Programme of Lectures and Events 2024-2025

 

September 27/ 2024 Lecture : From Napoleon to the Nazis: The Mysterious Story of Marshal Beresford’s Silver by Marcus de la Poer Beresford

 

From Napoleon to the Nazis: The Mysterious Story of Marshal Beresford’s Silver

A lecture by Marcus de la Poer Beresford to the Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society

St Patrick's Gateway

27/09/2024

8pm

William Carr Beresford was born in Waterford in 1768 and grew up in Curraghmore, before being sent to a military college in France at the age of seventeen. He made his name as a soldier in the wars against France between 1793 and 1814, rising to become a full general in the British army and Marshal and Commander in Chief of the Portuguese armed forces. As such he became the Duke of Wellington’s right-hand man in the Iberian Peninsula in the long struggle against Napoleon.

During his lifetime Marshal Beresford built up an outstanding silver collection. This story concerns the gift of a valuable portion of that silver collection for the specific use of the British Embassy in Poland, a gift made at a time when there was no such embassy and indeed Poland did not exist as an independent country. In this lecture Marcus de la Poer Beresford will address a number of questions:

•     What lay behind such an aspirational gift?

•     How was the gift used when Poland did achieve independence on the conclusion of World War I?

•     Who stole the silver during World War II?

•     Where is the silver now?

Research for this talk, and the book to which that research gave rise, would not have been possible without the collaboration with Katarzyna Krenz, a well-known Polish journalist and novelist. It was Katarzyna who obtained access to archives in Warsaw and other locations, dating back into the times of subjugation and oppression in Poland, a period in the twentieth century when Poland had once again lost its liberty and was dominated by dictatorial foreign powers.

Marcus de la Poer Beresford read history at Trinity College Dublin before qualifying as a lawyer.  He retired from legal practice in 2010 in order to return to his first love, history. Marcus’s earlier research and postgraduate thesis focused on Ireland in the eighteenth century, and the Irish diaspora in Europe. In recent years he has written and lectured extensively on the Napoleonic Wars, with particular reference to the Iberian Peninsula, and the involvement of Irishmen in those wars.

Marcus has published the results of his research widely. His books include Marshal William Carr Beresford “the ablest man I have yet seen with the army” (Irish Academic Press 2019) a Portuguese edition of which was published in November 2021. Marcus’s biography of Major General Sir Denis Pack Peninsular and Waterloo General -Sir Denis Pack and the War against Napoleon was published by Pen & Sword Books in April 2022 and has been well received in Ireland and abroad. His latest book, co-authored with Kasia Krenz, appeared in English and Polish in December 2023. From Napoleon to the Nazis, the Mysterious Story of Marshal Beresford’s Silver tells the dramatic tale of how this collection of silver came to be in Poland, from whence it was stolen in World War Two, together with its partial recovery. Recent articles include ‘The Peninsular romance of Lieutenant Waldron Kelly and Ana Ludovina de Aguilar’ in The Irish Sword (Vol.32 (2020), No 129), and ‘Marshal William Carr Beresford and the return to Portugal of the Portuguese Royal family, 1814-1830’ in Revista de Estudos Anglo-Portugueses (No 29, 2020).

Marcus is currently working on a history of the early years of the Connaught Rangers (88th regiment), an outstanding Irish regiment in the British army, and a number of other projects. Further information on Marcus’s research and publications can be found on his website www.marcusdelapoerberesford.ie.

 

Outing to Cappoquin 11 August 2024

 The society's next summer outing will be  this coming Sunday, August 11th, to Cappoquin where we will be guided around the Historic Town by local historian Kevin McCarthy.

We'll meet at 2.30 in the public carpark adjacent to Cappoquin Community Centre, Eircode P51E2NV.

Outing to Ballygunner 11 July 2024

 The next Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society summer outing is on Thursday July 11th when Joe Falvey, our chairperson and well-known local historian, will lead us on a stroll around the Ballygunner and Knockboy area. We will hear about the archaeology and history of this area and hear tales of some of the personalities connected with it.

Meet at Ballygunner Church carpark at 7 pm.

All welcome. Non members €5.

Outing to Glenville 13 June 2024

 Join us for the first outing of 2024 for a walk and talk in the Glenville area led by chairperson Joe Falvey and PRO James Eogan  .

Meet at 7 pm at Glenville Centre car park (nearest Eircode X91 R7YV).

Ardmore, Lismore and Waterford: a tale of three competing medieval churches by Dr Edel Bhreathnach 31/05/24

The Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society 2023 – 2024 lecture series concludes at 8 pm on Friday, May 31st in St. Patrick’s Gateway Centre, Waterford (Eircode X91 YX61) when medieval historian Dr Edel Bhreathnach, will deliver a talk titled Ardmore, Lismore and Waterford: a tale of three competing medieval churches.

