projects

  • MORE PROJECTS
    - Outline Interpretative Design
    - Visitor Experience Plan
    - Project Costings
    - Architectural Concept and Preliminary Construction Budget Preparation (with CJ Falconer & Associates Architects)

    • New Ross Norman Centre

     

    From the New Ross Standard:

    It's official - The Normans are coming to town! The veil is lifted on the outline design we produced for Wexford County Council for the development of a new visitor attraction in New Ross.

    €6m centre will transform quay 150,000 VISITOR TARGET SET FOR NORMAN INTERPRETATIVE CENTRE WHICH WILL CHAMPION LOCAL HISTORY AND OFFER SPACE FOR BUSINESSES, EXHIBITIONS, EVENTS AND MORE IN NEW ROSS

    THE first glimpse at what the new Norman visitor centre on the quay will look like was given at the municipal council meeting on Wednesday leaving councillors awe-struck at the scale and ambition of the project.

    Work is set to begin on the €6m centre - located on the footprint of the old bank and Murphy buildings - next year, with a mid-2023 deadline for its completion. 300 people can circulate around the centre at any one time and its designers are confident it will attract 150,000 people annually to the town.

    Designed by one of Ireland's leading tourist attraction design firms, Mirador Media, the centre will feature a glass atrium connecting the two buildings, which, because of their vastly different interiors, will not be altered to create a cohesive open plan facility.

    Instead the two adjoining buildings will offer various immersive experiences, transporting visitors to the New Ross of the 1200s, taking them on a journey through the town's glory days as the busiest port town in Ireland and the Norman invasion, right up to the present. There will be a stunning viewing area on the fourth floor looking out on St Mary's Church to the north and the Dunbrody ship and new look Dunbrody Experience centre to the south, and onto a Norman abbey style courtyard below where retail and food stalls will operate from. Special Projects manager Siobhan O'Neill said contracts are being signed as part of Wexford County Council's tender process for the project in July to complete an outline interpretation plan.

    A large trading Norman boat will hang suspended from the roof, visible from a glass elevator which will also provide views of the town. €9.5m was allocated to the town in late 2019 for the New Ross Transformation Project, which is finally getting advanced, with work set to start on the High Hill medieval park next month and on the Dunbrody centre next year.

    Ms O'Neill said around €6m will be spent on re-purposing the derelict eyesores on the quay into a world class visitor centre. The project will see the High Hill and the Dunbrody centre completed first, followed by the Norman attraction.

    Ronan O'Flaherty of Mirador said the vision for the centre was arrived at following detailed discussion with tourist operators, Fáilte Ireland and council officials. 'We plan a world class visitor experience. That is the challenge to be imaginative and authentic and to offer something different to what is already available in the Dunbrody centre.' The Ros Tapestry will have a new home in the centre, he said, adding that it will link thematically with all of the rooms in the twin premises.

    The romantic story of William Marshal and Isabel de Clare will also be told, but Mirador's research found the famous knight's story wasn't enough to warrant an entire visitor attraction.

    Instead their romance and a curse placed on him by a bishop at the time, will feature more prominently.

    'This is an international figure; the power between five English kings and the man behind the Magna Carta. He is known as The Greatest Knight and for his chivalry. He is a romantic, dashing figure but we felt we needed something else with the story.

    'We brought in a female interest: Isabel de Clare of Leinster, the daughter of Strongbow and granddaughter of Diarmait Mac Murchada. She is a powerful figure. They met and married and became one of the medieval power couples.'

    This sparked an idea for the centre of two cultures clashing and eventually coming together: one of the oldest cultures in the world: Gaelic and the new Norman arrivals. 'When they created Pons Novus (New Ross) it was the capital of their new kingdom. They are going to create a new Ireland and this ushers in a whole new period. The curse from beyond the grave also comes into it.'

    How these stories are woven into the panels of the Ros Tapestry will be a prominent part of the experience.

