August 2017 - Visit of Museum Member Jim Shine to Ypres to Commemorate the Death of James O.W. Shine in 1917 in World War One

On a recent visit to Ypres to commemorate the death of Captain James O.W. Shine, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, in the battle of Paschendaele in 1917, one of our members, Jim Shine, took the opportunity to lay a wreath at the Menin Gate Memorial in remembrance of the one thousand and thirty Waterford men and women who died in World War One.

The Menin Gate Memorial has panels on which are inscribed the names of fifty four thousand eight hundred and ninety six allied soldiers who died in the area and have no known grave.  Another thirty five thousand are similarly commemorated at the Tyne Cot cemetery near Paschendaele in which there are twelve thousand graves of those whose bodies could be recovered.

Sunday 3rd September 2017 - History Day at Dromana Titled 'Art, Architecture, Gardens and the Intrepid Traveller: Passage to India'

There will be a history day at Dromana House on Sunday 3rd September 2017 from 10am to 4pm titled 'Art, Architecture, Gardens and the Intrepid Traveller: Passage to India'.

The guest speakers and subjects covered will be Kathleen James-Chakraborty - The gateway at Dromana, Mary Ann Prior - The gardens of the Great Moghuls: the Villiers-Stuart connection, Peter Murray - Changes in British racial attitudes in India in the early nineteenth century: James Achilles Kirkpatrick and his wife Khair-un-Nissa Begum, the East India Company, and the paintings of Thomas Hickey and George Chinnery, Dagmar Ó Riain-Raedel - The Maharajah of Gwailor and the Church of the Ascension in Timoleague, Co. Cork.

Morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea included, €70 per person or €125 for two.  Email info@dromanahouse.com, booking is essential.

Full Details of Our Annual Museum Fundraising Book Sale October 26th, 27th & 28th 2017

The Museum's annual fundraising book sale will be held on Thursday 26^th, Friday 27^th and Saturday 28^th October in the former Mill Restaurant by Garvey’s Supervalu carpark.  There will be a great selection of books for sale!  

Our book sale gives a much needed financial boost to help with the running costs of the Museum, so please do consider coming along to buy lots of books!  

Donations of books towards the sale can be made by dropping them in to us at the Museum in Friary Street, and they should be in good condition, with no magazines or encyclopaedias please.  

Our thanks to Liam Power and Garveys Supervalu for allowing us to use the restaurant for our sale.   

Object of the Week - 'Any Time is Urney Time' Clock from the Ormonde Cinema, Dungarvan, 1940s

Urney Chocolates was established in 1919 by Eileen and Harry Gallagher at Urney, Co. Tyrone.

Mrs Gallagher set up a sweet making factory in her back garden in an effort to provide employment for locals who were emigrating due to lack of employment.

In 1924 the factory was destroyed by fire and it was moved to Tallaght in Dublin.  By the 1960s Urney Chocolates was employing one thousand workers and was then one of the largest chocolate factories in Europe.  In 1963 W & R Grace, New York, purchased the company.  In 1970 they sold it to Unilever who changed the name to HB Chocolates.

The company ceased production in 1980.

20th September 2017 Illustrated Lecture - Curraghmore: A Hidden Treasure on Our Doorstep by Julian Walton

We are delighted to have Julian Walton kick off our 2017/18 lecture season with an illustrated lecture titled 'Curraghmore: A Hidden Treasure on Our Doorstep'.

For many years one of the most fascinating country houses in Ireland has remained hidden from the national media, and forgotten by many in the Déise.  Curraghmore House is now beginning to receive the attention it deserves.  For at least six hundred years the house and demesne have been the home of the same family, the name changing only once through marriage.  For the last three centuries it has been the seat of the Beresfords, Marquesses of Waterford, who played a leading role in the evolution of Georgian Ireland, and in Victorian times produced some famous churchmen and soldiers.  For three centuries before that it was the principal castle of the Power clan who ruled East Waterford until the coming of Cromwell.  Every generation has left its mark on Curraghmore.

The magnificent demesne of some two and a half thousand acres is open to the public subject to common sense restrictions.  The gardens (leave €5 in the honesty box), in a stunning setting along the River Clodiagh with a medieval bridge, hills, forests, avenues and splendid vistas, are open from Easter to the end of September.  During the same period there are guided tours of the house, with its huge courtyard, fifteenth century entrance hall, décor by Wyatt and others, historic furniture, paintings including family portraits.  The fine eighteenth century Shell House in the grounds is included in the tour.  The former parish church on Clonegam Hill serves as the family mausoleum.

Julian Walton is currently working on the archives at Curraghmore, with the assistance of Marianna Lorenc, and our Museum Curator William Fraher.  Julian's immense treasure of knowledge and his humorous observations on historical events will ensure a very interesting and entertaining lecture which will be well worth attending.

We are also breaking new ground with this talk because it takes place at the Dungarvan Harbour Sailing Club on Davitts Quay, which is itself a very historic location which is where the famed 'Linny' used to stand, as they have very kindly allowed us to use their clubhouse for the talk.

There is a lift at the clubhouse to take people to the top floor.  All are very welcome!


Venue:            Dungarvan Harbour Sailing Club, Davitts Quay, Dungarvan

Date:               Wednesday 20th September 2017

Time:              8pm

Admission:    €5

National Heritage Week 19th to 27th August 2017 - Exhibition 'Neolithic Caves to Medieval Motte'

For National Heritage Week 19th to 27th August 2017 Gallows Hill Archaeology Group will exhibit their 2017 excavation work at Gallows Hill, and supporting excavation work with the Dungarvan Valley Caves Project, here in the Museum.

This looks like being a very interesting exhibition and will be well worth a visit!

Venue:            Waterford County Museum, Friary Street, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford

Date/Time:      Official Opening Saturday 19th August 2017 12pm to 1pm  
                        Then Normal Museum Opening Hours 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday                          
Admission:     Free

Object of the Week - Metal Ladle for Molten Glass from Waterford Crystal Factory, Dungarvan, 1970s

The Waterford Crystal factory opened in Dungarvan in July 1972.  The official opening was performed by Jack Lynch.  It was reported in newspapers at the time that the factory cost one million to construct and would employ two hundred and forty workers, thirty of whom were from An Rinn.

In 2002 the thirtieth anniversary of the opening of the factory was celebrated with a publication and a special service at the factory.  A number of pieces of glass and other archival material were donated to Waterford County Museum.

The factory finally closed in 2005.