New Ross (Irish: Ros Mhic Thriúin , former Ros Mhic Treoin ) is a city in southwest County Wexford, Ireland. It is located on the River Barrow, near the border with Kilkenny, and is about 20 km northeast of Waterford. In 2011 had a population of over 9316 people, making it the third largest town in the county after Wexford and Enniscorthy.

History

The harbor town of New Ross are from the pre – medieval. The earliest settlement in this area dates back to the 6th century when St. Abban of Magheranoidhe founded a monastery in what is now Irishtown. The original earth banked circular enclosure of his monastery were visible around the cemetery to about 10 years ago when it was solemnly removed by the Council. It has been replaced by a concrete and steel fence. Its name, Rose , was shortened from Ros Mhic Treoin or Wood’s Astley . Little is known about the city beforehand Norman times, with the exception of the writings of St.Abban, who lived in the late sixth century. He founded a monastery settlement, which is below today’s Stephen Cemetery in Irishtown.

New Ross was in the territory Dermot McMurrough and came to prominence when the Anglo-Normans conquered the region. Norman knight William Marshal and his bride Isabel De Clare came during the early part of the 13th century. A soil defensive structure called a counter rapidly built Old Ross to keep the newly captured territory. A medieval town grew up around it – populated by English and Welsh settlers. William later founded the port city at 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 McMurrough Dermot, king of Leinster. The arrival of Isabella and William described in the Chronicles of Ross, who is in the British Museum. It records that in 1189, Isabella set about “building a beautiful city on the shore of Barrow.” The town’s fortunes grew further when King John, William Earl of Pembroke in his condemnation in 1199. A year later, the Earl Marshal brought Norman capital Leinster Kilkenny and New Ross became the main port.

The town grew around the bridge was 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. New Ross (city of the new bridge) was granted a royal charter in 1207. New Ross has so far (2013), a total of seven bridges … the first is a pure pontoon … ferrying two persons, goods and possessions of the River Barrow. The port received concessions from King John in 1215 and again in 1227, but these later revoked by Henry III and Edward I to protect the port of Waterford. Even with these decelerations, New Ross, Ireland’s busiest port in the 13th century. These restrictions were lifted in the 14th century by Edward II and Edward III.

Citizens’ needs are not forgotten, and a large church, St Mary’s Abbey, erected that was to become one of the largest churches in Ireland. St. Mary’s Church, known as Maria Abbey (Church of Ireland) was built in 1811 on the site of the nave of the abbey. The friary was built Friary Lane in medieval times, but no trace of it survives above ground in these dagar.En religious run lepers’ hospital founded in Osprey on the late Middle Ages, but this has recently been removed. There are two Catholic churches, both built in the 9th century. These are the parish church of St. Michael and St. Mary’s Church and August.

The town was fought over in the Irish League war of the 1640s. In 1643, the city withstood the siege by James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, who fought enstrid around with an Irish army under Thomas Preston, 1st Viscount Tara.However, it was later taken by Oliver Cromwell during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649 released three cannon shots at Aldgate and then it was known as the Three Bullet Gate. Three Bullet Gate referenced in several Irish ballads, somBearna bhaoil (gap of danger), such as Kelly boy from Guy Anne and above all in the Irish national anthem.

The city is a geographically important border crossing, located where it is on the river Barrow because it lies between the river estuary in the south and the point därfloden Nore adhere to Barrow in the north. It was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 rebellion. During this uprising, a hard and decisive battle took place in New Ross 5 June between the Irish rebels and British forces. The poorly armed rebels captured most of the town of weight figures and drove out the defending soldiers. The soldiers returned later in the day and retook the town. Over 2,000 people died in the battle, and most of the thatched Margaret was burned.

On the 18th and 19th centuries was the pompous times for New Ross with the colonization of North America. Local merchants sailed their ships and returned to the colonies often carrying Irish emigrants. A copy of one of these ships, the Dunbrody , now moored on the quayside in New Ross and offers visitors to the ship an insight into life as a passenger in the late 19’s.Over the years, seven bridges across the River Barrow to connect the port of New Ross with its neighbors iRosbercon. But at various stages through the centuries, the bridges collapsed because of neglect or destroyed by the armies. [3] During the times when the city was without a bridge, a ferry line or passage is maintained between both sides and held military and economic ties with Waterford open .

