New Ross
Encyclopedia
New Ross is a town located in southwest County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...

, in the southeast of Ireland. In 2006 it had a population of 7,709 people, making it the third largest town in the county after Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...

 and Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy is the second largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. The population of the town and environs is 9538. The Placenames Database of Ireland sheds no light on the origins of the town's name. It may refer either to the "Island of Corthaidh" or the "Island of Rocks". With a history going...

.

History

The port town of New Ross dates from the Middle Ages. The earliest settlement in this area dates back to the 6th century when St. Abban of Magheranoidhe founded a monastery in what is now the Irishtown. The original earthen banked circular enclosure of his monastery was visible around the graveyard until about 10 years ago when it was unceremoniously removed by the council. It has been replaced by a concrete wall and steel fence. Its name, Ros, was shortened from Ros Mhic Treoin, or the Wood of the Son of Treon. Little is known of the town in pre-Norman times, except for the writings of St. Abban, who lived in the late 6th century. He founded of a monastic settlement, which lies under the present day St. Stephen's Cemetery in the Irishtown.

New Ross was in the territory of Dermot McMurrough and came to prominence when the Anglo-Normans conquered the region. The Norman knight William Marshall
William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke
Sir William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke , also called William the Marshal , was an Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman. He was described as the "greatest knight that ever lived" by Stephen Langton...

 and his bride Isabella arrived during the early part of the 13th century. An earthen defensive structure called a motte was quickly built at Old Ross in order to hold the newly conquered territory. A medieval borough sprung up around it - peopled by English and Welsh settlers. William later founded the port town down by the river, leaving the native Irish living around the monastery up the hill. Isabella was the only child of Strongbow who was married to Aoife, daughter of Dermot McMurrough, King of Leinster. The arrival of Isabella and William is described in the Chronicles of Ros, which are in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...

. It records that in 1189, Isabella set about "building a lovely city on the banks of the Barrow
River Barrow
The Barrow is a river in Ireland. It is one of The Three Sisters; the other two being the River Suir and the River Nore. The Barrow is the longest and most prominent of the three rivers...

". The town's fortunes further increased when King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...

 made William Earl of Pembroke at his coronation in 1199. A year later, the Earl Marshal transferred the Norman capital of Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...

 to Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...

 and New Ross became the main port.

The town grew around the bridge built by William Marshal, son-in-law of Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke , Lord of Leinster, Justiciar of Ireland . Like his father, he was also commonly known as Strongbow...

 (Strongbow), and a leader of the Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...

 invasion of Ireland. The town of New Ross (the town of the new bridge) was granted a Royal Charter in 1207. The port gained concessions from King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...

 in 1215 and again in 1227 but these were later revoked by Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...

 and Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...

 to protect the port of Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...

. Even with these handicaps, New Ross was Ireland's busiest port in the 13th century. These restrictions were lifted in the 14th century by Edward II
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...

 and Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...

.

The spiritual needs of citizens were not forgotten and a great Church, St Mary's Abbey, was erected which was to become one of the largest parish churches in Ireland. St. Mary's Church (Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...

) was built in 1811 on the site of the nave of the abbey. A friary was built in Friary Lane during the medieval period but no trace of it survives above ground these days. A religious run lepers' hospital was established in the Maudlins in the later Middle Ages but this has recently been removed. There are two Roman Catholic churches, both built in the 19th century. These are the parish church of St. Michael and St. Mary, and the Augustinian church.

The town prospered with the arrival of rich merchants, pirates, tradesmen, religious orders, and merchant bankers. However, in 1265 the citizens found it necessary to build a wall around the town for protection against attack by the native Irish and feuding Norman families. The building of the wall was a community effort with towers and gates added to its defence. The wall can be still spotted on Joneses Hill, Goats Hill, The Three Bullet Gate, fragments in the Bullaun and also in Lidl carpark. It is sorely neglected and desperately needs conservation measures to prevent its final decline. A portion of a gate survives at fair gate or maiden's gate at the bottom of the Irishtown.

The town was the target for attack in the 13th and 14th centuries by Irish chieftains, particularly the McMurrough-Kavanagh clan and for many years the town was forced to pay the clan for protection.

The town was fought over in the Irish Confederate Wars
Irish Confederate Wars
This article is concerned with the military history of Ireland from 1641-53. For the political context of this conflict, see Confederate Ireland....

 of the 1640s. In 1643, the town resisted the siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...

 by James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde PC was an Irish statesman and soldier. He was the second of the Kilcash branch of the family to inherit the earldom. He was the friend of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, who appointeed him commander of the Cavalier forces in Ireland. From 1641 to 1647, he...

, who fought a battle near the town
Battle of New Ross (1643)
The Battle of Ballinvegga or Battle of New Ross was a battle of the Irish Confederate Wars fought on 18 March 1643.In the battle, James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde defeated Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara, and an Irish Confederate army north of the town of New Ross in the nearby townland of...

 with an Irish army under Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara
Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara
Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara was an Irish soldier of the 17th century. He was a descendant of Sir Robert de Preston, who in 1363 purchased the lands of Gormanston, County Meath, and who was keeper of the Great Seal in Ireland some years later....

. However it was later taken by Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....

, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland refers to the conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Cromwell landed in Ireland with his New Model Army on behalf of England's Rump Parliament in 1649...

 in 1649 who discharged three cannon shots at the Aldgate and thereafter it was known as the Three Bullet Gate.
The town is an important crossing point on the River Barrow
River Barrow
The Barrow is a river in Ireland. It is one of The Three Sisters; the other two being the River Suir and the River Nore. The Barrow is the longest and most prominent of the three rivers...

, being located between the river estuary, and the point where the River Nore
River Nore
The River Nore is a long river located in south-east of Ireland. Along with the River Suir and River Barrow, it is one of the constituent rivers of the group known as the Three Sisters. The river drains approximately of Leinster. The river rises in the Devil's Bit Mountain, North Tipperary...

 joins the Barrow and was the location of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 rebellion
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...

. During this Rebellion, a fierce and decisive battle took place in New Ross on 5 June between the Irish rebels and the British forces. The poorly armed rebels captured most of the town by weight of numbers and drove out the defending soldiers. The soldiers returned later in the day and recaptured the town. Over 2,000 people died during the battle and most of the thatched buildings were burned.

The 18th and 19th centuries were prosperous times for New Ross with the colonisation of North America. Local merchants sailed their own ships back and forth to the colonies often carrying Irish emigrants. A replica
Dunbrody (2001)
The Dunbrody is a three-masted barque built in New Ross in 2001 by New Ross Drydock for the Dunbrody Project, with the financial assistance of the J.F. Kennedy Trust....

 of one of those ships, the Dunbrody
Dunbrody (1845)
The Dunbrody was a three-masted barque built in Quebec in 1845 by Thomas Hamilton Oliver for the Graves family, merchants from New Ross in Wexford.She operated primarily as a cargo vessel, carrying timber and guano to Ireland.-Passenger service:...

, is now berthed on the quay in New Ross and offers visitors to the ship an insight into life as a passenger during the late 19th century.
Over the years, seven bridges have spanned the river Barrow to connect the Port of New Ross with its neighbours in Rosbercon
Rosbercon
Rosbercon is a village in Ireland, on the opposite side of the River Barrow from New Ross, County Wexford. Although the village was originally in County Kilkenny, much of it is now in Wexford for administrative purposes...

. However, at various stages down through the centuries, the bridges collapsed due to neglect or were destroyed by armies. During the times when the town was without a bridge, a ferry service or passage was maintained between both shores and this kept the military and economic ties with Waterford open.

Thousands of people left the quayside over the years to start new lives in Britain, America, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...

, Canada and Australia. The most famous emigrants were Patrick Kennedy and Bridget Murphy, great-grandparents of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

, President of the United States. President Kennedy returned to visit his ancestral home in June 1963.

People

  • Dunganstown, 6 km (4 mi) south of New Ross is the ancestral home of the Kennedy family
    Kennedy family
    In the United States, the phrase Kennedy family commonly refers to the family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald that was prominent in American politics and government. Their political involvement has revolved around the...

     which includes Joe Kennedy
    Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
    Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy, Sr. was a prominent American businessman, investor, and government official....

    , John F. Kennedy
    John F. Kennedy
    John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

    , the 35th President of the USA, Robert Kennedy and Massachusetts senator Edward Kennedy
    Ted Kennedy
    Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...

     whose great-grandfather Patrick Kennedy emigrated to America from there.
  • Other emigrants included the grandparents of Eugene Gladstone O'Neill, the American playwright and winner of the 1936 Nobel Prize in Literature
    Nobel Prize in Literature
    Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...

    . Before emigrating, they lived in Rosbercon
    Rosbercon
    Rosbercon is a village in Ireland, on the opposite side of the River Barrow from New Ross, County Wexford. Although the village was originally in County Kilkenny, much of it is now in Wexford for administrative purposes...

    , just across the river Barrow from New Ross.
  • Father James Cullen
    James Cullen (PTAA)
    Father James Cullen, SJ, , was founder of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association . He was born in New Ross and was ordained in Carlow in 1864. He founded the PTAA in 1864...

    , founder of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association
    Pioneer Total Abstinence Association
    The Pioneer Total Abstinence Association of the Sacred Heart is an Irish organisation for Roman Catholic teetotallers. Its members are commonly called Pioneers. While the PTAA does not advocate prohibition, it does require complete abstinence from alcoholic drink from its members...

    , was born in New Ross.
  • John Redmond
    John Redmond
    John Edward Redmond was an Irish nationalist politician, barrister, MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party from 1900 to 1918...

    , Nationalist leader and politician, was MP for New Ross.
  • Michael O'Hanrahan
    Michael O'Hanrahan
    Michael O'Hanrahan was an Irish rebel who took an active role in the 1916 Easter Rising.-Background:Born in New Ross, County Wexford, Ireland, he was the son of Richard O’Hanrahan and Mary Williams. His father appears to have been involved in the 1867 Fenian rising...

    , freedom fighter executed in 1916, was born in New Ross. The present road bridge over the River Barrow is named after him.
  • Martin Jerome Keogh (1852–1926), New York State Supreme Court Justice, was born in New Ross.

Education

There are four primary schools in New Ross, two for boys
Single-sex education
Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education, is the practice of conducting education where male and female students attend separate classes or in separate buildings or schools. The practice was predominant before the mid-twentieth century, particularly in secondary education and...

, one for girls and one mixed-sex school. The two boys' schools are Michael Street National School which caters for children from Junior Infants up until 1st Class. They then move up to the Senior school, New Ross CBS, which children attend from 2nd class up until the time they leave primary school in 6th class. The girls' primary school, St. Joseph's, caters for students from Junior Infants to 6th Class. There is also a mixed school in New Ross, St. Canice's, which is situated across the bridge in Rosbercon
Rosbercon
Rosbercon is a village in Ireland, on the opposite side of the River Barrow from New Ross, County Wexford. Although the village was originally in County Kilkenny, much of it is now in Wexford for administrative purposes...

.

Recently there has been talk of amalgamating the CBS and St. Joseph's to create a mixed school and build a new school on a green-field site on the outskirts of the town. There has been increased pressure on the Department of Education to provide this new school in New Ross because of the state of the CBS which is over 150 years old.

There are five secondary schools in New Ross, one is all-boys, two are all-girls, and two are mixed.
  • St Augustine's and Good Counsel College, New Ross
    St Augustine's and Good Counsel College, New Ross
    St Augustine's and Good Counsel College,' New Ross, known exclusively as "Good Counsel College" or 'The Counsel' by its students and residents of the local area, is an all-boys secondary school in Ireland which caters for over 850 students. It was founded and is now conducted by the Irish...

     is an all-boys school which caters for over 750 students making it by far the largest school in New Ross.
  • St. Mary's and Our Lady of Lourdes are the two all-girl secondary schools.
  • The two mixed schools are the Vocational College and the CBS Secondary.

The number of students attending the Vocational College and the CBS has been in sharp decline in recent years due to the popularity of the other secondary schools in the area. The McCarthy Report which was commissioned by the Department of Education
Department of Education and Science (Ireland)
The Department of Education and Skills is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Education and Skills who is assisted by two Ministers of State.-Departmental team:...

 to assess the schools in New Ross recommended the amalgamation of Our Lady of Lourdes Secondary School, New Ross Vocational College and New Ross CBS Secondary. It has yet to be decided whether the findings of this report will be implemented.

Sport

There are many sporting organisations in the town of New Ross, such as the Geraldine O'Hanrahans GAA Club, New Ross RFC
New Ross RFC
-About:New Ross RFC is an Irish rugby team based in New Ross, County Wexford. They have played in Division Two of the Leinster League for a number of years, but finished 2nd in the league in the 2008/2009 season...

, New Ross Celtic Soccer Club, New Ross Town Soccer Club, New Ross Boat Club, New Ross Badminton Club, New Ross Swimming Club and New Ross Golf Club
New Ross Golf Club
New Ross Golf Club is an Irish golf club founded in 1905 and based in Tinneranny, New Ross, County Wexford, Ireland. The club's slogan is "A Pleasure to Play".-History:...

. The sporting organisations in New Ross have been making great strides to serve the people of New Ross even better in recent years with the GOH GAA Club having recently completed a massive development at the club grounds incorporating a brand new clubhouse with a meeting room, 6 new dressing rooms, a shop and a ball alley to add to their already impressive grounds. New Ross Celtic Soccer Club have also only recently completed a major development at their club grounds in Butlersland. They now have a clubhouse, two full size soccer pitches and two astro-turf pitches. New Ross RFC
New Ross RFC
-About:New Ross RFC is an Irish rugby team based in New Ross, County Wexford. They have played in Division Two of the Leinster League for a number of years, but finished 2nd in the league in the 2008/2009 season...

 recently added a second pitch to cope with the increasing popularity of their club. The future looks bright for sports in New Ross especially with Merty Whelan leading the defence.

Arts and Culture

Theatricals have a long history in New Ross going back to medieval times, many performed on the site of the Norman Church of St. Michael which now houses the towns arts centre, St. Michael's Theatre. The present building was built in 1806, eight years after the Insurrection of 1798 and served as the Parish church until 1902 when the new parish church, St. Mary's & Michaels, was opened. St. Michael's Theatre boasts a 300-seat theatre, a 50-seat studio venue, an art gallery, a cinema, a coffee shop and a bar. Now a fully fledged arts centre, St. Michael's has a staff of 12 who bring a year round arts programme, theatre, music, dance and visual arts, unrivalled in the south east. ( www.stmichaelsnewross.com )

The town's boasts one of the largest free festivals in Ireland, the JFK Dunbrody Festival celebrating the Dunbrody
Dunbrody (1845)
The Dunbrody was a three-masted barque built in Quebec in 1845 by Thomas Hamilton Oliver for the Graves family, merchants from New Ross in Wexford.She operated primarily as a cargo vessel, carrying timber and guano to Ireland.-Passenger service:...

famine ship. The festival is held on the 3rd weekend in July each year and attracts crowds in excess of 25,000. Centered around three open air concerts in the town park, the festival also has French & Irish markets, cultural and sporting events, and a lively pub trail. N.B In 2011 a charge was introduced for entry into the main concerts in the town park,

The town of New Ross enjoys a wide variety of music, including local rock bands, singers and Trad Groups.

There are a number of choirs in New Ross and the town also hosts musical stage performances each year, as well as the "AIMS" choral festival. In addition the New Ross Piano Festival
New Ross Piano Festival
The New Ross Piano Festival is an Irish festival of classical music which takes place annually in the County Wexford town of New Ross. The festival began in 2006 and features music for piano, whether as a solo instrument or as part of a chamber music ensemble....

 is held each year at St. Mary's Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...

 church.
New Ross is home to New Ross Musical Society, New Ross Pantomime Society and New Ross Drama Workshop, all producing very successful productions every year with local casts.

Road

The road crossing the Barrow is the important N25 road
N25 road
The N25 road is a national primary road in Ireland, forming the route from Cork to Rosslare Europort via Waterford City. The road is part of the E30 European route and a short section is also part of the E01 European route...

 linking Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

, Waterford City 18 km (11.2 mi) away and Rosslare Harbour
Rosslare Harbour
The village of Rosslare Harbour grew up to serve the needs of the harbour of the same name , first developed in 1906 by the Great Western Railway and the Great Southern and Western Railway to accommodate steamferry traffic between Great Britain and Ireland...

 40 km (24.9 mi) away.

The N30
N30 road
The N30 road is a national primary road in Ireland. It connects the N25 and N11 roads, providing a link running east-northeast between Waterford and Enniscorthy ....

 links Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy is the second largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. The population of the town and environs is 9538. The Placenames Database of Ireland sheds no light on the origins of the town's name. It may refer either to the "Island of Corthaidh" or the "Island of Rocks". With a history going...

 and New Ross.

The main roads go through the town, causing considerable traffic congestion.

Rail

The town has an abandoned rail link
Rail transport in Ireland
Rail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.Most routes in the Republic radiate from Dublin...

 from Waterford. When opened in 1887, the line ran through from Macmine Junction on the Dublin to Wexford line and later in 1904 the line was opened (with one intermediate station at Glenmore) to Waterford.

In 1963 the line from Macmine Jn closed and the track was removed; the remaining branch from Waterford stayed open to scheduled 'daily goods' traffic, this however ceased in 1976.

The line officially remains open for the purpose of conducting special fertilizer traffic from the Albatros fertilizer factory into the town.
While the last fertilizer special ran in 1995 and Irish Rail no longer carries fertilizer traffic, New Ross station officially remains open, however the rails at level crossings on the Main Waterford Road and at the station gates are now covered over.

Many of the town's inhabitants work in surrounding towns such as Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...

, Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...

 and Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...

. Re-opening the railway would allow a light commuter rail option to these areas and solve the local traffic problems. New Ross railway station opened on 19 September 1887, closed for passenger traffic on 30 March 1964 and closed for goods traffic on 6 September 1976.

Sea

New Ross is Ireland's only inland port, some 32 km (19.9 mi) from the sea on the River Barrow. A small marina has recently been built just downstream of the town. The tall ship Asgard II
Asgard II
Asgard II was the Irish national sail training vessel, until she sank in the Bay of Biscay in 2008. A brigantine, she was commissioned on 7 March 1981 and purpose-built as a sail training vessel by Jack Tyrrell in Arklow, County Wicklow...

 which provided sail-training, often docked in New Ross on its travels and many locals have sailed on the ship from their home port.

Economy

Until the creation of ships too large to reach the port, in the 19th century, New Ross was a prosperous port town. However, the river is too shallow to allow passage of large ships and the port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....

 gradually went into decline. The town continued to be a prosperous market town for the rich agricultural hinterland, but suffered from severe recession throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and early part of the 1990s. As of now there is a small amount of industry in the area and most businesses centre around services and retail although the local retail trade is under pressure from a number of larger retail outlets like Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...

, Lidl
Lidl
Lidl is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany that operates over 7,200 stores across Europe. The company's full name is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...

 and Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...

 which attract business away from the centre of town to the outskirts. However the town is so small that many of these shops are within walking distance of one another.

Latterly it has benefited from professionals making their homes in the town who work in Waterford, about 25 km (15.5 mi) away. There is also a strong international community, mainly eastern European, in New Ross, associated with the transport and manufacturing industries. There are two Polish shops and one Lithuanian. A degree of tourism associated with The Dunbrody
Dunbrody (1845)
The Dunbrody was a three-masted barque built in Quebec in 1845 by Thomas Hamilton Oliver for the Graves family, merchants from New Ross in Wexford.She operated primarily as a cargo vessel, carrying timber and guano to Ireland.-Passenger service:...

replica famine ship and the connection with the Kennedy family also benefits the town.

Tourism

New Ross is home to the Dunbrody replica
Dunbrody (2001)
The Dunbrody is a three-masted barque built in New Ross in 2001 by New Ross Drydock for the Dunbrody Project, with the financial assistance of the J.F. Kennedy Trust....

 famine ship which is moored on the Quay, and allows visitors to experience the sights and smells of life aboard an emigrant ship.

The JFK Dunbrody Festival is held each year in July in the town and centres primarily on live music on the festival stage.

In the picturesque village of Duncannon, 21 km (13 mi) to the south of New Ross the historic Duncannon Fort is located alongside the lovely Blue Flag beach
Blue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...

.

The Browne-Clayton Monument
Browne-Clayton Monument
The Browne-Clayton Monument is a 94 ft 4in Corinthian column on a square pedestal base on Carrigadaggan Hill, Carrigbyrne, Co. Wexford, just off the N.25 route between the Irish towns of Wexford and New Ross...

 is located on the New Ross - Wexford Road (N25
N25 road
The N25 road is a national primary road in Ireland, forming the route from Cork to Rosslare Europort via Waterford City. The road is part of the E30 European route and a short section is also part of the E01 European route...

