Upcoming Lecture: John Lee's Diaries, 1807

Our next lecture will take place on Friday 25th November 2016 at 8 pm in St Patrick's Gateway Centre

Speaker: Dr Angela Byrne.
Topic: Observations on Waterford City and County in 1807: John Lee’s Picturesque Walking Tour.

On 31 July 1806, John Lee (né Fiott, 1783–1866) embarked on a seven-month walking tour of England, Wales and Ireland. Lee’s diaries contain fascinating details of everyday life in Ireland in the aftermath of the 1798 and 1803 rebellions. He recorded the memories of participants and eyewitnesses to those major events, as well as descriptions of funerals, sports, ‘pattern days’, and local traditions. His diaries are complemented by sketchbooks filled with pencil-and-ink, on-the-spot impressions of antiquities, ruined abbeys and castles, landscapes, and other notable sights. His itinerary brought him to Dungarvan, Waterford City, Kilmacthomas and Clashmore in January 1807, including the highlights of the Comeragh Mountains and Waterford Cathedral.

Admission: €5.00 (members free) 

Also please note that our Annual lunch this year will take place on Sunday 4th December in the Granville Hotel

Upcoming Lecture : Archaeological Excavations at Knockhouse

Speaker: Mr Fintan Walsh

Topic: Archaeological Excavations at Knockhouse

Date: Friday 21 October 2016

Venue: Granville Hotel, 8:00 pm

Admission: €5.00 (members free)

In 2014 and 2015 Fintan Walsh of IAC directed a series of archaeological investigations at Knockhouse Lower in advance of industrial development. The site, which is on the western outskirts of Waterford City, had been tilled for many centuries and prior to the excavation no above-ground monuments were visible. However, methodical and painstaking archaeological excavation revealed the remains of an early medieval ringfort. Some evidence was uncovered for the former existence of structures within the ringfort, including two souterrains (underground storage or hiding places). The ringfort was associated with a series of field boundary ditches which radiated from it as well as a number of contemporary cereal drying kilns. Evidence for earlier prehistoric activity was also uncovered, including Bronze Age fulachtaí fia (burnt mounds) and settlement activity dating to both the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods. Fintan’s illustrated lecture will give a comprehensive overview of the results of the excavations at Knockhouse Lower.

Heritage Week Talk : Everyday Life in Waterford in 1916

As part of Heritage week,  Waterford Archaeological & Historical Society will have a  series of mini-talks and visual displays presented by committee members.

A look at Waterford City in the Year 1916 - The Way We Were, snapshots of everyday life in Waterford City over 12 months in 1916. 

Date & Time :  Thursday 25th August at 7.30 pm 

Venue: Tapestry Room, Granville Hotel, The Quay

Admission: Free event 

Upcoming Summer Outing: Creaden Head

This week's outing will be to Creaden Head, Dunmore East.

Thursday 28 July 2016

The guided tour of Creaden Head with Mr. Noel McDonnagh  is a follow up to a talk given to the society by Mr McDonnagh at the Annual Lunch last November entitled Pages from the Past.


Meet in the car park at Killea church at 6.45pm.

Members free, non-members €5.00

Upcoming Summer Outing : Visit to Curraghmore

The next event on our calendar will be

a Guided Tour of Curraghmore  House & Gardens and the Shell House

Date : Sunday 17 July 2016

Time:  Meet at Curraghmore House car park at  3 pm 

Admission : Members €10.00
                      Non-members €15.00

Upcoming Lecture: Waterford Men in the 1916 Rising

Our next lecture will be this Friday 29th April 2016

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Speaker: Dr Pat McCarthy

Topic: Waterford Men in the 1916 Rising.

Venue : St Patrick's Gateway Centre

Time : 8 pm

Admission : Members free, Non-members €5.00

This lecture will mark the centenary of the 1916 rising.

