Duncormick 2.43

Duncormick or Duncormac is a rural village and surrounding community located the R736 regional road in County Wexford, Ireland. At the 2002 census, it had a population of 503. The village is 11 miles from Wexford Town, close to the fishing village of Kilmore Quay which is one of the largest fishing harbours in Ireland. Duncormick refers not only to a village, but also to the rural area surrounding it.LocationDuncormick is located on the River Muck and is one of the stops on the scenic Bannow Drive, a popular tourist trail and signposted route through four Wexford villages including Cullenstown, Bannow and Wellingtonbridge. Duncormick, close to numerous beaches, is popular with holidaymakers and is a forty-minute drive from Rosslare Europort, to the east, which serves Britain and one part of France. Waterford Airport lies directly to the west.HistoryMay 1169The first Norman forces arrived on three single-masted Longships at Bannow Bay, County Wexford in May 1169. They had sailed from Milford Haven in Wales, and on board were Normans, Welshmen and Flemings. Their leader was Robert FitzStephen, a Norman-Welsh warlord, and they made camp on Bannow Island, separated from the mainland by a narrow channel which has since silted up. A day later, two further ships arrived under the command of Maurice de Prendergast, bringing their numbers to around 600. They were joined by 500 Irish warriors led by Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster. From Bannow the combined armies headed towards Wexford, a Viking seaport some 20 miles away. There was a brief skirmish at Duncormick, before they continued on to assault Wexford’s walls. For more information about the battle at Duncormac, see Siege of Wexford.