Garda Síochána Exhibition

We are delighted to have the Tom O’ Neill’s collection of Garda memorabilia, as part of Garda centenary celebrations. It has taken him thirty years to put this unique collection together. Also he is the author of Spike Island’s Republican Prisoners, 1921 book. This is the first comprehensive history of individuals and events on the island during the Irish War of independence. This is on sale at the museum and retails at €20.

Garda memorabilia on display at Museum

 Weapons of War Exhibition

A large attendance enjoyed an exhibition of weapons from the War of Independence & Civil War period which was on display in Grattan Square on Sunday 9^th October.

Thanks to Tola Collier professional military historian, all the re-enactors, the Decade of Centenaries Committee of Waterford Council, James Doherty, Christine and Tony King, and Thomas Phelan for their help in mounting this exhibition.

National Heritage Award Winner

Our exhibition on Gallowshill won the National Heritage Week award for Waterford.  Well done to Museum curator William Fraher for assembling the artefacts and panels documenting the work of our Community Archaeology project which explains the history of Gallowshill, Dungarvan Caves, Vikings and Medieval Dungarvan over the last few years.

Our thanks to the Heritage Council for the grant aid under the Community Heritage Grant 2021 for the new case and panels in the exhibition.

 

Verso Art Exhibition - Lismore Castle

St. Carthage’s Cathedral in Lismore is a building of great architectural and historical importance.  However, funds are required for conservation and upgrading of the interior.

Lismore Cathedral CLG set up a charitable initiative called Verso Art.  The aim of the project is “to sell original works of art donated by artists, all in the same postcard size format, on a single day, without revealing the identity of the artist”.

Over 800 works were submitted and these are on display for a limited period at Lismore Castle Art Gallery from 23 – 31 October 2021.

On 6 November 2021 all art works will be available for sale from 10 a.m.  For further details and to register see Versoart.ie.

Museum curator William Fraher is one of the contributing artists. 

Historian Julian Walton has written a fascinating article on the history of the Cathedral which can be seen in the current issue of “The Irish Arts Review”.

Well done to all concerned, artists and organisers.

Lismore Castle

New Gallowshill Exhibition

We are delighted that our new Gallowshill exhibition has now been completed, with the arrival of a new display case.  This now houses the archaeological artefacts from Gallowshill e.g. pottery pieces, human anatomy, mineral sample, weapons and ammunition etc. This compliments our new information panels explaining the history of Gallowshill, Dungarvan Caves, Vikings and Medieval Dungarvan.

This project has been supported by the Heritage Council under the Community Heritage Grant 2021.

 

New panels in the Museum

Our new panels are now in place in the art and photography sections.  We hope to further replace other existing panels with this new design.

Our Heritage in Stone - Edmond Power Memorial

 

Unidentified children at Power's Memorial with St. Mary's Church of Ireland
in the Background. c 1900

Edmond Power Memorial

The Power family are said to have lived at Ballygagin to the west of Dungarvan, where Edmond's father held a large amount of land. Edmond's father may have been John Power.  John Power of Ballygagin is named as one of the executors in the will of Pierce Britt of Ballynalahessary in 1784.  His father was said to have been comfortably well off.  This John Power made his will on 15 August 1787.  In it he directs that he be buried in the family burial place at Kilgobnet, he refers to his wife Mary Walsh and his children.  Edmond had a brother John and two sisters, one of whom is said to have married an O'Keefe of Mountain Castle near Modeligo.  Edmond became involved with the local branch of the United Irishmen. Power and a companion, Francis Hearn, were arrested by the authorities. According to Canon Power, Edmond was betrayed by Michael McGrath from Ballynamuck.  Another account written by Mary Ellen Barron (whose grandmother, Mary Power, was a great - grand niece of Edmond Power) in the 1950's states that the informer was Seamus A. Gabhann, (James Duggan) the Blacksmith. Edmond was arrested in September 1799 and taken to Waterford where he was court martialled in October of that year and sentenced to be hanged.

A monument in the form of a Celtic cross by Molloy of Callan was erected to his memory in the Park.  (This is the only 1798 memorial in Co. Waterford).  It was officially unveiled by the Rev. Richard Henebry in 1903, six years after it was first planned.  Henebry gave a speech in which he stated that Power was hanged from a window of the Old Market House.  Power's body is said to have been removed to Kilgobnet for burial.  The cross incorporates shamrocks on the tops of the pillars which are of polished stone, a panel contains an Irish harp and the date 1898. The shaft of the cross shows two pikes and intertwined shamrocks on one side and Celtic interlacing on the other.  There is a raised inscription ‘Remember 98’ and on the base in Irish and English is the following inscription:

In memory of Edmond Power Who was hanged in Dungarvan for his love of country in 1798.  Also in memory of the heroes of 98 who fought and shed their blood for Ireland.