    'It's not just New Ross or Wexford or the south east, we want New Ross to be the portal to the rest of the Norman stories throughout the entire country. We want to increase dwell time here.'

    Among the town's attractions celebrated in the centre are the reconstruction of the town, the walling of New Ross, the construction of St Mary's Church, life in a busy Norman town and more.

    'In our audience test they loved the curse and how the Marshal family dies out.' The arrival of the Normans and their success as invaders will be expounded upon. 'We bring in the sea as the Normans were the masters of the sea. They were crusaders and warrior monks. The Tower of Hook also features. This tells the story of the creation of New Ross as a world port of importance. It ultimately ends up (famous for) Graves shipping company and merchant families and ships like the Dunbrody. All of the stories will point to and from the tapestries in an immersive experience.'

    Marc Roosli from Mirador said Faulkner architectural firm in Waterford's challenge was making the buildings work as a centre. 'Visually they are not currently unified. We wanted to link the quay with the town as well and to reinstate the laneways and passageways. This is to become the heart of New Ross.' He said the glass atrium at the front of the two buildings will act as a wedge and feature a Norman helmet symbol to connect with similar imagery throughout the town. Windows will be lengthened on the side of the Murphy building so passersby walking the quay can see activity inside, and also through the glass atrium. 'This will create a sense of anticipation for people at the Dunbrody and vice versa. The wedge with the helmet will cover a large portion of the Murphy building and will be cheaper than trying to fix it up the entire front of the building.'

    On the ground floor there will be two separate entranceways for tour groups and families, with a retail souvenir gift area also planned. The extension erected to the rear of the buildings in the 80s will be knocked down paving the way for the transformation of the SuperValu car park. 'There will be a big, open space which can be used to sell refreshments and for retail, or for events. That will extend into retail opportunities available in the L&N car park. There will be Norman arches at the back, rising up you'll see the third and fourth floors of the Murphy building.'

    Mr Roosli said as the floors are very low in the old bank building a decision to knock some and have double storey floors was taken. On the first floor a Chamber of Illuminations light and video show will greet visitors. 'There will be projection mapping of churches, castles and other Norman buildings. It's an immersive 360 degree experience. Every surface will become a projection canvas so it will be a very dynamic space telling the story of the arrival of the Normans and William Marshal.' This experience is expected to last ten minutes.

    The Pons Novus experience follows as visitors walk through a night scene of New Ross in the 1200s getting the see the town as it was like before the Normans arrived. They exit on the second floor in a day scene in a thatched cottage depicting life in rural south Wexford. This section of the tour is expected to last for seven minutes. Visitors will then see the Ros tapestries and re-enactments of Norman life, as well as projections. This tour will last around 15 minutes, followed by several minutes in the workshop where people can watch a tapestry being worked on and stitch a thread themselves. When needle-workers aren't present there will be projected images of them working. As visitors climb to the top floor they will see La Seynte Marie merchant ship hanging in the void space. 'This tells the story of the Normans as navigators and it links in with the story of the river.'

    An interactive gallery will greet visitors on this floor, which is most suited to families as everyone can handle weapons and try some craft skills from the Norman era, while learning about the spices, silks and furs imported into Ireland through New Ross at the time.

    This Norman World experience area will allow parents and children dress up in Norman clothes and battle it out.

    'This floor looks back on St Mary's through two double height windows. On the other side there are clear views of Norman ships. Every floor has access to the glass atrium which has a clear floor all the way around and has wheelchair access. People link back into the bank building and into a traditional museum exhibiting artefacts found in digs.' This will include some of the artefacts found on High Hill where a Norman house was discovered last year.

