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First impressions of NEW ROSS, twenty-one miles west of Wexford on the N25, are not encouraging: a glamourless old port of grubby wharf buildings. However, the place isn't without character, thanks mostly to the river that has long given access to the heart of the Wexford and Kilkenny countryside, and the clutter of narrow lanes that do much to preserve the human scale of the place. In addition, the quayside has been greatly enhanced from spring 2001 by the presence of the tall-ship Dunbrody , a magnificent reconstruction of the original SS Dunbrody , a three-masted famine ship which took thousands of emigrants to new lives in America and Canada. On board will be an interactive visitor centre and a comprehensive database of all Irish immigration into the US from 1820 to 1920 (call 051/425239 or the tourist office for details; the ship might not remain in port all year round). It's worth climbing the steep back alleys to the top of town for views over the river and hills, and exploring the thirteenth-century ruins of St Mary's Church, with its graceful, Gothic windows and medieval tombstones in the chancel. New Ross's tourist office (mid-June to Aug Mon-Sat 10am-6pm; tel 051/421857) is located on the quays. Bus Eireann buses to Waterford leave from outside the Mariner's Inn , also on the quays. Options for accommodation include the comfortable Riversdale House , Lower William St (tel 051/422515; GBP33-40/?41.90-50.79); a short walk from the centre of town. The friendly MacMurrough Farm Hostel (IHH; tel 051/421383, machostel@eircom.net ) is a comfortable cottage hostel in a beautiful setting a couple of miles out of town; it makes a particularly good base for cyclists from which to explore the Nore and Barrow river valleys . To get there, ask for directions to Kelly's Statoil petrol station on the ring road; the hostel is signposted down the lane alongside. Down on the quays, John V's has an excellent reputation for midday and evening meals , while good-value bar food is also served at The Ship on North Street, and there's no shortage of coffee shops along South Street. For something different, reserve a table on the Galley Cruising Restaurant (tel 051/421723), which, from Easter to October, runs boat trips up the Barrow and Nore as far as Inistioge and St Mullins and along the Suir to Waterford. You can sometimes catch live bands at Crosbies , while traditional music can be heard on a Friday night during summer at Mannion's, a cheerful country pub, about a mile out from the centre along the N30 Enniscorthy road. The arboretum , five miles south of New Ross, known as the J.F. Kennedy Memorial Park (daily: April & Sept 10am-6.30pm; May-Aug 10am-8pm; Oct-March 10am-5pm; GBP2/?2.54; Heritage Card), contains a collection of around five thousand species of trees and shrubs and affords expansive views of the surrounding countryside. Kennedy's great-grandfather was born close by in Dunganstown, so the place is often frequented by Americans in search of presidential roots. The road south of here will take you to the coast and the Hook Head Peninsula .
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