Museum Cumann na mBan Exhibition At Waterford City Library

Waterford County Museum's Cumann na mBan exhibit launched Tuesday at Waterford City Library in conjunction with Waterford Women's Centre, International Women's week celebrations.

The event included the official revealing of a blue plaque at the birth place of Rosamund Jacob, suffragette, writer and founder of the City's Cumann na mBan group and Waterford Women's Centre 'Waterford Women Exhibit'.

The Cumann na mBan exhibit will also be on display in Dungarvan Library for two weeks. The entire Cumann na mBan exhibition will be launched next week on Waterford County Museum's website.

Photo: Andy Kelly, Ann Fitzgerald, Event organisers and Nioclas Graves & Christina Knight - O'Connor, Waterford County Museum.

National Adopt A Monument Competition Selects Dungarvan & Lismore

The five monuments successful in Ireland’s first-ever Adopt a Monument national competition have been announced today. Over 90 community groups around the country applied to adopt a monument through the scheme, which has been organised by the Heritage Council in conjunction with Abarta Heritage to support public access to Ireland’s archaeological monuments.

The communities of Dungarvan and Lismore in County Waterford joined together as part of a combined application to adopt two medieval forts in their localities. These motte and baileys were constructed by the Anglo-Normans in the early phase of their invasions into south-eastern Ireland. 

Gallowshill in Dungarvan is located in the Cathal Brugha housing estate that is currently undergoing regeneration. The community wished to adopt the monument to help raise awareness of the site for visitors and locals. 

The large motte and bailey known as Round Hill is situated on the banks of the River Blackwater in Lismore. This large defensive site is currently overgrown by vegetation and needs specialist advice in helping to conserve the monument and to provide better access for visitors. 

Maella Fahey of Lismore Heritage Centre said that "Lismore Heritage Town and the Round Hill Project committee are delighted to have been chosen for the Adopt a Monument scheme, the community will welcome the opportunity to look at this very important site in more detail and explore the possibilities for the future. We are excited to be working with Waterford County Museum as they investigate Gallows Hill, Dungarvan, this will be a major project for the whole West Waterford Area’. Christina Knight, spokesperson for Gallowshill in Dungarvan said: ‘It’s a wonderful opportunity that will support communities to take ownership of their National monuments for the benefit of people living in the area and the many visitors to County Waterford.  As the only application selected in Munster we hope to do our best to ensure the pilot project is a success and continues for many years to benefit towns and villages around the country."

The five successful monuments are: 

1. Gallowshill Medieval Fort, Dungarvan and Round Hill, Lismore, Co Waterford
2. Doon Fort, Ardara, Co Donegal
3. Church of the Rath, Killeshandra, Co Cavan 
4. Baravore crusher building, Glenmalure, Co Wicklow
5. Ballintleva Handball Alley, Co Roscommon

According to Ian Doyle, Head of Conservation at the Heritage Council, "Around every corner in Ireland you can discover an echo of the past. The five monuments selected in the Adopt a Monument scheme demonstrate the rich tapestry of heritage that we live alongside in Ireland". 

Mr. Doyle said: "We know that the public has a great interest in archaeology and, through this scheme, we want to provide opportunities to support public access to the often hidden world of archaeology. For the five successful monuments, the scheme has the potential to ensure ongoing maintenance and care, greater protection through increased civic value, and much higher standards of interpretation and understanding. I want to extend my congratulations to the community groups involved, and to encourage the public to visit the monuments in their region in 2016".

Photos by John Foley Images & Patrick Kenealy

18-19 March, 2016 The Church of Ireland hosts a public conference on 1916 in Waterford

Remembering, Forgetting and Fulfilling 1916:

Can the future be built upon the untapped resources of the past?

Venue: Christ Church Cathedral, Waterford

Date: 18-19 March

Cost for full conference €80 (which includes light lunch Saturday for those who pre-register)

Concession €30 for retired people or on receipt of student or social welfare card

Register online at www.christchurchwarerford.com/events/conference-1916

email: events.christchurchwaterford@gmail.com

Tel: 353 51 858958

This public conference has been planned by the Dean of Waterford, the very Revd. Maria Jansson, to bring together not just scholars and people enquiring about the founding events of our state but also the general thinking public interested in the manner in which we remember the events of the past, commemorate them, but also 'misremember' or abuse them for political purposes. Over 2,000 books are in the public domain on the subject, so this conference will question the ways in which we 'do' and use history. She has brought together a panel of speakers of international and national standing.

