Roots Ireland

Roots Ireland has added 18,500 civil marriage registration records for County Waterford to its website.  These date from 1864-1912.  The entries for Templemichael stop at 1877.

See www.rootsireland.ie for further details.

Stories from Old Newspapers

Major Bridget O’Connor and Vietnam

The following article was published in the Dungarvan Observer on the 4^th of May 1968.

‘News reaches us this week of a distinction gained by a member of a well known local family serving with the U.S. forces in Vietnam.  Major Bridget O’Connor, Army Nurse Corps, United States Army, has been awarded the Bronze Star medal for meritorious achievement in ground operations against hostile forces in Vietnam during the period January 1967 to January 1968.

The citation states that Major O’Connor ‘consistently manifested exemplary professionalism and initiative in obtaining results.  Her rapid assessment and solution of numerous problems inherent in a counter insurgency environment greatly enhanced the allied effectiveness against a determined and aggressive enemy.  Despite many adversities she invariably performed her duties in a resolute and efficient manner’.

We would like to hear further details of Bridget’s career so if you have any information please contact us at the museum.

Photo of the Week

Can you identify the people and place in this photograph?  If so please let us know.

Tom Hayes RIP

We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to museum staff member Tony Hayes and his family on the death of his father Tom Hayes.

Stories from Old Newspapers

Some unexpected finds were reported in the Dungarvan Observer on the 4^th of April 1939.  Could the human remains have dated from the Famine period, and do the Power family still have the coins?

Gruesome Find at Barnawee

‘While engaged in widening corners at the crossroads leading to Clonea and Ballinacourty, County Council workmen unearthed the skeletons of at least seven human beings.  The skeletons which were found in a kind of long trench did not appear, from the position of the remains, to have been buried in the usual way, one at least being in a more or less sitting position, while another lay on its side.  An authority on such matters who visited the place expressed his view that the remains were buried over 100 years ago’.

George III Coins

The work of erecting fourteen working men’s houses at Kilmacthomas is proceeding apace.  Mr. B Nolan, builder, Waterford is the contractor, and one of his employees is Mr. Patrick Power, Old Road, Kilmacthomas, who while carrying out some excavations…unearthed two coins from the reign of George III.  Both are in good condition and are dated 1805.

Photo of the Week

Can you identify the people and place in this photograph?  If so please let us know.

Talk by Des Power

There was a large attendance at the museum last Wednesday to hear Des Power’s talk about the Power family of St Brigid's Well Brewery.  Des thanked Eddie Cantwell for his assistance with the research and said he was delighted to give the talk in the museum which was such a great setting and an asset to Dungarvan.

Des traced the story of individual family members and how many of the family set up their own businesses.  He explained the history of the brewery, developed by Thomas Power who also established a successful cider industry.

The museum is delighted to say that Des has kindly donated a collection of papers relating to the brewery which will be added to our existing Power archive.

Photo of the Week

This week we begin a new series where we take photographs from the museum archive which remain unidentified and for which we would like the reader's help to name the people and places featured.

Can you identify the people and place in this photograph?  If so please let us know.

Local Business Help Solve an Ancient Mystery!

Pictured: Eddie Cantwell and Chrissy Knight O’Connor (Waterford County Museum/Gallows Hill Project Coordinators) receiving a generous donation from Clíona Mhic Giolla Chuda (Waterford Oysters Director).  A great big thank you to Michael Burke Snr and all at Waterford Oysters (Meitheal Trá na Rinne Teo).

A massive thank you to Waterford Oysters (Meitheal Trá na Rinne Teo) for helping us achieve our goal to carry out detailed scientific analysis on the human remains found at Gallows Hill.  These finds have been a major discovery in Dungarvan’s history and with the help of ground breaking technology we plan to tell the story of each individual.  Ancient DNA will now also be carried out thanks to the fantastic support of Waterford Oysters and who knows maybe we can find some living local relatives!

There is so much to learn from the finds at Gallows Hill and the next few months will reveal some exciting revelations.  The Gallows Hill project would not be possible without the incredibly generous donations of local supporters and businesses.  Funds are still required to complete further isotope analysis to uncover this fascinating story and all donations will be really appreciated.

Our main concern now is a further dig at the Mound that this time could take up to four weeks.  In order to complete the archaeological excavation at Gallows Hill, large funds are required and it is hoped that some organisation will have pity on us and come forward to fund the dig.

Sadly, on a recent visit to hill, we discovered evidence that bonfires have been lit once again on top of the mound where the human remains were located.  This certainly should not be tolerated on such an historical site, and we appeal to residents in the area to please contact us if such behaviour is witnessed by them.

Sliabh gCua Annual 2018

The latest issue of the Sliabh gCua Annual is now out.  The cover has an attractive watercolour of Knockboy Church by Trevor Wayman.

As usual the annual is full of interesting local stories.  A particularly interesting story is “The Local Bismark Connection” by Mary Fanning.  It tells the story of Mary Hanrahan of Caherbrack, Ballinamult who worked as a nanny and English teacher for the children of the Bismark family at their hunting lodge at Friedrichsruh, east of Hamburg.  A letter giving details of her death in 1956 has been donated to Waterford County Museum.

Other articles include ones on the O’Briens of Millstreet, the Gleesons and “Stephen O’Flaherty, The Volkswagen Man”.

Mary Kyne RIP

We were sorry to hear of the recent death of long time museum member Mary Kyne.  Mary worked for the Medical Missionaries of Mary and was a nurse at the Waterford Crystal facility in Dungarvan.  We extend our deepest sympathies to Mary’s brothers, sisters and extended family.

The Powers of St. Brigid’s Well Brewery - An Illustrated Lecture by Des Power

This promises to be a most interesting talk as Des Power will speak about his family, the Powers of St. Brigid's Well Brewery.

The talk will take place at Waterford County Museum, Friary Street on Wednesday the 16^th of January at 8pm and all are welcome to attend.  There will be a €5 entrance fee.

Upcoming Screenings at SGC Dungarvan

In conjunction with SGC Dungarvan, tickets for these screenings will be available at a reduced cost at Waterford County Museum.

St. Mary’s Parish Church Gates

An excellent job has been done on the restoration of the ornamental gates and railings of St. Mary’s Parish Church which were badly damaged in 2018.

The gates were originally erected by the Parish Priest Jeremiah Halley in 1849.  His name features on the central pillars and the date 1838 which refers to the year in which he was made Parish Priest.

Unfortunately we don’t know the name of the firm who made the gates.

Congratulations to all concerned in the restoration.

Decies Journal

The latest issue of Decies, the journal of the Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society is now available.  The articles concentrate mainly on the WWI period.

William Fraher has an article on Ballysaggartmore House and its owners - the Anson family: “The war is more shadowlike than ever here” - An English governess in Ireland during WWI.

Niall O’Brien has an article titled: “Clashmore and Cappagh in Medieval Times”.

Other articles relating to West Waterford include: “A Bride in Tallow 1941-42” by Brigid McIntyre, “The Currey Family and the Stained Glass Memorials in St. Carthage’s Cathedral, Lismore” by Karen Hannon and “The 1918 General Election in County Waterford” by Dr Pat McCarthy.