Ferns, County Wexford
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{{Infobox Irish Place|
name = Ferns |
gaeilge = Fearna |
crest image = |
motto = |
map image = Ireland map County Wexford Magnified.png |
pin coords = left: 68px; top: 55px |
north coord = 52.59333 |
west coord = 6.5 |
irish grid = T017498 |
area = |
elevation = 60 m (196 ft) |
province = [[Leinster]] |
county = [[County Wexford]] |
town pop = 954 | rural pop = |
census yr = 2006 |
web = |
|}}
'''Ferns''' ({{irish place name|Fearna|alder trees}}) is a small historic town in north [[County Wexford]], [[Ireland]] with a population of about 900. It is 16 km from Enniscorthy, where the [[Gorey]] to [[Enniscorthy]] [[N11 road]] joins the [[R745 road|R745]] [[regional road]]. The ruins of Ferns Castle lie a short distance from the town.
==History==
[[Image:Tower of Ferns Castle.jpg|thumb|left|135px|View of Ferns from Castle tower.]]
Ferns is believed to have been established in the [[6th century]], when a monastery was founded in [[598 in Ireland|598]] dedicated to [[St Mogue]] of Clonmore who was a Bishop of Ferns.<ref>''Blue Guide, Ireland.'' Brian Lalor. (p248) ISBN 0-7136-6130-5</ref> The town became the capital of the [[Kings of Leinster|Kingdom of Leinster]] when the Kings of that southern part of the province established their seat of power there. The most notorious of these was [[Dermot MacMurrough]] who is forever associated with inviting the [[Anglo-Normans]] to Ireland in [[1169 in Ireland|1169]].
Ferns Castle, an Anglo-Norman fortress was built in the [[13th century]] by William, Earl Marshall. Today about half of the castle still stands. Several other reminders of the town's eventful history include St Mary's, a [[12th century]] [[Augustinian]] Priory established by McMurragh circa 1160 and where he is thought to be buried. The town also contains the [[13th century|13th-century]] St Edan's Cathedral (Church of Ireland) and several high crosses and parts of crosses.
==Religion==
The town gave the name to the [[Diocese of Ferns]] (both Roman Catholic and [[Church of Ireland]]). The town's religious traditions live on today through the recent establishment in Ferns of a [[Hermitage (religious retreat)|hermitage]].
==Transport==
*Ferns railway station opened on [[16 November]] [[1863]], closed to passenger traffic on [[30 March]] [[1964]] and to goods traffic on [[3 November]] [[1975]], before finally closing altogether on [[7 March]] [[1977]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Ferns station | work=Railscot - Irish Railways | url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf | accessdate=2007-10-14}}</ref>
==Famous residents==
*[[Anne Doyle]] - [[Radio Telefís Éireann|R.T.É.]] Newsreader.
*[[Dermot MacMurrough]] (d. 1171) - former King of [[Uí Cheinnselaig]] and [[Kings of Leinster|Leinster]].
==See also==
*[[Ferns Inquiry]]
*[[List of towns in the Republic of Ireland|List of towns in Ireland]]
==References==
<references/>
==External links==
*[http://www.ferns.ie/ Diocese of Ferns]
*[http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/HistoricSites/East/FernsCastleWexford/ Ferns Castle]
*[http://www.wexfordtourism.com/ferns_castle.htm Ferns Castle History]
*[http://homepage.eircom.net/~frduffydsl/monastic/ferns.html Photos of Monastic sites in Ferns]
*[http://www.southeastireland.com/detail.asp?memberID=8833 Southeastern Tourisms Description of Ferns]
*[http://www.northwexford.com/ferns.htm northwexford.com's description of Ferns]
{{coor title dm|52|35|N|6|30|W|region:IE_type:city}}
[[Category:Towns and villages in County Wexford]]
[[bg:Фърнс]]
[[ga:Fearna]]
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