The workhouse in New Ross was constructed on a ten acre site at a cost of £7,600 in addition to £1,550 for fittings &c. Built to accommodate 900 persons, it was the largest of the four workhouses in County Wexford and received its first admissions on 22 January 1842 (the earliest extant minute book dates from March 1844). At the height of the famine in mid-June 1847, admissions had risen significantly to 1,120 inmates.

The minutes of the weekly meetings of the Board of Guardians include statistical data on the weekly number of admissions, discharges, births and deaths. They also record the dietary provision of the paupers and brief reports from the Master and from the Visiting Committee. The Earl Grey assisted female emigration scheme (1848-50) will be of particular interest to those researching their family history.

The minute books are being digitised on a phased basis over a three year period, with the first 30 volumes being made available over the course of the next few months in 2021. Each volume is in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format – please note that some files may take a while to download due to their size.