Revolutionary Wexford

The War of Independence and Civil War in County Wexford exhibition was assembled using information, photographs, and memorabilia gathered from local families. Following an open call by the Wexford Library Service, many individuals came forward to share their records, stories, and artefacts from the revolutionary period. This collection took place during community archive days hosted at the Wexford and Gorey libraries in 2021 and 2022. These personal accounts have now been integrated with historical reports from the time and cross-referenced with national records from the Bureau of Military History. 

The exhibition, scripted by historian Celestine Murphy, explores the events that led to the outbreak of hostilities in County Wexford. It covers the period from the declaration of the War of Independence in January 1919 to the end of hostilities in January 1921, during the truce from July 1921 to July 1922, and the Civil War from June 1922 to May 1923.

Celestine's script is written in a reportage style, almost as if the events were happening today, which brings a vibrancy and modernity to the stories. This style informed the look and feel of the exhibition, taking modern newspaper design as an inspiration for the layout. Large headlines set in a heavy-weight serif, horizontal and vertical rules and substantial pull quotes are the dominant features. We applied this aesthetic to a digital version of the exhibition.