March 18: Professor Charles Townsend, Emeritus Professor of International History at Keele University. 'The Complexities of Commemoration'

March 19: Professor Ronan Fanning, Emeritus Professor of History at UCD. 'The Political Abuses of 1916'

March 19: Dermot Meleady (who wrote the hugely significant two volume biography on John Redmond) . 'Misremembered History'

March 19: Robin Bantry White, retired Archdeacon of Cork, Cloyne and Ross. 'Contrasting voices: Dr. Kathleen Lynn and Professor Walter Alison Philipps'.

The conference will close with the response of Bishop Michael Burrows, Bishop of Waterford  to the above presentations. He will also preach in the Cathedral on Easter Day to mark the centenary of 1916.

There will be ample opportunity for participants to engage with the speakers in open fora and it is hoped that the event will generate much reflection and discussion.

A New Heritage Plan for Waterford - Have your say

Waterford Heritage Plan Public Consultation 2016

The Waterford City and County Heritage Forum facilitated by the Heritage Officer is preparing a new Heritage Plan and is looking for your views.

Waterford City and County Council would like to know what you think should be included in the new Heritage Plan which will review and consolidate the existing:

Waterford County Heritage Plan 2006-2010, Waterford City Heritage Plan 2009-2013, Waterford County Biodiversity Plan 2008-2013 and Waterford City Biodiversity Plan 2010-2014.

Copies of these plans may be downloaded at www.waterfordcouncil.ie

You are invited to make a pre-draft written submission with reference to the following questions:

1. What do you think are the main heritage issues for Waterford City and County currently and arising by 2021?

2. Are there gaps in our awareness, promotion and management of Waterford's heritage - in heritage data, in survey, in heritage education, in heritage training, in heritage policy and heritage conservation?

3. What is our vision for Waterford's Archaeology, Built, Cultural and Natural Heritage over the next five years?

4. What actions should we include in our new Heritage Plan to address the above?

Heritage is taken to include: Archaeological Objects, Monuments, Heritage Objects, Landscapes, Heritage Parks and Gardens, Seascapes, Inland Waterways, Architectural Heritage, Flora, Fauna, Wrecks, Wildlife Habitats and Geology. 

Post or email it by Thursday, March 31, 2016 to:

Bernadette Guest, Heritage Officer, Waterford City and County Council, Civic Offices, Dungarvan.

bguest@waterfordcouncil.ie

We would appreciate your help by taking the time to make a submission. Your views are important to us.

Friday, 1 April - Sunday, 3 April. Roscrea Spring Conference

The 58th Consecutive Conference

Mount St.Joseph Abbey, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary

Theme: From Rahan to Lismore, via Ros Cré - Mochuda's Expulsion or Triumphant Retreat?

Venue: Mount St. Joseph Cistercian Abbey, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary

Date: Friday, 1 April - Sunday, 3 April

Booking is essential. 

Fr. Kevin Daly 0505 25600 or guesthouse@msjroscrea.ie or www.msjroscrea.ie

The conference organiser and director is George Cunningham - georgecunningham@eircom.net

Tuesday, March 1st Dungarvan Launch of 1916 Commemorative Music by VoiceOver Ladies Choir and Finbarr Keohan

As part of the cultural expression of the Waterford Centenary Programme, VoiceOver Ladies Choir, Dungarvan have partnered with well known local musician Finbarr Keohan to bring to prominence two 1916 poems namely; "I see His blood upon the Rose" by Joseph Mary Plunkett and the "The Wayfarer" by Padraig Pearse.

A brief launch of this unique music will be held in St. Mary's Church of Ireland, Dungarvan.

Venue: St. Mary's Church of Ireland, Dungarvan

Date: Tuesday, 1st March

Time: 7.30pm
All are very welcome to attend with light refreshments afterwards.

In 1916, these poems captured the essence of the personal sacrifices made at that time. In putting them to music one hundred years later, Finbarr has ensured that their poignant lines become all the more real. The evocative music married with the words of the poems bring them to life and thus lends itself to broaden and deepen our understanding of the historical significance of 1916.

Friday, Feb 5 Presentation of 'Island Queen' painting by Maritime Artist Brian Cleare to Waterford County Museum

Waterford County Museum were delighted to receive a beautiful painting of the 'Island Queen' by well known Maritime artist, Brian Cleare.

The presentation of the painting was made by Andrew Kelly to Brian O'Donnell of Waterford County Museum.

Interestingly, the ships wheel on display is also off the 'Island Queen'. The schooner was commissioned by Timothy Curran and built in 1862 by Albert White, Ferrybank, Waterford. It was captained by Richard Curran.

A beautiful piece to have on display in the museum.