There is a long-standing tradition that King Henry II spent Lent of 1172 at Selskar Abbey, where he did penance for the murder of Thomas Becket.

It is unclear if there is any truth in the story, although Henry was in Ireland at the time, and Becket's murder, some fifteen months earlier, was still a subject of great controversy.

We have a glimpse of life in the abbey through a letter which John Topcliffe, the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, addressed to Henry VIII in 1511.

[8] It is unclear why the Chief Justice, who was an Englishman without any obvious ties to Wexford, nor to the Augustinian Order, was so concerned about the affair, nor why he thought the King would be interested.

[10] However it can only be visited as part of a guided tour, run by volunteers from Wexford Lions Club (Monday to Saturday, at 11am leaving from the heritage centre at Westgate(Y35 X2DK) - in July & August).