 

Ardmore and Lismore were among some of the earliest churches to flourish in a newly-converted Ireland during the sixth century. They became well-known due to the renown of their saints, eminent individuals associated with them, and texts emanating from them and from churches in their spheres of influence. Waterford and its main church developed at a later period, mainly due to the increasing influence and wealth of its Hiberno-Norse settlement. During the late eleventh and throughout twelfth century, all three churches, especially Lismore and Waterford, attracted in turn the attention of the provincial kings of Munster and claimants to the kingship of Ireland, clerics instituting a transformation of the church in Ireland, and by the thirteenth century ambitious Anglo-Norman bishops and lords. This lecture will examine the origins and development of each church, the rivalry between them, and what became of them post-1200AD.

Edel Bhreathnach is a medieval historian with a particular interest in interdisciplinary studies that connect archaeology, history and literature. She was CEO of The Discovery Programme: Centre for Archaeology and Innovation Ireland (2013-9) and is a former Visiting Fellow to All Souls College Oxford (2016). She has worked on large-scale projects relating to Tara, Co. Meath, on the history of the Franciscans in Ireland, and on monasticism in Ireland from the tenth to the thirteenth century. She has published widely on these subjects including 'Ireland in the medieval world 400-1000AD: landscape, kingship and religion' (Four Courts Press, 2014). Her volume 'Monasticism in Ireland, AD900-1250' will be published in 2024 (Four Courts Press).

********************* SUMMER OUTINGS **********************

Details of the Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society’s full programme of summer outings will be circulated in the coming weeks.

Our first outing will be on Thurs. June 13th at 7 pm when we’ll explore the heritage of Glenville and Maypark. We’ll meet at the Glenville Centre carpark (adjacent to Eircode X91 R7YV)

🚢Save The Date🚢

On Sunday June 30th we plan to take a day trip on the Barrow Princess to New Ross. We will depart from the quay in Waterford in the morning, sail along the Suir and Barrow with commentary from invited speakers, including Mary Breen and Andrew Doherty. Drinks and snacks will be available on board the Barrow Princess. Following arrival in New Ross we’ll have a walking tour along the historic quays led by Myles Courtney. We’ll return to Waterford by coach. 

Further details and costs will be announced shortly.

********************* HERITAGE WEEK 2024 **********************

The theme of National Heritage Week (17 – 25 August) this year is 

Connections, Routes and Networks. 

The Society plans to organise an evening event with short talks by members on Friday, 23rd August at 6pm. Please speak with a committee member or email wahs2015@hotmail.com if you are interested in contributing.

****************** 2024 – 2025 LECTURE SERIES*******************

The Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society’s 2024 – 2025 lecture series commences in September in St Patrick’s Gateway Centre

with Dr Marcus de la Poer Beresford : From Napoleon to the Nazis. The 

Mysterious Story of Marshal Beresford’s Silver

Upcoming Lecture : Playing at War? by Dr Shane Browne Friday 22/03/2024

 “Playing at war”? The Waterford National Volunteers, 1914-1917

A lecture by Dr Shane Browne to the Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society

The Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society 2023 – 2024 lecture series continues at 8 pm on Friday, March 22nd in St. Patrick’s Gateway Centre, Waterford (Eircode X91 YX61) when historian Dr Shane Browne, will deliver a talk titled “Playing at war”? The Waterford National Volunteers, 1914-1917.

Born from a split in the Irish Volunteers in the autumn of 1914, the National Volunteer movement was one of the largest uniformed paramilitaries operating in Ireland during the First World War. A pro-Home Rule organisation, this citizen army was loyal to John Redmond, leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) since 1900. An overlooked organisation in the historiography of Ireland’s revolutionary period, this lecture will examine the Waterford city branch of the National Volunteers.

Drawing on newspaper sources and the organisation’s extensive archival collection at both national and local level, this lecture will investigate the rise and fall of the Waterford National Volunteers, outlining the aims of the movement and the reasons behind its ultimate decline. Across Ireland, the force could boast a paper strength of over 160,000 members in the wake of the split, with the Waterford National Volunteers numbering an estimated 1,000 men at this time. Significantly, the Waterford City National Volunteers had around 200 rifles in their possession, underlining the transformation that had occurred in Irish politics between 1912-14, when the politics of the gun had taken precedent over constitutional methods.

Importantly, what will be outlined in this lecture is that volunteering was part of public life in Waterford city for a time, with men and women taking part in a wide range of military and social activities between 1914-15. Areas we pass everyday were hubs of Volunteer activity, such as the Courthouse on Catherine Street where drilling took place on Sundays, or the former Presentation Convent on Hennessy’s Road, which was used as a headquarters by the Waterford City National Volunteers. The volunteering phenomenon even impacted upon consumers, with shops such as Hearne & Co. selling military attire.

