Wexford Campus
Wexford Campus • Selected Images
Opening Ceremony
Wednesday, November 20, 2020
Ribbon-Cutting by Simon Coveney
The opening was performed by Simon Coveney, TD, Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) of Ireland and, in addition, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ireland (equivalent of Secretary of State)
Several speakers made remarks at the ceremony, which was attended by (among others): the State of Georgia Commissioner for Economic Development; the CEO of the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA); the Vice-Chair of SEDA’s Board of Directors; the Chair of World Trade Center Savannah; the President of Visit Savannah; and the Chair of Georgia Grown (State of Georgia Department of Agriculture). In addition to Deputy Prime Minister Coveney, the Irish Government was represented by Paul Kehoe, TD, Minster of State for Defense, who is a congressman representing Wexford. Several other elected officials were present, including: Brendan Howlin, Leader of Ireland’s Labor Party and a congressman representing Wexford; Councillor Michael Sheehan, Chair, Wexford County Council; and George Lawlor, Mayor, Wexford Town.
The entrance to Georgia Southern University, Wexford, just steps away from the Viking core of Wexford Town.
After the official opening ceremony, Georgia Southern University President Kyle Marrero, PhD, sits in front of a group of GS faculty members, each representing a different college within the university. At the top of the stairs is GS Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Carl Reiber, PhD.
The former Adoration Convent (1886-1887) in Wexford Town, which will be transformed into the principal student accommodation facility for Georgia Southern University, Wexford.
Carefully tended over the decades, an exquisite walled garden is one striking feature of the Adoration Convent.
Campus Interior: “Old Courtroom” Instructional Hub
Heritage Building, Constructed in 1812
The building’s refurbished interior provides an inspirational learning environment, anchored by the “Old Courtroom” instructional hub
Campus Interior: Central Staircase
Georgian-Era Architecture
The Building’s Central Staircase Knits together Georgia Southern University, Wexford
Some Additional Rooms within Georgia Southern University, Wexford
Multiple Spaces for Innovative Teaching
Georgia Southern University, Wexford, Boasts a Range of Instructional Rooms
Georgia Southern University, Wexford, overlooks Wexford Harbor, where the River Slaney enters the Atlantic Ocean. From this harbor in the 1840s and 1850s, hundreds and hundreds of Wexfordians emigrated directly to Savannah, Georgia, a voyage that took around 40 days.
Celebratory Reception, Hosted by Ireland’s President
Thursday, November 21, 2020
Irish Presidential Reception
To celebrate the opening of Georgia Southern University, Wexford, Dr. Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland, hosted a reception at Áras an Uachtaráin (the presidential mansion) in Dublin. In remarks at the event, President Higgins praised Georgia Southern and the greater University System of Georgia for their vision, emphasizing the critical importance of international education for our age. He also acknowledged the link between higher education and economic development, citing the Wexford-Savannah TradeBridge initiative as an outstanding example of a successful public-private partnership.
Contextual Images: from Wexford, the “Model County,” to Savannah, the “Hostess City”
Rekindling a 170-Year-Old Relationship
Between the late 1840s and the mid-1850s, Savannah’s Irish population more than doubled. During that period, over 56% of the newcomers arrived from County Wexford in southeast Ireland. (Images from the Wexford Independent newspaper are courtesy of the Wexford County Archive.)
