Ros Tapestry back in Wexford after four year stint in Kilkenny

Irish Independent

25-07-2025

The exhibition is now open at the Waterfront (opposite the Dunbrody visitor centre), in New Ross, having been returned from Kilkenny Castle where it was on loan and was brought to a wider audience over the past four years.
The Bring it Home campaign was started by the Board of the Ros Tapestry to raise funds for the development of its new location, which is now open to
visitors.
The Festival will include free tours of Medieval New Ross and entrance to guided tours of the Ros Tapestry. The stitchers' workshop will also be open for viewing for those who wish to see the stitchers at work and learn about the making of the tapestry.
The exhibition will be officially opened in the evening by New Ross native, Prof. Briona Nic Dhiarmada, writer and producer of From That Small Island series.
The Ros Tapestry was the brain-child of Rev. Paul Mooney of St Mary's church, in 1998. It was inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry which portrays the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The panels were created from cartoons painted by local artist Ann Bernstorff, which were painstakingly traced onto Jacobean linen. The stitchers then choose the stitches and colours that reflect the cartoon drawings bringing the tale of our Norman past to life.
The stitching of the panels has been done over the past 27 years by 180 volunteer stitchers, and commenting on their work, the Chairperson of New Ross Needlecraft, Mary Lou O'Kennedy said 'their dedication and love of the craft is evident in each and every one of the panels.'
Guided tours will take place on the day of the Bring it Home festival, free of charge, and hourly from 11am to 2pm which will included a visit to the various sites throughout the town that are referred to in the Ros Tapestry, led by history guru, Myles Courtney.
There will also be a special viewing from 11am to 12pm for those who wish to see the tapestry stitchers at work in their workshop at 14 The Quay.
"This exhibition has been made possible by the private donations and sponsorship received for the Bring It Home campaign fund-raising events and the Bring It Home GoFundMe page. Additionally, we received loan funding from Clann Credo Community Loan Finance, without whom it would not have been possible,' Ms O'Kennedy said.
'This festival celebrates all those who have created the Ros Tapestry, telling the tale of medieval New Ross and the South-East of Ireland. It has been created by the voluntary work of the stitchers and the board members who have served as guardians and managers of the Ros Tapestry, its stitching and exhibition, and the planning for its permanent home which will be in the new Norman Centre in New Ross, which is under development,' she added.
This festival is funded through Fáilte Ireland in partnership with Wexford County Council under the Festival Grant Scheme 2025. Booking at [e-mail] or 087 3720274, is essential for both tours during the Bring it Home festival.