To England

Cattle Boat

This is a photo of the type of boat that was once used to ferry passengers across the Irish Sea.

Copyright managed by the Library Council.

Cattle Boat
Copyright managed by the Library Council.

Cattle Boat

This is a photo of the type of boat that was once used to ferry passengers across the Irish Sea.

Copyright managed by the Library Council.

Enlarge image

Although commercial flights started in Ireland in 1936, they were not affordable for ordinary people until later in the twentieth century. If someone wanted to go to England from Wexford, the only affordable way was by ferry across the Irish Sea.

Often, passengers shared space on the boat with cattle, who were being shipped over for trade. The boats were not designed for people, so the crossings were often very rough.

Now let's take a look at some Wexford women's experiences of their journeys to England.