In 2020 the findmypast website uploaded the Board of Guardians minute books for the Waterford Poor Law Union, which comprised of 163,000 records. If your ancestor was an inmate, a supplier of goods, etc you may find them listed here. The original records are held by Waterford City and County Archives.
The book Desperate Haven, originally
published in 1996, is the definitive study to date of the Great Famine (or
Irish Potato Famine) and its effects in the towns and villages of West
Waterford, Ireland.
This long
out of print and much sought after volume was the product of more than 5 years
of research by Dungarvan Museum Society (now Waterford County Museum). It
provides a fascinating insight into the lives of the poor in mid 19th century
Ireland, the response of the authorities to the unfolding tragedy and the
conditions which saw many Irish people create new lives for themselves in
America, England, Canada, Australia and elsewhere. It is available for the
Museum, local bookshops and Amazon.
Dungarvan Workhouse Board of Guardians 1890 (EK140) image was recently
donated to Waterford County Museum image Archive.
