Our
first Summer outing of 2017 saw members and guests making the trip to Lismore.
We visited the impressive Heritage Centre and then took a walk through the
Heritage Town accompanied by Alice, the knowledgeable guide from the Heritage
Centre. Among the historic sights we saw were St Carthage’s Cathedral where
members were impressed by the well maintained interior which contains among
other treasures a 16th century chest tomb of the McGrath family and an
exquisite stained glass window by the noted pre-Raphaelite artist Sir Edward
Burne-Jones. Other places visited were the gateway to Lismore Castle and the
historic ice-houses on the Ballyduff Road. The ice-houses were originally built
for the commercial salmon fishery that thrived on the River Blackwater in the
19th century, they have recently been conserved and made accessible to the
public by Lismore Tidy Towns Committee in partnership with Waterford City and
County Council. Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society members had a
very enjoyable afternoon in Lismore and the couple of light showers didn’t
dampen our members’ enthusiasm.
