Arts and Culture
Theatricals have a long history in New Ross going back to medieval times, many performed on the site of the Norman Church of St. Michael which now houses the towns arts centre, 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 & Michaels, was opened. St. Michael's Theatre boasts a 300-seat theatre, a 50-seat studio venue, an art gallery, a cinema, a coffee shop and a bar. Now a fully fledged arts centre, St. Michael's has a staff of 12 who bring a year round arts programme, theatre, music, dance and visual arts, unrivalled in the south east. ( www.stmichaelsnewross.com )
The town's boasts one of the largest free festivals in Ireland, the JFK Dunbrody Festival celebrating the Dunbrody famine ship. The festival is held on the 3rd weekend in July each year and attracts crowds in excess of 25,000. Centered around three open air concerts in the town park, the festival also has French & Irish markets, cultural and sporting events, and a lively pub trail. N.B In 2010 a charge was introduced for entry into the main concerts in the town park,
The town of New Ross enjoys a wide variety of music, including local rock bands, singers and Trad Groups.
There are a number of choirs in New Ross and the town also hosts musical stage performances each year, as well as the "AIMS" choral festival. In addition the New Ross Piano Festival is held each 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 producing very successful productions every year with local casts.
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