(Wykinglo 'Vikings meadow' )

Wicklow town is said to have been founded by the Vikings in the ninth century, at the west end of Main Street are the fragmentary remains of a Franciscan friary founded in the 13th century.

Many fine buildings in the town date from the 18th century, one of these is the Town Hall, behind which is the the remains of the old Jail, built in 1702. It ceased to be used as a jail in 1924, it is now a heritage centre and museum. It was in this building that Billy Byrne was executed for his part in the 1798 rebellion, he commented by a monument in Market street.