    Visitors will spend around 30 minutes in total on the top floor where there will be a room for temporary exhibitions and lectures. 'This dynamic building will host shows and exhibitions in the evening and offers opportunities to team up with artists and photographers.' Mr Roosli said there will be an option to include augmented reality experiences including having animated characters moving around the Tapestry room. 'Visitors will get a hand-held tablet as an added wayfinding tool through the building. Animated technology will be superimposed on the tapestries as you look through a viewfinder.' Mr Roosli depicted a sleek, smart looking courtyard with nods to the town's Norman past, a place where guided lantern tours of New Ross can leave from, exiting onto South Street through illuminated laneways and on to St Mary's church up the hill. 'There is an opportunity for smaller businesses to piggyback on that and offer additional services to visitors.' Reaction The reaction among people surveyed about the centre was strongest amongst the French. An online questionnaire with around 60 questions was sent, sparking a lot of interest from people aged under 35 and over 50.

    Mr Roosli said: 'There was something for everybody; whether you're a young couple or an older person; whether you're into history or not. They loved the gruesome side of the William Marshal story and the illuminations and Pons Novus wow factor parts. They though the courtyard would be a very attractive proposition and felt the tapestry and museum would be worth a visit. The tapestry is more appealing to a different section of the demographics so we'll use augmented reality as a way to attract young audiences as well.' Mr Roosli said the centre is about telling a great story very well. 'It's about having high quality information and having something new with local links and having the wow factor.' Municipal district cathaoirleach, Cllr Michael Whelan said: 'It's a very exciting project. You have done a huge amount of research and I'm delighted it will encourage people to visit Tintern Abbey, Duncannon and Hook Head. This is something we need to push more.' Cllr Whelan asked if pricing and marketing has been worked out, and asked what the plans for retail units are. 'Because of the improved connectivity to France have we concentrated specifically on there?'

    Mr O'Flaherty said the Mirador team have spoken at length with the Fáilte Ireland desk office about this. 'The French specifically want things that relate to their own history so we have stitched that into the storyline. When they're hear they'll hear French spoken in the Pons Novus area where there will be a babble of different languages being spoken, along with French poems from the time.' He said the French responded 'with a lot of wows' to the project, more than any other nationality. Crafts and artisan foods are what visitors surveyed want when they arrive in New Ross. 'They also want something to do in the evening time, like sampling artisan foods in the courtyard. We felt rather than having a large outdoor coffee shop this would open up the opportunity for other suppliers to be based there. Several from the town could be doing this and everyone can use this space and get a bit of it.' Mr Roosli said high quality food and drinks from local suppliers are the preferred option of potential visitors. Cllr Michael Sheehan thanked Mr Roosli and Mr O'Flaherty for the presentation, saying he hopes when the final drawings are completed, that they deliver on the vision set out by Mirador and Wexford County Council last Wednesday.

    'At one point New Ross was one of the busiest ports in Ireland and pottery from all over Europe has been found in the town. This has a very Back to the Future Michael J Fox feel to it.' He asked what prices visitors will be charged.

    Mr O'Flaherty said one of the key 'success determinants' of the centre is its ability to get visitors from the quay into the town centre. 'What features will encourage people up into the town?' Cllr Sheehan said: 'Now the opportunity is there to develop the SuperValu car park. We need to get behind it and get on with it,' Mr O'Flaherty said a proper itinerary design has yet to be finalised. 'When visitors are leaving they will be asked several questions to design their own Norman adventure. We will give recommendations regarding different routes going through the town and up High Hill to St Mary's Church where she (Isabel) left her heart, or to the Templar Knights in Templetown and where to stop off for lunch. The lanes need to be developed and named. One of the most popular feedbacks we got was for a lamplit tour of the town.' He said similar tours in Edinburgh have been a big success. 'People stay the night or for two nights. This centre is part of a cluster attraction with Hook Lighthouse and the Irish National Heritage Park. They all work together so people can stay in the area for a few days,' Mr Roosli said there will be linkages with the South East Greenway in the courtyard also, with scope for bike racks and a bike rental business there. He said pricing and marketing was not part of Mirador's brief. 'That will be part of the next stage of the project, with the detailed design.' Ms O'Neill said Wexford County Council are recruiting a tourist coordinator next month who will complete a business and community plan, featuring details on pricing and marketing. Mr O'Flaherty said the average merchandise spend is around €5 and with between 100,000 and 150,000 visitors a year, that will 'certainly be more than viable'. Mr Roosli said the only question mark with the project is the condition of the two buildings. 'We'll have to see if something mad turns up when we start working on the walls.' He said everything about the project has been costed accurately based on costs from projects Mirador has worked on in the past. Cllr Anthony Connick said: 'It's absolutely fantastic. It's a pleasure to have a building like this in New Ross in the next couple of years. More than three quarters of the people who come to the Dunbrody at the moment come on a bus. They don't have time to go through the town. How are we going to manage this?' He said the town will have an incredible number of attractions to offer visitors, meaning a longer dwell time. 'I am a big believer in developing the car park in consultation with the business owners. A cover might work. The market is going to be massive. All credit for the amount of work being done.'

