ain Street, within the gardens of
the local
Roman Catholic
parish grounds. Other notable
buildings include the Town Hall and the
Gaol,
built in 1702 and recently renovated as a heritage centre and tourist
attraction. The East Breakwater, arguably the most important building in the
town, was built in the early 1880s by Wicklow Harbour Commissioners. The
architect was William George Strype and the builder was John Jackson of
Westminster. The North
Groyne was
completed by about 1909 - John Pansing was the designer and Louis Nott of
Bristol the builder. The Gaol was a place of
execution
up to the end of the 19th century and
it was here that Billy Byrne, a leader of the
1798
rebellion, met his end in 1799. He is commemorated by a statue in the town
square. The gaol closed in 1924 and is today a tourist attraction with living
displays and exhibits.
At Fitzwilliam Square in the centre of
Wicklow town is an obelisk commemorating the career of Captain Robert Halpin, commander of
the telegraph cable ship Great
Eastern, who was born in Wicklow in 1836