People

  • Dunganstown, 6 km (4 mi) south of New Ross is the ancestral home of the Kennedy family that includes Joe Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, Robert Kennedy and Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, whose great grandfather Patrick Kennedy emigrated to America from there.
  • Other emigrants included grandparents in Eugene Gladstone O’Neill, American playwright and winner of the 1936 Nobel Prize in literature.Before emigrating, they lived in Rosbercon, across the River Barrow from New Ross.
  • Martin Doyle, Victoria Cross recipients
  • Father James Cullen, founder of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association, was born in New Ross.
  • John Redmond, nationalist leader and politician, was MP for New Ross.
  • Michael O’Hanrahan, freedom fighter was executed in 1916, was born in New Ross. The current road bridge over the River Barrow is named after him.
  • Maverick Sabre contemporary singer / musician grew up in New Ross
  • Kevin Doyle Irish international soccer player who currently plays for Premier League side Crystal Palace on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers
  • Greg Bolger Footballer based with League of Ireland side St Patrick’s Athletic
  • Gráinne Murphy Swedish International swimmer who won silver in the 1,500m freestyle at the European Long Course Championships in Budapest in 2010 and bronze in the 400m and 800m freestyle at the European Short Course Championships in Eindhoven in 2010.
  • Sean Connick Former Fianna Fáil TD from 2007 to 2011. The first TD in the history of the state to use a wheelchair.

Training

There are four elementary schools in New Ross, two for boys, one for girls and one mixed-sex school. The two boys schools are Michael Street National School which caters for children from Junior Infants to 1st class. They then move up to High School, New Ross CBS, as children move from second grade until the time they leave primary school in the 6th klass.Flickornas primary school, St Joseph’s, caters to students from Junior Infants to 6th Class. There is also a mixed school in New Ross, St. Canice’s, which is across the bridge in Rosbercon.

There are five schools in New Ross, is an all-boys, two all-girls and two mixed.

  • St. Augustine and Good Counsel College, New Ross, is an all-boys school which caters for over 750 students make it by far the largest school in New Ross.
  • St Marys and Our Lady of Lourdes are two totally girl high schools.
  • The two mixed schools professional institutes and CBS Secondary.

Sports

There are many sports organizations in the town of New Ross, which Geraldine O’Hanrahans GAA Club, New Ross RFC, New Ross Celtic Football Club, [4] New Ross Town Soccer Club, New Ross Boat Club, New Ross Badminton Club, New Ross Swimming Club , Dunbrody Archers, and New Ross Golf Club. Sports Organizations in New Ross has made great strides to serve the people of New Ross even better in recent years with the GOH GAA Club has recently completed a massive development at the club grounds contain a brand new clubhouse with a meeting room, six new changing rooms, a shop and a ball alley to add to their already impressive grounds.New Ross Celtic Football Club has also recently completed a major development in its club grounds in Butler Country. They now have a clubhouse, two full size soccer pitches and two astro-turf sites. New Ross RFC recently added a second pitch to cope with the increasing popularity of his club. The future looks bright for the sport in New Ross especially with Merty Whelan leading defense.

Art and culture

Theatre has a long history in New Ross goes back to the Middle Ages, many performed on the site of the Church of St. Michael, which now houses the art center cities, St. Michael 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, Maria & Michael, was opened. St. Michael’s Theatre has a 300-seat theater, 50-seat studio venue, an art gallery, a cinema, a cafe and a bar. Now a full-fledged arts center, the St. Michael’s 12 employees who take a year-round arts program, theater, music, dance and visual art, unparalleled in the southeast. (Www.stmichaelsnewross.com)

The city has one of the largest free festivals in Ireland, JFK Dunbrody Festival celebrates the Dunbrody famine ship. The festival is held the third weekend in July each year and attracts crowds of over 25,000. Centered on three outdoor concerts in the city park, the festival has also French and Irish markets, cultural and sporting events, and a lively pub tracks. NOTE In 2010, a fee was introduced for entry into the main concert in the city park,

New Ross has a wide range of music, including local rock bands, singers and groups of trees.

There are a number of choirs in New Ross and the town also hosts musical stage performances each year, as well as “AIMS” Choir Festival. In addition, New Ross Piano Festival is held every year at St. Mary’s Church of Ireland Church. New Ross is home to New Ross Musical Society, New Ross Pantomime Society and New Ross Drama Workshop, all produce very successful productions each year with local casts.