May God bless the cause they fought.

Details of pikes on Edmond Power Memorial

New Exhibition - Co. Waterford during the Revolutionary Period - 1914-1923

We are happy to present a new exhibition for our reopening – 

Co. Waterford during the Revolutionary Period – 1914-1923

This exhibition is planned to mark the Decade of Centenaries and uses photographs of the period from our extensive image archive.  The Banners were designed and printed by local firm Printmaster.

We also have another exhibition on a similar theme: The Phil O’Donnell Collection.  This presents a selection of documents assembled by Dungarvan native Mr. O’Donnell when he was working for the Bureau of Military History from 1954-56 and interviewed Co Cork Republicans.  He was also an internee at Spike Island in 1921 and there is a roll book of all internees held there and other documents relating to a planned hunger strike and the death of one the internees.

Exhibitions in the Museum

We were working on exhibitions etc., when we were forced to close the museum, but the work continues behind the scenes. The first is:

Bureau of Military History – Phil O’Donnell Collection

Phil O’Donnell of Dungarvan was employed by the bureau between 1954 and 1956 to interview former IRA veterans in Co Cork.  The collection includes his draft reports and original material relating to republican prisoners on Spike Island 1921.  As we don’t know when the museum will be open again to visitors, we are thinking about filming the exhibition and making it available on our facebook page. We may do this for other parts of our collection.

John Mansfield (1906 - 1965)

John Mansfield was born at Ballinroad, Old Parish on 6th February 1906, the son of James Mansfield and Bridget Mansfield (Née Power).  He was educated at Ballymacart National School and later at C.B.S. Dungarvan.  He emigrated to America in 1924.

John volunteered to join the U.S. Army in February 1942 just over two months after the attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941.  Although he was 36 years old at the time, he believed that he would be drafted shortly and by volunteering he was allowed to choose the branch of the army he wanted.  He chose the Armored Corps and after basic training, he was assigned to the newly activated 4th Armored Division formed at Fort Knox, Kentucky in June 1942. The 4th Armored Division was assigned to Patton's 3rd Army and he served the entire war with this division.  The division was known as "Paton's Pride and Joy", having had the most days in combat of any unit of the 3rd Army.

John was very proud of the 4th Armored Division which engaged in 17 major battles from Normandy to Czechoslovakia.  It was the stellar Armored Division of the 3rd Army, and perhaps of all American divisions that served in the European campaign.  John was twice wounded and many times decorated.  He received the following awards:

BRONZE HEART for Valour in the Battle of the Bulge (Bastonge, Belgium)

PURPLE HEART WITH CLUSTER which means he received this Medal twice for being wounded at Normandy and then near Metz in France.

EUROPEAN-AFRICAN MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN Ribbon with seven battle stars which means he fought in seven major engagements in France, Belgium and Germany.

DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION received by all members of the 51st Armoured Infantry Battalion who served during the breakout of the Normandy Beachhead.

OCCUPATION OF GERMANY MEDAL

AMERICAN DEFENCE MEDAL

GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL

French and Belgian Decorations.

He was honourably discharged from the Military Service of the United States of America on 19th October 1945 when he returned to New York where he died on 1st July 1965.

John Mansfield's military dog tags and a selection of his medals, including his Purple Heart, are on display in Waterford County Museum.

New Exhibition Opened at Waterford County Museum

Last Wednesday, Mr. Eddie Cantwell, Vice President of the Museum Society welcomed members and guests to the official opening of ‘The Remarkable Brenans - Photographers, Cyclists, Printers, Artists and Antiquarians’, which tells the story of the Brenan family of Grattan Square for the first time.

Eddie thanked the curator William Fraher who researched and designed the display and the museum staff for their work in relation to the exhibition.  He acknowledged the Creative Ireland funding through Jane Cantwell, Creative Ireland Co-Ordinator with Waterford City & County Council.

He also thanked Bernie Guest, Heritage Officer and Joanne Rothwell, Waterford City and County Archivist.  He thanked especially the donors, Niall Hurley, John Nagle, Jane Casey and John O’Brien for loaning his Penny Farthing bicycle and for making display stands for both bicycles on show.

Pictured left to right: Dave Pollock, Eddie Cantwell and William Fraher.

Cathal Brugha Exhibition

The museum currently has an exhibition on Cathal Brugha which will be on display for the next two weeks.

