Re-Enactment of Croppy Boys’ March

This event is an historical reenactment, centred on the legendary 1798 Rebellion, that honours the heritage of the United Irishmen in Southwest Wexford and East Waterford.

Assembling at the Star of the Sea RC Church in Duncannon, a troop of period-dressed pikemen, musketeers, and a traditional bagpiper will march to the village’s 16th century military fort, and parade there before traveling via Arthurstown to Ballyhack where they will cross the estuary to Passage East by ferry. From Passage East, the parade of pikemen will continue on foot to nearby Crooke Cemetery.

The event will feature ceremonial volleys from historical firing parties, poetry readings in Irish, and renditions of "The Croppy Boy" ballad.

The event is part of a series of activities for Heritage Week 2026 organised by Waterford Estuary Villages' Alliance (WEVA).

The Croppy Boys' event is part of a joint initiative by WEVA, an alliance of the five traditional fishing villages coming together to confront the threat of heritage loss in Waterford Estuary.

The villages have been under long-term threat from population decline since the collapse of the fishing industry in the early 2000s and the failure to replace it with alternatives that would help to sustain the communities.

With great resilience and self-reliance, the villages have come together to forge a more sustainable future by preserving and developing their shared heritage as part of a wider economic strategy.