Ros Tapestry what can only be described as a monumental work that highlights the history and culture of craft and skill of all involved. Ros Tapestry is a true community initiative created in County Wexford and Kilkenny and displayed in New Ross. Conceived in 1998, created by over one hundred and fifty embroiderers and millions of stitches that depicts Anglo-Norman history southeastern Ireland. [5]

Transport

Road

The road passes Barrow is the key N25 road that connects Cork, Waterford City 18 km (11 mi) away and Rosslare Harbour 40 km (25 mi) away.

The N30 links Enniscorthy and New Ross.

The main roads through the city, causing major traffic jams.

In 2015 it was announced that work would start on the New Ross Bypass.Bypass, which is expected to be completed in 2018, will be a 14 km long dual carriageway that will connect the N25 and N30. [6]

bus Services

The city is served by several bus lines and its main stop is at the dock (both sides of the road). There are a large number of services to and from Waterford each day. Bus Éireann is the main provider provides the Expressway services to Dublin and Dublin Airport (Route 4 ) and Rosslare Europort and Cork (Route 40 ), and local services to Campile, Wellingtonbridge and other places in South County Wexford. Wexford Bus operate a service between Wexford and Waterford while Kilbride Coaches operate a road that connects the city to Kilkenny. Wexford Local Link services perform Enniscorthy.

Rail

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

1963 line from Macmine John closed and the track was removed; remaining branch from Waterford stayed open planned “groceries” traffic, however, this ended in 1976.

The line officially remains open for implementing specific fertilizers traffic[7] Albatros fertilizer factory in the town. While the last fertilizer special ran in 1995 [8] and Irish Rail no longer carries fertilizer traffic remains New Ross station officially open, but the rail at level crossings on the main Waterford Road, and at the station gates are now over. The line is now effectively closed the connection to the main line at Abbey Junction in Waterford has been removed. The last train to run was a prayer weeds trains 1994.

Many residents work in surrounding towns such as Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny. Resume railway would allow an easy commuter alternative to these areas and solve local traffic problems. New Ross railway station was opened September 19, 1887 closed to passenger traffic March 30, 1964 and closed for freight September 6, 1976. [9]

Sea

New Ross, Ireland’s only inland port, some 32 km (20 mi) from the sea by the river Barrow. A small port has recently been built just downstream from the city. The Tall Ship Asgard II gave sail training, often docked in New Ross on his travels and many locals have sailed the ship from its home port.

Economy

Until the creation of large vessels to reach the port in the 19th century, New Ross was a thriving seaport. However, the river is too shallow to allow the passage of large ships and port gradually began to fall. The city continued to be a thriving market town in the rich agricultural hinterland, but suffered a severe recession in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. Now there is a small amount of industry in the area and most business center services and retail even the local retail industry is under pressure from a number of major stores like Tesco, Lidl and Aldi that attracts customers from the center to the outskirts. But the city is so small that many of these stores are within walking distance of each other.

Lately, have benefited from professional make their homes in the city working in Waterford, about 25 km (16 mi) away. There is also a strong international community, mainly Eastern European, New Ross, in connection with the transport and manufacturing. There are two Polish shops and a Lithuanian. A degree of tourism in the context of the Dunbrodyreplica famine ship, and the connection with the Kennedy family benefits even city.

Tourism

Ros Tapestry Exhibition Centre is located on the quay in New Ross, is a series of 15 embroidered Tapestry panels. Showing Celtic Ireland watching Celtic rituals, Female warrior and the Brehon Law, to early Christian Ireland shows the collision of pagan and Christian worlds, the Vikings in Wexford and the ousting of Diarmait MacMurchada from his kingdom of Leinster and sailing to France to seek King Henry II . Leading to their main theme Norman arrival in Ireland in May 1169. depicted also the greatest knight who ever lived William Marshal who married Isabel de Clare heiress of Strongbow, the Earl of Pembroke and grandchildren to Diarmait MacMurchada. Together William and Isabel turned the wilderness on the banks of Deep River Barrow creates the city of New Ross, which became one of the most successful and rich ports in Ireland with over 400 ships moored at some point. Discover castles, forts and the lighthouse built by them, all beautifully painted in thread.

New Ross is home to the Dunbrody replica famine ship is moored at the dock, and allows visitors to experience the sights and smells of life on board an emigrant ship.

A statue of John F. Kennedy is on the quay. The statue was unveiled in July 2008 by his sister Jean Kennedy Smith.

