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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
New Ross
Ros Mhic Thriúin
Give New Ross one night, two at most: the famine ship and the Kennedy sights fill a day, and you need a car for the rest.
New Ross is a small tidal port on the River Barrow in County Wexford, population about 8,600, with its western edge in County Kilkenny. It matters for two things: the Dunbrody famine ship on the quay, and the Kennedy story that runs south of town through Dunganstown and Ballysop. The town itself is a couple of streets, a bridge and a handful of pubs. Come for a night, see the ship and the homestead, and use it as a stop between Wexford and Waterford rather than a base for a week.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- Ros Mhic Thriúin
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (short days, many sights closed)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €50–80 excl. bed · Mid €80–130 excl. bed · High €130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire, coast guard 112 · Alternative emergency number 999
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | €3–4.50 |
| Soup and sandwich lunch | €9–14 |
| Main course in a mid-range restaurant | €15–24 |
| Pint of stout or lager | €5.50–6.50 |
| Taxi across town | €8–12 |
| Petrol, per litre | €1.70–1.90 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DUB · Dublin
- N7/M9 to junction 11, then R704 east; about 2 h by car
- ORK · Cork
- About 2 h 30 min by car
Typical fares
- Bus Éireann 370, Waterford → New Ross
- four times M–Sa, about 1 h
- Expressway Bus 40, Wexford → New Ross
- twice daily each way, about 40 min
- Taxi, New Ross centre → Kennedy Homestead
- €20–30 one way, about 15 min
Get around
The centre is walkable: quay, bridge, South St and Mary St are all within 10 minutes on foot. Everything else — Kennedy Homestead, the arboretum, Dunbrody Abbey, Woodville — is 3–11 km out with no useful bus, so you need your own wheels. Expressway Bus 40 and Bus Éireann 370 stop on The Quay for onward travel.The centre is walkable: quay, bridge, South St and Mary St are all within 10 minutes on foot. Everything else — Kennedy Homestead, the arboretum, Dunbrody Abbey, Woodville — is 1.9–6.8 mi out with no useful bus, so you need your own wheels. Expressway Bus 40 and Bus Éireann 370 stop on The Quay for onward travel.
See and do
Known for
- Dunbrody Famine Ship
- Kennedy Homestead and Arboretum
- River Barrow quay and bridge
- Dunbrody Abbey and its maze
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wexford | Car via N25 east, about 30 min; Expressway Bus 40 also stops on The Quay | About 40 min |
| Waterford | Car via N25 west, about 45 min; Bus Éireann 370 four times M–Sa | About 1 h |
| Enniscorthy | Car via N30 north-east, about 30 min | About 40 min |
| Rosslare and the ferry port | Car via N25 east, about 45 min; Bus Éireann 370 twice daily continues to Rosslare Harbour | About 1 h |
| Fethard-on-Sea and the Hook Peninsula | Car via N25 and R734, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Kilmore Quay | Car via N25 and R739, about 50 min | About 1 h |
Sleep
- The Quay and South St
- Town centre, walk to the ship, pubs and restaurants; B&Bs and small guesthouses.
- Mountgarrett (north of the bridge)
- Quiet side, 500 m–1 km from the centre; guesthouses and B&Bs with parking.Quiet side, 500 m–0.6 mi from the centre; guesthouses and B&Bs with parking.
- Southknock and Creakan
- South edge of town; hotel and spa options, 700 m–2 km out, car useful.South edge of town; hotel and spa options, 700 m–1.2 mi out, car useful.
- Greatisland and The Rower
- Rural, 5–11 km out; country house, gardens and the nearest campsite.Rural, 3.1–6.8 mi out; country house, gardens and the nearest campsite.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Please | Le do thoilleh duh hull |
| Cheers | Sláinteslawn-cha |
| Where is the toilet? | Cá bhfuil an leithreas?kaw will un leh-russ |
| Can I pay by card? | An féidir liom íoc le cárta?un fay-der lum eek leh kar-ta |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- No direct bus from Dublin: travel via Wexford or Waterford.
- Most out-of-town sights need a car; check taxi availability and cost before relying on one for a full day.
- Several sights are seasonal: the Kennedy Homestead runs Mar–Oct, Dunbrody Abbey May–Sep, Woodville Gardens May–Aug.
- The river is tidal and the quay is a working road: watch traffic and the edge.
- Book the Dunbrody tour rather than turning up late in the day; check last entry times before you go.
Quiet and low-risk for a small Irish town; the real issues are unlit rural roads at night, driving on the left after a long ferry crossing, and river-edge traffic on the quay.
One and two days
No timed day plan for New Ross yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Dunbrody Famine Ship
- Kennedy Homestead and Arboretum
- River Barrow quay and bridge
- Dunbrody Abbey and its maze
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Dunbrody Famine Ship: www.dunbrody.com/
- Kennedy Homestead: www.kennedyhomestead.ie/
- John F. Kennedy Arboretum — Heritage Ireland: heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/the-john-f-kennedy-arboretum/
- Dunbrody Abbey: www.dunbrodyabbey.com/
- Woodville Gardens: woodvillegardens.ie/
- Brandon House Hotel: www.brandonhousehotel.ie/
- Kilmokea Country Manor: www.kilmokea.com/
- Wikivoyage: New Ross, revision 5176717 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5176717
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
New RossRos Mhic Thriúin
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in New Ross; the US Embassy is in Dublin and most others are in Dublin. The nearest consulates are in Dublin and Cork.
English is spoken everywhere; Irish is used on signs and in schools.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/new-ross). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.