On June 5, 1798, Matthew Furlong was shot dead by Crown forces in New Ross as he approached the Three Bullet Gate carrying a flag of truce and a letter asking for the surrender of the town to the Rebel forces. He is honored for his courage along with the people in New Ross and Wexford who fought and died in the 1798 Rebellion, and with Irish men and women who dedicated their lives to the struggle for freedom and peace.