Runt, there’s always been a movement of players in Wexford town, as croppy says. Alan Aherne’s splendid history of the wonderful Sarsfields GFC chronicles football in the town from the birth of the GAA and right from the start there was clubs being set up, disbanded, reformed and then completely new ones springing up on an ad hoc basis every once in a while too.
There’s actually too many football clubs for the size of the town and I think it’s 5 at the last count following St Joseph’s reforming a few years ago (Sarsfields, St John’s Volunteers, Clonard spit, St Mary’s Maudlintown, St Joseph’s). The most recent other club (which mainly serviced the local criminal fraternity) was called the Dan O’Connell’s but they disbanded around 10 or 15 years ago now and I’d say St Joseph’s mainly provides that service these days.
There’s no parish rule in Wexford town so, even though each club has a traditional heartland in the town, lads tend move clubs on a whim. Some move based on friendships they make growing up and in school (i.e. my best friends are with the Sars so I’m going to join them now) while with others it can be disillusionment with not getting a game, pure boredom, chasing success, being invited to move etc. There’s even a few soccer clubs that would be aligned with certain GAA clubs. Most of the St Mary’s lads would play with Wexford Bohemians soccer club, for example. It’s quite amusing to see the annual transfer merrygoround though.
Julio, Wexford is a beautiful contradiction. A place where a seemingly docile opera fanatic can at other times be capable of violent assault. It’s a tough, working class town but one whose inhabitants have a deep appreciation for its art, culture, history and heritage. Certain districts are extremely rough and people from Wexford town are generally hard as nails - me for example.