New Ross
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New Ross (Template:Irish place name,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> formerly Template:Lang) is a town in southwest County Wexford, Ireland, on the River Barrow on the border with County Kilkenny, Template:Convert northeast of Waterford. In 2022, it had a population of 8,610, making it the fourth-largest town in the county.<ref name="cso2022"/>
History
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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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its name, Ros, was shortened from Ros Mhic Treoin, or the Wood of the Son of Treoin.<ref name="RoseMacrone">Template:Cite journal</ref>
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".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> New Ross Town Hall was completed in around 1750.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The town was the location of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 rebellion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Education
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sport
Sporting organisations in the town of New Ross include New Ross RFC,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> New Ross Celtic Soccer Club,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and New Ross Golf Club.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>There is a swimming club at the Apex Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre called New Ross Swim Club
Arts and culture
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Transport
Road
The road crossing the Barrow is the N25 road linking Cork, Waterford City Template:Convert away and Rosslare Harbour Template:Convert 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<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Bus links
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Rail
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sea
New Ross is Ireland's only inland port, located Template:Convert from the sea on the River Barrow.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A small marina is located downstream of the town.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Economy
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
New Ross is home to the Dunbrody replica famine ship, which is moored on the Quay.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The town also houses the Emigrant Flame, a constantly burning flame in memory of the emigrants of the famine.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
A statue of John F. Kennedy is located on the quayside. The statue was unveiled in July 2008 by his sister Jean Kennedy Smith.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The name of Liverpool F.C.'s stadium at Anfield Road came from the old townland of Annefield in New Ross.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Browne-Clayton Monument is located on the New Ross - Wexford Road (N25) approximately Template:Convert east of New Ross.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Hook Lighthouse is located Template:Convert south of New Ross.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Kennedy family Homestead, the ancestral home of US President John F Kennedy, is located Template:Convert south of New Ross, and the JFK Arboretum is also located to the south of the town.<ref name="NotTheGAApark">Template:Cite web</ref>
People
- Seán Connick, Fianna Fáil TD from 2007 to 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- James Cullen, priest and founder of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association, was born in New Ross<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Martin Doyle, Victoria Cross recipient<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Patrick Kennedy, great-grandfather and emigrant ancestor of U.S. President John F. Kennedy<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Gráinne Murphy, swimmer who won silver at the 2010 European Long Course Championships and bronze at the 2010 European Short Course Championships<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Seán O'Kennedy, captain of the record breaking Wexford Gaelic Football All-Ireland champions 1915-1918<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Thomas Joseph Power, Bishop of St. John's, Newfoundland<ref>Template:DictCanbio</ref>
- John Redmond, MP for New Ross<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Maverick Sabre, Singer<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Twinnings
New Ross has town twinning agreements<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with the communities of:
- Hartford, Connecticut, US
- Moncoutant, Poitou-Charentes, France
- Newcastle, County Down