Unoccupied plaza in heart of Wexford town becoming hotspot for ‘day drinking and anti-social behaviour’
Wexford PeopleA wide, open public space in the heart of Wexford town is currently being utilised for “daytime drinking” as it increasingly becomes a hotspot for anti-social behaviour. While it hosted a number of events during Wexford town’s hosting of the Fleadh, the plaza area between Oyster Lane and the Crescent Quay has remained vacant since the musicians packed away their instruments and headed north.
Voicing his frustration, local councillor Leonard Kelly said he was continually fielding queries from people regarding potential uses for the area.
“I’ve had so many people ask me what the plan is for it, what's going to happen to it after the Fleadh, and I don’t have an answer for them,” he said. “There’s been various ideas pitched in that time; a Christmas market, a basketball court, a stage where young people can busk, a soft play area; but none of them have been adopted.
“There was a vast amount of money spent on it and it’s currently a very nice area, but it has no given purpose right now and it has become a centre for anti-social behaviour and daytime drinking. If you pass there on any given day you will see up to 15 people drinking cans, and that’s only going to get worse as we come into the summer.”
In 2025 Cllr Kelly and his colleagues in the Wexford Borough District repeatedly called for a Christmas market to be set up in the plaza, however, that idea, along with all the others, did not come to fruition.
“It’s such a shame because it has massive potential, if you visit other towns in the country and see what they’ve done with similar spaces you realise how good it could be,” continued the independent councillor. “There’s a chance here to make this a family-friendly space with food trucks, crafts, a farmer’s market, somewhere that families can hang out in the summer and enjoy themselves. For me, the hard work is done already, we just need to find a use for the area.
“It’s wholly unacceptable that it’s just sitting there empty. And, if we are to do anything with it, it needs to be done in time for the summer; there’s no point in coming up with a plan in September, October, it’ll be too late by then.”
Asking that local creatives or businesses contact him with any ideas they might have for the area, Cllr Kelly said he was willing to pitch the public’s suggestions to the council if suitable.
However, Wexford County Council (WCC) has explained that part of the plaza area is owned by a private entity which hinders any long-term plans for the area.
“WCC is actively looking at options but any plans are limited by the fact that WCC does not own the site,” said a spokesperson for the council. “Anything proposed could not impact on the possible long-term development of the site by private owner.”
The council also confirmed that it has a lease in place at the plaza until 2031.