Rediscovering Ancient Connections between North Pembrokeshire & County Wexford

Join us at a story sharing evening on Tuesday 4th February at Templeshannon Community Centre, The Shannon, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

Our second story-sharing evening for the Rediscovering Ancient Connections project will take place on February 4th 2020 in Enniscorthy. The project seeks to help to revive the ancient links between the people of Pembrokeshire in Wales and North Wexford in Ireland. Both communities have a deeply entwined, shared heritage and history that extends back millennia from prehistory to the modern day.

The project, which is funded by the European Rural Development Fund and led by Pembrokeshire County Council, with project partners and joint beneficiaries Wexford County Council, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and Visit Wexford will run until December 2021. During that time Abarta Heritage and our partner in Wales, Angharad Wynne, are working to gather the history, archaeology, folklore and stories that connect the two regions. These amazing stories cover the earliest prehistoric settlers, the influential early Christianity of St. David and St. Aidan, the power of the Uí Cheannselaig and the coming of the Cambro-Normans, and tales of warfare, rebellion, shipwrecks, trade and industry.

Below are just two tales taken from the woven tapestry of rich history that is shared between Pembrokeshire and Wexford.

St. David & Clegyr Boia

According to a famous legend, St. David was once instructed by an angel to return to Pembrokeshire to establish a monastery. He and his friends, including St. Aidan, celebrated their arrival home by building a large fire. Unfortunately for them, the fire was on the land of a feared Irish chieftain named Boia. He and his family lived in an old fort and were infamous for terrorising the surrounding lands. Boia was furious with this intrusion on his lands, and decided to lead his best warriors out to attack them. As they approached the holy men, a strange fever came over Boia and his men. They retreated to their fort but soon discovered all of their cattle and sheep were dead. Realising the power of the intruders, Boia returned to St. David and humbly requested mercy. St. David made peace with Boia and restored his animals to life, but only after Boia donated land for the new monastery.

Boia’s wife was furious when she heard this and tried to remove St. David herself. She sent her female slaves to bathe naked, play suggestive games and use lewd words in front of the monks. The monks begged St. David to leave lest they fall to temptation, but he refused and restored order by leading the monks in fasting and praying all night.

In a final act of defiance Boia’s wife sacrificed her step-daughter Dunawd to the pagan gods. When she realised the sacrifice had done nothing, she went mad and was never seen again. Boia decided to avenge his wife and daughter and prepared to attack St. David again, but before he could another Irish chieftain invaded his land and beheaded him. Devine retribution continued; fire rained down from the sky destroying Boia’s settlement. Over 1,400 years later, when archaeologists came to excavate at Clegyr Boia, they found the charred remains of huts and storehouses.

Rediscovering Ancient Connections Story Sharing Evening Ferns

The first flight from Britain to Ireland

On 22 April 1912 Denys Corbett-Wilson became the first person to fly from Britain to Ireland. After taking off in Goodwick, Pembrokeshire, Wilson’s Bleriot aircraft was slowed by heavy rain and fog just off the Wexford coast. He decided to land after an hour and forty minute flight in the first clear field he could see. Unfortunately, Wilson ran out of fuel and crashed into a hedge near Enniscorthy. He walked away unscathed and sent a telegram announcing his fantastic achievement. Sadly Wilson received little recognition for his success, as the newspapers were still focused on the sinking of the Titanic which happened the previous week!

A Story Sharing Evening

If you would like to explore more connections between Wexford and Pembrokeshire, come along to our Rediscovering Ancient Connections story sharing evening. We will discuss some of the stories the team has been uncovering and we would love for you to get involved and share your own local knowledge.

The event will be held from 6.30pm–9.00pm on Tuesday 04th February in Templeshannon Community Centre, The Shannon, Ennicorthy, County Wexford. All are welcome and entry is free, but spaces are limited so please do reserve your place on Eventbrite.

Rediscovering Ancient Connections the Ireland Wales Project

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