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 4th 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’.
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 4th 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.
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.
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 16th of January at 8pm and all are welcome to attend. There will be a €5 entrance fee.
The talk will take place at Waterford County Museum, Friary Street on Wednesday the 16th 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.
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”.