The exhibition includes a bronze bust of Cathal Brugha that was given to us on loan by Waterford Museum of Treasures.

Catherine & Cathal McSwiney Brugha pictured with Nioclás Ó Gríofáin (middle).

Dungarvan - The Birthplace of Irish Cycling

The Waterford Greenway has been a huge success with walkers and cyclists but how many people know that the first cycle club in Ireland was established in Dungarvan?  If you would like to learn more visit a new exhibition at Waterford County Museum titled: ‘The Remarkable Brenans - Photographers, Cyclists, Printers, Artists and Antiquarians’ which tells the story of the Brenan family of Grattan Square for the first time.

Edward Brenan was an amateur artist and historian who discovered the remains of mammoth, bear, deer, etc, in the Shandon Caves, Dungarvan in 1859.  He drew and sketched in and around Dungarvan in the mid 19^th century and we are delighted to have received a donation of a number of his sketches including a fascinating panorama of Dungarvan with the principal buildings marked.  Also included in the exhibition are his sketches of Irish Elk found locally and a selection of archaeological pamphlets of local interest which belonged to the family.

His son Richard Edward, postmaster and printer founded the first cycle club in Ireland - ‘The Dungarvan Ramblers C. C.’ in 1869.  He and his son David were also amateur photographers who recorded people and places around Dungarvan, Co. Waterford and beyond.  On display is a recently donated album of their work with remarkable images of people, places and events such as the Shanahan Eviction of 1887.  There are four large reproductions of stunning photographs taken by Richard Edward in Co. Waterford showing poor people outside of their humble country homes.

Also in the display are two penny farthing bicycles dating from the 19^th century and the first cup for a cycle challenge race in Ireland dated 1869.

The exhibition is open Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm and admission is free.

Object of the Week - Rail Ticket - Dungarvan to Cork c. 1950s

You can find out more about the history of the Waterford to Dungarvan railway in the museum's forthcoming Guide to the Waterford Greenway which has a history of the line written by Martin Whelan and lots of wonderful photographs.

There is a sample copy of the guide on display in the museum at present.  The guide will be available for purchase shortly and will make an ideal Christmas present.

Object of the Week - Poster advertising a performance of a Dungarvan band called The Royal Aces at the Town Hall c. 1960s

The band members were: Matt Hayes (guitar), Michael Power (drums), Dessie Baumann (band leader and trumpet), Jim Atkins (bass), John Bulfin (sax), Tom Atkins (guitar), Vincent Byrne (trombone), and the manager was P Foley.

Object of the Week - Waterford County Gazette, April 1953, Vol I, No. 8

Tom Tobin (1926-1989) was born in Shandon Street, Dungarvan.  As a young man he developed a talent for writing and worked at the Dungarvan Observer and Dungarvan Leader.  He opened a bookshop in O'Connell Street, Dungarvan and developed an interest in photography.

In 1953 he wrote Echoes from the Decies: A Waterford scrapbook.  He started the Gazette in 1953 which sold for 3 pence.  It had a mixture of local news, historical articles and photographs taken by himself.

This issue was a special edition to mark the hosting of An Tóstal in Dungarvan.  This festival celebrated Irish culture and was aimed at locals and tourists and ran from 1953 to 1958.

Object of the Week - Poster for the Protestant Young Men's Society, Dungarvan, no date, early 1900s

The poster details the rules and gives a list of members.  The Secretary was A.V. Lyons and the Treasurer was Thomas W Cooke, the jeweller of Main Street.

A number of the members were prominent business men of the period such as Hardwick, Millar and Siberry.

Object of the Week - Poster for Radio Éireann's Question Time held in the Ormonde Cinema, Dungarvan 1953

The host was Eric Boden, a Dubliner who had worked in Radio in Canada and in the United States.  He presented a popular radio programme on Radio Éireann.  He was joined by a group of 'Radio Éireann Stars'.

Object of the Week - Advert for ‘Power’s Special Whiskey’ 1940s

This ‘Finest Old Irish Pot Still Whiskey’ was bottled by Thomas Power & Co, St Brigid’s Well Brewery, Dungarvan and supplied from another brewery.

Object of the Week - Bar Drinks Tray - ‘Guinness for Strength’ 1940s

This design was produced by artist John Gilroy (1898-1985) who worked for the advertising agency S.H. Benson.  They were employed by Guinness in 1929 to come up with an advertising campaign that would have popular appeal and help to sell Guinness.

The scheme worked and slogans such as - ‘Guinness for Strength’, ‘Guinness is Good for You’ and ‘My Goodness My Guinness’ became household phrases.