blackstairs
Mountain, and 2610 ft. in Mount Leinster on the border of Co. Carlow.
In the southern district, a hilly region, reaching in Forth Mountain
a height of 725 ft., forms with Wexford Harbour the northern boundaries
of the baronies of Forth and Bargy, a peninsula of flat and fertile
land. The river Slaney enters the county at its north-western extremity,
and flows south-east to Wexford Harbour. Its chief tributary is the
Bann, which flows south-westwards from the borders of Wicklow. The Barrow
forms the western boundary of the county from the Blackstairs range
of mountains till its confluence with the Suir at Waterford Harbour.
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