JFK Dunbrody Festival is held every year in July in the city and centers mainly on live music on the festival stage.

In the picturesque village of Duncannon, 21 km (13 mi) south of New Ross historic Duncannon Fort is located along the beautiful Blue Flag beach.

The Browne Clayton Monument is located on New Ross – Wexford Road (N25), about 12 km (7.5 mi) east of New Ross.

The Hook Lighthouse is 39 km (24 mi) south of New Ross and is believed to be one of the oldest operational lighthouses in the world.

The family Kennedy Homestead, the ancestral home of US President John F. Kennedy is 8 km (5.0 mi) south of New Ross and JFK Arboretum which is dedicated to the memory of the late President is also the southern part of the city.

Vänorts

New Ross has twinning agreements [10] with the communities:

  • Hartford, Connecticut
  • Moncoutant, Poitou-Charentes, France
  • Newcastle, County Down

Various

New Ross plays a role in a story from the soap opera Days of Our Lives in the January-February 2008 with Shirley Jones as an aged Colleen Brady, who reveals himself as the true mother of John Black. The scenes set in New Ross.

New Ross is home to the Ros Tapestry project, a large community initiatives implemented throughout the county Wexford by a group of volunteer embroiderers. The fifteen fabric panels is expected to be completed in 2010. The tapestries depict the events surrounding the arrival of the Anglo-Normans in the South East of Ireland, and especially the founding of New Ross William Marshall. [11]

The Tholsel (Town Hall) was built in 1749 by Charles Tottenham, a member of a Protestant Ascendancy family, then very prominent in the city. Its facade has three notable plaque. One is that Michael O’Hanrahan, freedom fighter. Another is that the Father Cullen, temperance Pioneer. The third is celebrating the centenary of “you glorious Battle of the Boyne.”

At the Church of Ireland church near Old Ross is a memorial to the victims of the 1798 massacre Scullabogue Children.

June 29, 2008 Jean Kennedy Smith, sister of the late President Kennedy presented a statue of his brother at the Quay in New Ross. [12]

National Ploughing Championships 2012 held in Heath Park just outside New Ross. They ran from Tuesday, September 25th to Thursday the 28th. Over 187,000 people participate in the World Cup during the three days.

June 22, 2013 thousands of people gathered on the quay in New Ross to witness a torch lit from the eternal flame at the grave of John F. Kennedy brought ashore. It burned for four days before it must be re-ignited. Emigrant flames next to the Dunbrody Famine Ship in New Ross was lit from the torch, in a ceremony and day-long celebration. Among those present were the Taoiseach Enda Kenny and many relatives of the family JFK.

See also

  • Moncoutant
  • List of towns and villages in Ireland
  • Market Houses in Ireland

References

  1. Jump up ^ Census 2006 Volume 1 – Population Classified by Area (Dublin: Stationery Office on 27 April 2007) – p. 120. PDF (4.22 MB) – Central Statistics Office (Ireland). Downloaded the 19 May 2008.
  2. Jump up ^ http://www.cso.ie/census and http://www.histpop.org.Post 1991 totals for the City of New Ross, New Ross surroundings, and New Ross Rosbercon cities. For a discussion of the accuracy of pre-svältfolkräknings return see JJ Lee “On the accuracy of pre-famine Irish bills” in the Irish population, economy and society, edited by JM Gold Strom and LA Clarkson (1981) P54 and even “New developments in the Irish population history , 1700-1850 “by Joel Mokyr and Cormac Ó GRADA in the Economic History Review, New Series, Vol. 37, No. 4 (November 1984), pp. 473-488.
  3. Jump up ^ New Ross Bridge
  4. Jump up ^ New Ross Celtic Soccer Club website.
  5. Jump up ^ http://www.rostapestry.com
  6. Jump up ^ New Ross Bypass
  7. Jump up ^ Johnson’s Atlas & Gazetteer of the railway in Ireland, (Stephen Johnson) Midland Publishing Limited
  8. Jump up ^http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/N/New%20Ross/A&Bindex.html
  9. Jump up ^ “New Ross station” (PDF). Railscot – Irish Railways.Hämtad19 November 2007.
  10. Jump up ^ http://www.newrosstc.ie/ New Ross town council website
  11. Jump up ^ http://www.rostapestry.com
  12. Jump up ^ Irish Times 30 JUNI 2008