Museum Christmas Meal 2016

The Museum Christmas Meal which took place yesterday evening 15th December 2016 in the Park Hotel Dungarvan was a great success and was enjoyed by all.

Our thanks to the Park Hotel, and to all who helped to arrange this great event.

Happy Christmas to all, and very best wishes for 2017!

Object of the Week - 18th Century Rosary Beads

Silver cross and spheres with amber beads.

Early types of Rosary beads were composed of a set of 10 beads on a cord tied at one end in a knot or tassel.

These developed later into the more familiar type with the beads divided into decades with large and small beads.  The cross with a figure of Christ was placed where the knot and tassel would have been on earlier types.

17th and 18th century Rosaries have tubular silver crosses made from thin sheets of silver beaten flat and rolled. The figure of Christ (as depicted here) is often in a naive style and is soldered on to the tubular cross.  Over the figure there is usually a plaque with the initials INRI.

The beads can be made of an assortment of materials, silver, glass, ivory, wood, amber, bone and fruit stones.

Thursday 23rd February 2017 Concert - 'Message of Peace' Tour by Seán Tyrrell

Waterford County Museum is delighted to announce that Seán Tyrrell will kick off his 2017/18 'Message of Peace' tour of the USA, Canada and Australia here in Ireland in Dungarvan.

The tour will be going to Western Australia in February 2018 for the 150th anniversary of the sailing of the Hougoumont, the convict ship that took John Boyle O'Reilly, Abbeyside's Denis B. Cashman and the other Fenians to Australia.  Denis B. Cashman was one of the Fenians who played a prominent role in O'Reilly's life, and as a young man when arrested stated 'I am willing to die for Ireland'.

This tour marks Seán's return to Canada and the USA, so popular was his 'Message of Peace' tour that he was invited back there.

Seán's show maps the amazing life and incredible work of one of Ireland's lesser known heroes, John Boyle O'Reilly, and through the medium of song and story it paints a vivid picture of his journey from his boyhood in Dowth, enlistment as a Fenian, imprisonment and great escape from the penal colony in Fremantle.  He settled in Boston and became one of the most important Irishmen in America of his day.  It was here that Cashman later joined him and worked on the 'Pilot'.

This show will include great songs, storytelling, theatre and history in a relevant, humorous, heroic and  tragic manner.  It is the story of the life of a visionary, poet, rebel, freedom fighter and civil rights activist.

Songs in the show connect the history of the 19th century and modern times in a seamless way, and are drawn from a wide variety of sources including Oscar Wilde, Francis Ledwidge, Bob Dylan, Bobby Sands, John Lennon and many more.  Using an array of instruments, Seán weaves effortlessly between narrative, instrumental and song.

Seán's show has received rave reviews from people such as Paul Keating of the Irish Voice New York, the poet Dennis McSharry, Mike Considine of Notable Arts and Yachats Festival Oregon presenter David Bridson.

Tickets are on sale at the Museum on a first come first served basis, so don't miss out!

Venue:             Town Hall Theatre, Dungarvan

Date:                Thursday 23rd February, 2017

Time:                8pm

Admission:      €10

Object of the Week - War of Independence Service Medal

This medal was awarded to John O'Brien, Manamon, Lismore. He was active in Lismore Brigade from April 1916 to July 1921. He was quartermaster of the Lismore Company 1919 to 1920. He was also involved with the Cork No. 2 Brigade.  The O'Brien house was an open house for all Republicans.

In 1924 John left Ireland for Canada.  He eventually settled in the Bronx, New York and died there on May 27th 1949, and was laid to rest in Calvary Cemetery, Woodside.

New Book - 'The Post Office in Ireland: An Illustrated History'

An excellent new book has been published by Irish Academic Press called 'The Post Office in Ireland: An Illustrated History' by Stephen Ferguson.

The book is beautifully bound and printed, with many fascinating photographs, including some from Waterford County Museum's archives, one of which shows the interior of Dungarvan Post Office with three of the staff in 1904, and another with a caption mentioning the Dungarvan postmaster, printer, and cyclist  Edward Brenan showing two of the post office staff.

Available from all good retailers.

Object of the Week - Charcoal Iron Late 19th Century

A type of charcoal iron was used in China over a thousand years ago. The example illustrated here was produced in the 19th century and may have been manufactured in Germany.  It is made of cast iron with a wooden handle and a hinged lid.

The charcoal iron was heated by burning charcoal within the hollow body, with the fumes escaping through holes on each side.  The iron had to be moved back and forth in order to keep the charcoal embers burning.

Museum Christmas Party Night 2016 Details

The details for the Waterford County Museum Christmas Party Night 2016 have been confirmed and are as follows:

Venue:  Park Hotel Dining Room

Date:    Thursday 15th December 2016

Time:    7.15pm Meet in Bar for 7.30pm Sit Down in Dining Room

Cost:     €23 To Be Paid in Advance On or Before 8th December

Please phone or email the Museum to book your place on 058 45960 or info@waterfordmuseum.ie