Watch House Village is a small village in County Wexford

County Wexford

County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...

, Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

, on the River Derry

River Derry

The Derry River rises just south of Hacketstown, County Carlow. It flows southeast to Tinahely, being accompanied by the R747 regional road for the distance....

. It is a twin village of the much larger Clonegal

Clonegal

Clonegal, officially Clonegall , is a village in the southeast of County Carlow, Ireland. It is in a rural setting, 5 km from Bunclody, County Wexford, 22 km from Carlow and 17 km from the proposed interchange of the N9 and N80 roads at Rathcrogue. It is just over a mile north of...

 in County Carlow

County Carlow

County Carlow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Carlow, which lies on the River Barrow. Carlow County Council is the local authority for the county...

 on the other side of the river, which forms the county boundary.

History

It is closely associated with the Irish Rebellion of 1798

Irish Rebellion of 1798

The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...

. Mementoes of the men who fought in several of the battles of the period are to be seen in and around the village and include the ‘The Forge Stone’. Michael Connors, a blacksmith from Johnstown, fought at the Battle of Ballyellis

Battle of Ballyellis

The Battle of Ballyellis on 30 June 1798 was a clash during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 , between a surviving column of the dispersed Wexford rebel army and pursuing British forces which resulted in a victory for the rebels....

, where he suffered a stomach wound. As he made his way home, he died near the Watch House cross and the stone from his forge can still be seen there.

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland