New Ross Ros Mhic Thriúin | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 New Ross, 2011 | |
 Coat of arms | |
  New Ross Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates:52°23′46″N6°56′42″W / 52.396°N 6.945°W /52.396; -6.945 | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Wexford |
| Elevation | 30 m (98 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Urban | 8,610 |
| Time zone | UTC±0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (IST) |
| Eircode routing key | Y34 |
| Telephone area code | +353(0)51 |
| Irish Grid Reference | S715278 |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1821 | 4,475 | — |
| 1831 | 5,011 | +12.0% |
| 1841 | 7,543 | +50.5% |
| 1851 | 7,903 | +4.8% |
| 1861 | 6,559 | −17.0% |
| 1871 | 6,772 | +3.2% |
| 1881 | 6,670 | −1.5% |
| 1891 | 5,847 | −12.3% |
| 1901 | 5,847 | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 5,547 | −5.1% |
| 1926 | 5,011 | −9.7% |
| 1936 | 5,056 | +0.9% |
| 1946 | 4,894 | −3.2% |
| 1951 | 4,903 | +0.2% |
| 1956 | 4,643 | −5.3% |
| 1961 | 4,494 | −3.2% |
| 1966 | 4,568 | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 5,153 | +12.8% |
| 1981 | 6,141 | +19.2% |
| 1986 | 6,357 | +3.5% |
| 1991 | 6,079 | −4.4% |
| 1996 | 6,147 | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 6,537 | +6.3% |
| 2006 | 7,709 | +17.9% |
| 2011 | 8,151 | +5.7% |
| 2016 | 8,040 | −1.4% |
| 2022 | 8,610 | +7.1% |
| [2][3][4][5][1] | ||
New Ross (Irish:Ros Mhic Thriúin,[6] formerlyRos Mhic Treoin) is a town in southwestCounty Wexford,Ireland, on theRiver Barrow on the border withCounty Kilkenny, 20 kilometres (12 mi) northeast ofWaterford. In 2022, it had a population of 8,610, making it the fourth-largest town in the county.[1]
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The port town of New Ross dates from the pre-Middle Ages. The earliest settlement in this area dates to the 6th century when St. Abban of Magheranoidhe founded a monastery in what is now Irishtown.[7] Its name,Ros, was shortened fromRos Mhic Treoin, orthe Wood of the Son of Treoin.[8]
New Ross was in the territory ofDermot McMurrough and came to prominence when the Anglo-Normans conquered the region. The Norman knightWilliam Marshall and his brideIsabella de Clare arrived during the early part of the 13th century. An earthen defensive structure called a motte was 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. The arrival of Isabella and William is described in theChronicles of Ross, which are in theBritish Museum. It records that in 1189, Isabella set about "building a lovely city on the banks of theBarrow".[9]
The town grew around the bridge built byWilliam Marshal, son-in-law ofRichard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (Strongbow), and a leader of theNorman invasion of Ireland. The town of New Ross (the town of the new bridge) was granted a Royal Charter in around 1279.[10] In the late 13th century the town was placed for a time under a papalinterdict, following ariot in which several monks of the Order ofCrutched Friars were killed.[11]
St Mary's Abbey (Church of Ireland) was built in 1210. There are two Roman Catholic churches, the parish church of SS. Michael and Mary completed in 1902, and the Augustinian church opened in 1835.[12]
The town was fought over in theIrish Confederate Wars of the 1640s. In 1643, the town resisted thesiege byJames Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, who fought abattle near the town with an Irish army underThomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara but later re-conquered byOliver Cromwell in 1649 who discharged three cannon shots at the Aldgate.[13]New Ross Town Hall was completed in around 1750.[14]
The town was the location of one of the bloodiestbattles of the1798 rebellion.[15]
St Augustine's and Good Counsel College, New Ross, is an all-boys school that caters for over 750 students, making it by far the largest school in New Ross.[16]
Sporting organisations in the town of New Ross includeNew Ross RFC,[17] New Ross Celtic Soccer Club,[18] andNew Ross Golf Club.[19]There is a swimming club at the Apex Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre called New Ross Swim Club
The town's arts centre is 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 & Michael's, was opened. St. Michael's has a staff of 12, a 300-seat theatre, a 50-seat studio venue, an art gallery, a cinema, a coffee shop and a bar.[20]
New Ross is home to the Ros Tapestry Project, a community initiative undertaken throughout County Wexford by a team of 150 voluntary embroiderers. The Ros Tapestries depict events including the founding of New Ross by William Marshall.[21] The first tapestry was completed in 2002 and to date all but one of the 15 tapestries are complete. In 2009 the Ros Tapestry Exhibition was opened at The Quay, New Ross.[22]
The road crossing the Barrow is theN25 road linkingCork,Waterford City 25 km (16 mi) away andRosslare Harbour 40 km (25 mi) away. TheN30 linksEnniscorthy and New Ross. The R704 and R700 roads connect the town to various towns and villages in County Kilkenny such asGraiguenamanagh,Mullinavat andKilkenny[23]
The town is served by several bus routes and its main stop is on the town's quay. There are services to and fromWaterford each day.Bus Éireann is the principal operator providing Expressway services toDublin andDublin Airport and toRosslare Europort andCork as well as local services. Wexford Bus operate a service betweenWexford andWaterford while Kilbride Coaches operate a route linking the town toKilkenny. WexfordLocal Link operates services toEnniscorthy.[24]
New Ross railway station (Rosbercon) opened on 19 September 1887, closed for passenger traffic on 30 March 1964 and closed for goods traffic by 1995. It was an important link between the lines servingDublin to Rosslare,Bagenalstown viaPalace East and on toWaterford up until the 1960s whenCIÉ rationalised the railway network, but the section from Waterford to New Ross remained in use for cement and fertilizer traffic until 1995.[25]
This railway line is currently being repurposed as a cycle greenway - The Southeast Greenway. The first section linking New Ross to Ballyverneen, near Glenmore Co Kilkenny, opened in June 2023.The greenway will eventually link Palace East to Waterford City via New Ross.[26]
New Ross is Ireland's only inland port, located 32 km (20 mi) from the sea on the River Barrow.[27] A small marina is located downstream of the town.[28]
The Ros Tapestry Exhibition Centre located on the Quay in New Ross is a series of 15 embroidered Tapestry panels. The tapestries depict Celtic Ireland, Celtic rituals, woman warriors, Brehon Law, early Christian Ireland, the Vikings of Wexford, and the ousting of Diarmait MacMurchada from his Kingdom of Leinster and his sailing to France in search of King Henry II. Also depicted is William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, who married Isabel de Clare, heiress of Strongbow and granddaughter of Diarmait MacMurchada.[29]
New Ross is home to theDunbrody replica famine ship, which is moored on the Quay.[30]
The town also houses the Emigrant Flame, a constantly burning flame in memory of the emigrants of the famine.[31]
A statue ofJohn F. Kennedy is located on the quayside. The statue was unveiled in July 2008 by his sisterJean Kennedy Smith.[32]
The name ofLiverpool F.C.'s stadium atAnfield Road came from the old townland of Annefield in New Ross.[33][34]
TheBrowne-Clayton Monument is located on the New Ross - Wexford Road (N25) approximately 12 km (7.5 mi) east of New Ross.[35]
TheHook Lighthouse is located 39 km (24 mi) south of New Ross.[36]
The Kennedy family Homestead, the ancestral home of US PresidentJohn F Kennedy, is located 8 km (5.0 mi) south of New Ross, and theJFK Arboretum is also located to the south of the town.[37]
New Ross hastown twinning agreements[47] with the communities of:
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