Upcoming Lecture : The Two Military Barracks in Waterford

Speaker: Mr James Doherty

Venue : St Patrick's Gateway Centre

Date & Time: Friday 1st April 2016, 8 pm

Admission :  Members free, non-members €5.00

James Doherty will examine the history behind the two military barracks in Waterford City and will provide an insight into why they were built, what garrison life was like and the factors that led to the decline and almost complete disappearance of what was once a impressive military complex in the heart of Waterford City.

February Lecture : Waterford Prehistory and Megalithic Tombs

The February lecture, on the "Houses of the Dead"  delivered by Dr Elizabeth Shee-Twohig was of great interest to many who travelled from the county and beyond to attend. 

 Questions and discussions continued well after the lecture was over, 

Suggestions for further reading, 

Further  reading about Waterford prehistory and megalithic tombs

BOOKS

Carlton Jones, Temples of Stone (Collins Press)

Elizabeth Shee Twohig. Irish Megalithic Tombs (Shire books)

John Waddell, The Prehistoric Archaeology of Ireland 

James Eogan and Elizabeth Shee Twohig (eds) Cois tSiúire – nine thousand years of human activity in the Lower Suir Valley. Archaeological Excavations on the N25 Waterford City Bypass.  (NRA 2011).

 Tom Fourwinds,  Monu-mental about Prehistoric Waterford

WEBSITES

http://webgis.archaeology.ie/historicenvironment/  The database  of the Archaeological Survey

www.excavations.ie    The database of excavation results in Ireland

www.shadowsandstone.com/    website of photographs by Ken Williams

Upcoming Lecture : "House of the Dead"

The next lecture on our agenda will be delivered on Friday 26 February 2016 by Dr Elizabeth Shee Twoghig,UCC

Topic: “Houses of the Dead: the megalithic tombs of East Waterford”

This lecture will look at the various types of “dolmens” (megalithic tombs) in the area and discuss their use and the people  who built them.

Time: 8 pm

Venue: St Patrik's GAteway Centre, Patrick Street, Waterford City. 

Admission : Members free, non-members €5.00

Programme of Lectures January - May 2016

Winter/Spring 2016

Lectures held in St Patrick's Gateway Centre,

Patrick Street, at 8pm 

Friday 29^th January                           Speaker: Monsignor Michael Olden.

Topic: Dr. Richard A Sheehan 1845 – 1915.

Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, and founder of

The Waterford and South East of Ireland Archaeological Society.

Friday 26^th February                                    Speaker: Dr. Elizabeth Shee Twohig, UCC.

Topic: “Houses of the Dead: the megalithic tombs of East Waterford”

This lecture will look at the various types of “dolmens” (megalithic tombs) in the area and discuss their use and the people who built them.

Friday 1^st April                                   Speaker: Mr. James Doherty

Topic: The Two Military Barracks in Waterford.

James Doherty will examine the history behind the two military barracks in Waterford City and will provide an insight into why they were built, what garrison life was like and the factors that led to the decline and almost complete disappearance of what was once a impressive military complex in the heart of Waterford City.

Friday 8^th April                                  Annual General Meeting – Details beforehand.

Friday 29^th April                                Speaker: Dr. Pat McCarthy.

Topic: Waterford men in The 1916 Rising.

This lecture will mark the centenary of The 1916 Rising.

Friday 27^nd May                                Speaker: Mr. Kieran Cronin.

Topic: Aquila Non Captat Muscas: a voyage of discovery of the William Graves and Sons Shipping Company papers at WIT Libraries.

This lecture provides an insight into the historical documents of the William Graves and Sons Shipping Company Papers which WIT Libraries are custodians of since May 2015. The company’s origins date back to 1811 and are most famously known for commissioning the building of the Dunbrody ship (1840-1845). At its height the company had offices in New Ross, Waterford, Liverpool and Savannah, Georgia amongst others. This collection of circa 1400 historical documents includes ledgers, letters, legal documents, prospectuses, maps etc. which when brought together give a greater understanding of the multifaceted international business operations of the company in the 19^th century.

All details of lectures will be available from our website,

Facebook page, local and national papers.

http://www.waterford-history.org/