New Ross

Town in County Wexford, Ireland

This article is about the Irish town. For other uses, see New Ross (disambiguation).

Town in Leinster, Ireland

New Ross

Ros Mhic Thriúin

Town

New Ross, 2011

Coat of arms

New Ross

Location in Ireland

Coordinates: 52°23′46″N 6°56′42″W﻿ / ﻿52.396°N 6.945°W﻿ / 52.396; -6.945
Country| Ireland
Province| Leinster
County| County Wexford
Elevation

| 30 m (100 ft)
Population

(2022)[1]

• 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
Historical populationYear| 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] formerly Ros Mhic Treoin) is a town in southwest County Wexford, Ireland, on the River Barrow near the border with County Kilkenny, 20 kilometres (12 mi) northeast of Waterford. In 2022, it had a population of 8,610, making it the fourth-largest town in the county.[1]

## History

[edit]

New Ross c. 1680

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 from Ros Mhic Treoin, or the Wood of the Son of Treoin.[8]

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 and his bride Isabella 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 the Chronicles of Ross, which are in the British Museum. It records that in 1189, Isabella set about "building a lovely city on the banks of the Barrow".[9]

The town grew around the bridge built by William Marshal, son-in-law of Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (Strongbow), and a leader of the Norman 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 papal interdict, following a riot in which several monks of the Order of Crutched 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]

New Ross in 1832

The town was fought over in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s. In 1643, the town resisted the siege by James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, who fought a battle near the town with an Irish army under Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara but later re-conquered by Oliver 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 bloodiest battles of the 1798 rebellion.[15]

## Education

[edit]

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]

## Sport

[edit]

Sporting organisations in the town of New Ross include New Ross RFC,[17] New Ross Celtic Soccer Club,[18] and New Ross Golf Club.[19]There is a swimming club at the Apex Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre called New Ross Swim Club

## Arts and culture

[edit]

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 Town Hall

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]

## Transport

[edit]

### Road

[edit]

The road crossing the Barrow is the N25 road linking Cork, Waterford City 25 km (16 mi) away and Rosslare Harbour 40 km (25 mi) away. The N30 links Enniscorthy and New Ross. The R704 and R700 roads connect the town to various towns and villages in County Kilkenny such as Graiguenamanagh, Mullinavat and Kilkenny[23]

### Bus links

[edit]

The town is served by several bus routes and its main stop is on the town's quay. There are services to and from Waterford each day. Bus Éireann is the principal operator providing Expressway services to Dublin and Dublin Airport and to Rosslare Europort and Cork as well as local services. Wexford Bus operate a service between Wexford and Waterford while Kilbride Coaches operate a route linking the town to Kilkenny. Wexford Local Link operates services to Enniscorthy.[24]

### Rail

[edit]

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 serving Dublin to Rosslare, Bagenalstown via Palace East and on to Waterford up until the 1960s when CIÉ 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]

### Sea

[edit]

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]

## Economy

[edit]

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]

Dunbrody Ship—a full-scale replica of the original 19th century vessel.

New Ross is home to the Dunbrody 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 of John F. Kennedy is located on the quayside. The statue was unveiled in July 2008 by his sister Jean Kennedy Smith.[32]

The name of Liverpool F.C.'s stadium at Anfield Road came from the old townland of Annefield in New Ross.[33][34]

The Browne-Clayton Monument is located on the New Ross - Wexford Road (N25) approximately 12 km (7.5 mi) east of New Ross.[35]

The Hook Lighthouse is located 39 km (24 mi) south of New Ross.[36]

The Kennedy family Homestead, the ancestral home of US President John F Kennedy, is located 8 km (5.0 mi) south of New Ross, and the JFK Arboretum is also located to the south of the town.[37]

## People

[edit]

See also: Category:People from New Ross

* Seán Connick, Fianna Fáil TD from 2007 to 2011.[38]
* James Cullen, priest and founder of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association, was born in New Ross[39]
* Martin Doyle, Victoria Cross recipient[40]
* Patrick Kennedy, great-grandfather and emigrant ancestor of U.S. President John F. Kennedy[41]
* Gráinne Murphy, swimmer who won silver at the 2010 European Long Course Championships and bronze at the 2010 European Short Course Championships[42]
* Seán O'Kennedy, captain of the record breaking Wexford Gaelic Football All-Ireland champions 1915-1918[43]
* Thomas Joseph Power, Bishop of St. John's, Newfoundland[44]
* John Redmond, MP for New Ross[45]
* Maverick Sabre, Singer[46]

## Twinnings

[edit]

New Ross has town twinning agreements[47] with the communities of:

* Hartford, Connecticut, US
* Moncoutant, Poitou-Charentes, France
* Newcastle, County Down

## See also

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to New Ross.