    Mr O'Flaherty said the centre is targeting the free, independent traveller and families, not coach tours, adding that they will also be most welcome. 'A bundle ticket involving the Dunbrody is planned.' Ms Kelly said the business development officer for the centre will be attending Meitheal workshops with a view to targeting tour operators. Cllr Pat Barden said: 'I am very, very excited about this project and everything that is happening in New Ross. It's going to be the place to be and to see. It's a huge project, one that will be absolutely brilliant for the town.'

    When Cllr Barden asked where the name Pons Novus came from, Mr O'Flaherty said it was one of the original names for the town. 'It appears in the charters and it's a cool name.' Elaborating on the curse on Marshal, Mr O'Flaherty said it concerns a curse which is reputed to have been placed on the Earl of Pembroke by the Bishop of Ferns that within a generation his male line would die out.

    'Even though he had five sons and five daughters, none of the sons had male issues. He even called upon the bishop to lift the curse as he was in hell having been excommunicated but he continued to live with the curse.' Mr Roosli outlined Mirador's experience in developing 50 visitor centres around Ireland, adding that they are drafting the design for the new Graveyard of a Thousand Ships immersive centre at Hook Lighthouse.

    Cllr John Fleming praised their design, adding that the French market will be huge for New Ross. He expressed concern about the costings, highlighting the rising costs of building materials. 'I think with all of these attractions, combined with the history of New Ross, we are unequalled; and I think this will be the queen attraction.' He enquired if Mirador sought inspiration for the centre from any specific tourist attraction in Ireland or abroad and was told they hadn't; rather the centre is based on ideas from a number of best in class locations.

    Mr O'Flaherty said a canvas cover for the courtyard is feasible, adding that French visitors will especially enjoy the link the tapestries have to their counterparts in Bayeaux. 'We very much see New Ross as part of a trilogy including France, the Battle of Hastings and the town here.' District director Eamonn Hore said: 'Every time I see the presentation it gets more exciting because I realise the potential and the work that has gone into this.' He said the centre will be the focal point of the Norman Way stretching from Rosslare Harbour through Bannow, Clonmines, Tintern, Hook Head and into New Ross. 'You couldn't get more authentic because they are all genuine Norman sites. The house unearthed on the High Hill could have been where William Marshal lived.' He said the High Hill park and the upgrade of the Dunbrody centre will be finalised before the centre opens. Expressing excitement at the prospect of an illuminated greenway stretching from the Boat Yard over the Red Bridge and into New Ross, Mr Hore said it will work seamlessly with the Norman centre to create a night time economy in the town. A new pontoon being built on the quay will facilitate Declan Bates from Kilmore Quay to run his cruise boat to Waterford. 'It will be called the Princess Isabel or the Barrow Princess. All of this will be in place and the town walls will be marked out. It's all being done with purpose. Any public realm works that need to be done will be done. Destination Towns infrastructure includes the upgrading of the laneways so I think this centre will achieve everything that's hoped for it; possibly double.'