1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/New Ross

NEW ROSS, a market town of Co. Wexford, Ireland, on the acclivity of a hill on the E. bank of the Barrow, 2 m. below its junction with the Nore, 102 m. S.S.W. of Dublin by the Dublin & South-Eastern railway. Pop. (1901) 5847. The Barrow is crossed by an iron bridge with a swivel pillar in the centre on which a portion of the bridge is turned to admit the passage of vessels. Vessels of 600 tons can lie alongside the quays. The inland water communications reach to Dublin by means of the Barrow and the Grand Canal. The Nore is navigable to Inistioge. New Ross has breweries and tan-yards, a salmon fishery, and a brisk export trade in agricultural produce. The urban district of New Ross includes Rosbercon, on the opposite side of the Barrow.

It is stated that St Alban built the abbey of Rossmactreoin, which gave rise to an ancient city formerly called Rossglas. A Dominican foundation of the 13th century has left some remains in Rosbercon. According to Camden, New Ross was founded by Isabella, daughter of Strongbow and wife of William Marshal, afterwards earl of Pembroke. A charter was granted to it by Roger Bigod in the reign of Edward I., which was extended by James I. and James II. From 1374 it returned two members to parliament, but at the Union in 1800 the number was reduced to one, and the town ceased to be a parliamentary borough in 1885. In 1269 it was surrounded by walls. The fortresses were dismantled by Cromwell, but some remains are extant.