Students could be drafted in to enhance tourist experience at one of Wexford’s most iconic landmarks

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

Students with an interest in local history may soon have the opportunity to hone their skills in front of a live audience on one of Co Wexford’s most iconic landmarks. While new heritage panels documenting the history of the of Vinegar Hill and its role in the 1798 Rebellion, there remains a sense that the true potential of this tourist attraction is not being fully realised.

Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Enniscorthy Municipal District (EMD), Councillor John O’Rourke said the surrounding areas needed to be encompassed in the visitor experience.

“Could we design a mapping system where visitors can be see where all the battles took place by looking out at the various landmarks from the top of the hill?” he asked. “We could have signs pointing to Boolavogue and Oulart Hill explaining the significance of those sites and what occurred there.”

On a previous trip to the UK, Cllr Jackser Owens had seen how our near neighbours celebrate their heritage.

“When we went as a council to see a battlefield in England, we had people telling us what happened in every field in the area, when you go to Vinegar Hill there’s no-one to tell you what happened anywhere,” he said. “And the guides in England were students.”

Running with this idea, Cllr O’Rourke suggested that the EMD could reach out to local secondary schools and unearth any budding historians.

“There’s a lot of students who’ll be going on to study history at third-level and this could be beneficial to them, it may also bestow a sense of civic pride in them,” he said.