* List of towns and villages in Ireland
* Market Houses in Ireland

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Census 2022 - F1015 Population". Central Statistics Office Census 2022 Reports. Central Statistics Office Ireland. August 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
2. ^ "CSO - Census: Census Startpage". 9 March 2005. Archived from the original on 9 March 2005.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
3. ^ "HISTPOP.ORG - Home". 28 May 2004. Archived from the original on 28 May 2004.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
4. ^ Post 1991 totals are for New Ross urban, New Ross environs, and New Ross Rosbercon urban. For a discussion on the accuracy of pre-famine census returns see J. J. Lee "On the accuracy of the pre-famine Irish censuses" in Irish Population, Economy and Society edited by JM Goldstrom and LA Clarkson (1981) p54, and also "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850" by Joel Mokyr and Cormac Ó Gráda in The Economic History Review, New Series, Vol. 37, No. 4 (November 1984), pp. 473-88.
5. ^ "Sapmap Area - Settlements - New Ross". Census 2016. CSO. 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
6. ^ "Ros Mhic Thriúin / New Ross". logainm.ie. Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
7. ^ "Augustinian Abbey, Grantstown | Augustinians". Archived from the original on 10 March 2016.
8. ^ Berry, H. F. (31 December 1915). "Diary of a Dublin Lady in the Reign of George II". The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 5 (4): 314–315\. JSTOR 25514440.314-315&rft.date=1915-12-31&rft_id=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25514440#id-name=JSTOR&rft.aulast=Berry&rft.aufirst=H.+F.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:New+Ross" class="Z3988">
9. ^ "Step back in time at Kilmokea". The Irish Independent. 8 July 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
10. ^ Ballard, Adolphus; Tait, James (2010). British Borough Charters 1216–1307. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1108010344.
11. ^ Leigh's New Pocket Road-book of Ireland Containing an Account of All the Direct and Cross Roads, Together with a Description of Every Remarkable Place. 1835. p. 300.
12. ^ "Augustinian church and school site in New Ross selling for €150,000". The Irish Independent. 16 February 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
13. ^ Griffiths, George (1890). Chronicles of the County Wexford: Being a Record of Memorable Incidents, Disasters, Social Occurrences, and Crimes, Also, Biographies of Eminent Persons, &c., &c., Brought Down to the Year 1877. Watchman. pp. 91–98. Retrieved 5 June 2020.91-98&rft.pub=Watchman&rft.date=1890&rft.aulast=Griffiths&rft.aufirst=George&rft_id=https://books.google.com/books?id=wxswAAAAMAAJ&dq;=The+Siege+of+Ross+and+the+Battle+of+Ballinvegga&pg;=PA90&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:New+Ross" class="Z3988">
14. ^ "New Ross Town Hall, Quay Street, South Street, New Ross, County Wexford". National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
15. ^ "The Scullabogue Massacre 1798". History Ireland. 16 December 1971. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
16. ^ "Good Counsel College". Retrieved 1 December 2023.
17. ^ "New Ross RFC". Sports Manager. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
18. ^ "New Ross Celtic AFC". Newrossceltic.com. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
19. ^ "New Ross Golf Club". Visit Wexford. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
20. ^ "St. Michael's Theatre - Centre for the Arts". Stmichaelsnewross.com. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
21. ^ "15 Embroidered Panels Depicting the Norman Landing". The Ros Tapestry. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
22. ^ "About Us - Ros Tapestry". www.rostapestry.ie. The Ros Tapestry. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
23. ^ "N30 Moneytucker to New Ross Project | Wexford County Council". Wexford County Council. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
24. ^ "Timetables". Wexford Local Link. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
25. ^ "New Ross". www.eiretrains.com.
26. ^ https://southeastgreenway.net/ [bare URL]
27. ^ "New Ross Port". www.newrossport.ie. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
28. ^ "New Ross Marina". www.newrossmarina.com. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
29. ^ "The Ros Tapestry". Visit New Ross. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
30. ^ "Dunbrody replica project". Retrieved 1 December 2023.
31. ^ "The Emigrant Flame". Retrieved 1 December 2023.
32. ^ "JFK remembered as statue". The Irish Independent. 2 July 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
33. ^ "Ten connections between Liverpool and Ireland". Liverpool Echo. 4 October 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
34. ^ "150-year-old documents shed new light on link between New Ross and Anfield". Wexford People. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
35. ^ "Browne-Clayton Monument, Carrigadaggan Hill. co.Wexford – 1841". Curious Ireland. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
36. ^ "Hook Lighthouse". Archived from the original on 23 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
37. ^ "The John F Kennedy Arboretum". Heritage Ireland. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
38. ^ "Forty years of rising above disability". The Irish Independent. 6 January 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
39. ^ "Our Founding Father James Cullen SJ". Catholic Ireland. 30 November 1999. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
40. ^ "C. S. M. Martin Doyle V.C. M.M. October 1894 - November 1940". Munster Fusiliers. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014.
41. ^ "From New Ross to the White House: The Kennedy legacy linking Ireland and the US". The Irish Times. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
42. ^ "Huge welcome home for swim star Gráinne". The Irish Independent. 18 August 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
43. ^ "O'Kennedy, Sean". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
44. ^ Rollmann, Hans (1990). "Power, Thomas Joseph". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. XII (1891–1900) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
45. ^ "John Edward Redmond". Britannica. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
46. ^ "Maverick Sabre tells Shea Tomkins about his Irish roots, a lifelong love for The Gunners and his admiration for Liverpool singer Rebecca Ferguson". The Irish Independent. 21 February 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
47. ^ "New Ross TC". Newrosstc.ie. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2016.

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