Oscar Wilde first hanging at Reading in 18 years. From Wooldridge's hanging, Wilde later wrote "The Ballad of Reading Gaol". Wilde was not, at first, even allowed paper and pen but Haldane eventually succeeded in allowing access to books and writing materials. Wilde requested, among others: the Bible in French; Italian and German grammars; some Ancient Greek texts, Dante's "Divine Comedy", Joris-Karl Huysmans's new French novel about Christian redemption "En Route", and essays by St Augustine, Cardinal Newman and Walter Pater. Between January and March 1897 Wilde wrote a 50,000-word letter to Douglas. He was not allowed to send it, but was
MS Oscar Wilde with Irish Ferries in December 2007, replacing MS "Normandy". Unlike other Irish Ferries ships, "Oscar Wilde" kept her blue hull and white funnel instead of a white hull and a green funnel. On 21 November 2007 the ship arrived in Rosslare Harbour for the first time, and entered service on the Rosslare – Cherbourg route on 30 November 2007. In January 2010 there was no service between Rosslare and Cherbourg as she was operating the Rosslare – Pembroke Dock route during the docking of MS "Isle of Inishmore". and after this the M/S "Oscar Wilde" was in dry dock for