“I never realised that New Ross had so much history”

This is a comment that I have heard so many times from locals and visitors alike since the inception of New Ross Street Focus in 2014.

I am delighted that our daily snippets of local history have gained traction with so many people at home and abroad. The favourable comments and the heart emoji on our Facebook posts from New Ross emigrants have been particularly heart-warming.

In the last five years we have featured facts, figures, stories, rumours and legends about New Ross from the era of the fabled Fionn Mac Cumhaill and the Fianna, the early monastic settlements of saints Abban and Evin, the Norman arrival and William Marshal, the medieval port town, the Walling of Ross, Cromwell’s siege, the Battle of Ross 1798, the emigrants point of departure and our lasting links with the new world, agrarian conflicts, WWI, 1916, traditions, people, buildings and places etc etc etc.

I have been encouraged by @VisitNewRoss to take the next step and provide guided walking tours and to write a New Ross history blog on this website.

In the coming weeks and months, I intend to take a topic from the above and expand a little more and provide reference points for those of you with niche interests. The New Ross Street Focus Facebook and Twitter accounts will continue in their present formats.

Tourists who have wisely included New Ross on their itinerary or those of you who have friends or family visiting should book a walking tour with us and experience the rich history and heritage as you stroll our streets. There are three route options:

  1. The Medieval Route from the Maiden Gate.
  2. The Rebellion (1798) Route from the Three Bullet Gate.
  3. In the Kennedy Footsteps (Downtown) from The Emigrant Flame

Bespoke tours can be designed to cater for niche interests.

I look forward to providing you with some intriguing insights into the history and heritage of this great town.

Myles Courtney