) approximately 12 km (7.5 mi) east of New Ross.

The Hook Lighthouse
Hook Lighthouse
The Hook Lighthouse is a building situated at the tip of the Hook Peninsula in County Wexford, in Ireland. It is one of the oldest lighthouses in the world, and the oldest operating lighthouse in the British Isles...

 is located 39 km (24.2 mi) south of New Ross and is thought to be one of the oldest operational lighthouses in the world.

The Kennedy family Kennedy family Homestead, the ancestral home of US President John F Kennedy is located 8 km (5 mi) south of New Ross, and the JFK Arboretum which is dedicated to the memory of the late president is also located to the south of the town.

Twinnings

New Ross has town twinning
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

 agreements with the communities of: Hartford, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

 Moncoutant
Moncoutant
Moncoutant is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.-Geography:Moncoutant is located in a bocage area in northern Deux-Sèvres, on the Sèvre Nantaise, 50 km north of Niort and 15 km south of Bressuire.-Economy:...

, Poitou-Charentes
Poitou-Charentes
Poitou-Charentes is an administrative region in central western France comprising four departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne. The regional capital is Poitiers.-Politics:The regional council is composed of 56 members...

, France
  • Newcastle
    Newcastle, County Down
    Newcastle is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 7,444 people recorded in the 2001 Census. The seaside resort lies on the Irish Sea coast at the base of Slieve Donard, one of the Mourne Mountains, and is known for its sandy beach and the Royal County Down Golf Club...

    , County Down
    County Down
    -Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...


Miscellaneous

New Ross plays a part in a storyline from the soap opera Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...

 in January–February 2008, featuring Shirley Jones
Shirley Jones
Shirley Mae Jones is an American singer and actress of stage, film and television. In her six decades of television, she starred as wholesome characters in a number of well-known musical films, such as Oklahoma! , Carousel , and The Music Man...

 as an aged Colleen Brady
Colleen Brady
Colleen Mary Brady was a fictional character on the U.S. soap opera Days of our Lives. Her story was seen in flashbacks through the correspondence between Santo DiMera and herself...

, who reveals herself as the true mother of John Black
John Black (fiction)
John Black is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives, played by Drake Hogestyn since January 10, 1986, with brief interruptions from October 26, 2007 to January 8, 2008, and most recently January 23, 2009 to September 26, 2011...

. The scenes are set in New Ross.

New Ross is home to the Ros Tapestry project, a major community initiative being undertaken throughout County Wexford by a team of voluntary embroiderers. The fifteen tapestry panels are expected to be completed by 2010. The tapestries depict events around the arrival of the Anglo-Normans in south east Ireland, and specifically the founding of New Ross by William Marshall.

The Thoisel (Town Hall) was erected in 1749 by Charles Tottenham, a member of a Protestant Ascendancy family, then very prominent in the town. Its facade includes three noteworthy plaques. One is to Michael O'Hanrahan, the freedom fighter. Another is to Father Cullen, the temperance Pioneer. The third commemorates the hundredth anniversary of "ye glorious Battle of the Boyne
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...

".

At the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...

 church in nearby Old Ross there is a memorial to the victims of the 1798 Scullabogue Barn Massacre
Scullabogue Barn massacre
The Scullabogue massacre was an atrocity committed in Scullabogue , near New Ross, County Wexford, Ireland on 5 June 1798, during the 1798 rebellion when insurgents massacred 100-200 loyalists, both Catholic and Protestant, held prisoner in a barn.-Background:A farm and out-buildings in the...

.

On 29 June 2008, Jean Kennedy Smith
Jean Kennedy Smith
Jean Ann Kennedy Smith is an American diplomat and a former United States Ambassador to Ireland. She is the eighth of nine children born to Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald and is their last surviving child. She is the sister of the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy,...

, sister of the late President Kennedy, unveiled a statue of her brother on the Quay at New Ross.

See also

  • Moncoutant
  • List of towns and villages in Ireland
  • Market Houses in Ireland
    Market Houses in the Republic of Ireland
    Market houses are a notable feature of many Irish towns with varying styles of architecture, size and ornamentation making for a most interesting feature of the streetscape. Originally there were three, four or even five bays on the ground floor which were an open arcade. An upper floor was...



External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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