Of course, the story of the National Volunteers is one of decline. Thus, this lecture will detail the reasons behind that decline, paying particular attention to the role John Redmond played in the movement’s demise in Waterford. Notably, numerous men dropped out of the Waterford National Volunteers because they were ridiculed for ‘playing at soldiering’ when the tide turned on the IPP leader for his pro-war stance.

Dr Shane Browne graduated from UCD with a PhD in December 2021. Thesis title, ‘“Defence not defiance”: loyalty, party and organisation, the National Volunteers, 1913-20’. Currently working with University College Dublin School of History as a Module Coordinator on the MA module ‘Practicing Public History’, as well as with UCD Archives on the project A History of the Irish Revolution in 100 Documents. Shane's research interests include the study of conflict, paramilitarism, associational culture, and veteranship.

 

********************* FORTHCOMING LECTURES **********************

The Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society’s 2023 – 2024 lecture series continues in February and March in St Patrick’s Gateway Centre:

26/04/2024 Prof. Terence Dooley will deliver a talk titled The Irish Land Commission and its archives: why they should be opened to the research public

22/04/2024 Dr Edel Bhreathnach will deliver a talk titled Ardmore, Lismore and Waterford: a tale of three competing medieval churches.

********************* ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING **********************

The Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society’s AGM will be held in St Patrick’s Gateway Centre at 8pm on April 12th, 2024.

The committee would like to encourage any members who are interested in joining the committee to contact any of the current committee members.

The on-going success of the Society depends on enthusiastic members volunteering a small amount of time each month.

Upcoming Lecture on 23 /02/24 : Irish Women's Experiences in the Great War and its Aftermath by Dr Fionnuala Walsh

"Life will never be the same again": Irish women's experiences in the Great War and its aftermath by Dr Fionnuala Walsh

Date: Friday, February 23rd 

Time:  8 pm

Venue: St. Patrick’s Gateway Centre, Waterford (Eircode X91 YX61)

(left) Irish War Savings Committee, Poster No. 3 (source: Imperial War Museum Art.IWM PST 13602)

(right) Hely's Limited, Litho, 1915, unkown artist (source: Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2003668400/)

In this lecture Fionnuala will explore the impact of the Great War on ordinary women's lives in Ireland.

With over 200,000 Irish men serving in the wartime British Army, the war's effects were inevitably felt at home. Drawing on extensive primary research, this lecture explores life on the home front for women.

The war caused an increase in the cost of living and women in Ireland struggled to cope with rising inflation and food shortages. The mobilisation of men for the armed forces brought distress and anxiety for those waiting at home and too many received the telegram with devastating news as the war waged on. Women were keen to do their bit in Ireland as elsewhere and thousands of Irish women participated in war effort activities at home or close to the front in the Red Cross and Irish War Hospital Supply Depot. Some also joined the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps and Women’s Royal Naval Service. The establishment of munitions factories in Ireland, including one in Waterford, provided new opportunities for women’s employment. Many of the war’s effects on women’s role in society were short-lived and the paper briefly explores women’s lives in the aftermath of Armistice and demobilisation. There will be some local case studies of Waterford women included highlighting the commonalities of wartime Waterford with the wider national experience.

Dr Fionnuala Walsh is Assistant Professor of Modern Irish History at University College Dublin.

 She completed her PhD and Irish Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship in Trinity College Dublin. Her first book, Irish women and the Great War was published by Cambridge University Press in 2020. It won the National University of Ireland Publication Prize in Irish History in 2021 and was shortlisted for the Royal Historical Society Whitfield Prize. She has published extensively on the social history of Ireland’s experience during the First World War and its aftermath.

Dr Walsh served as secretary of the Women’s History Association of Ireland from 2020 to 2023.

********************* FORTHCOMING LECTURES ********************** 

The Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society’s 2023 – 2024 lecture series continues in  February and March in St Patrick’s Gateway Centre: 

22/03/2024 Dr Shane Browne will deliver a talk titled "Playing at war"?: The Waterford National  Volunteers, 1914-17. 

26/04/2024 Prof. Terence Dooley will deliver a talk titled The Irish Land Commission and its  archives: why they should be opened to the research public 

********************* ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING ********************** 

The Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society’s AGM will be held in St Patrick’s Gateway  Centre at 8pm on April 12th, 2024. 

The committee would like to encourage any memberswho are interested in joining the committee to  contact any of the current committee members. 

The on-going success of the Society depends on  enthusiastic members volunteering a small amount of time each month.

Upcoming Lecture by Mr Tony Hennessy : ‘Annestown, Lovely Annestown...' Friday 26/01/24

 On Friday 26th January 2024, genealogist and local historian Tony Hennessy, will deliver a talk titled ‘‘Annestown, Lovely Annestown – oh do you wonder why I dream of you!’’.  

                                                            

This talk is an exploration of the origins, history and development of the village of Annestown, Co. Waterford from its beginnings in the very late 1700s, through the 1800s to the mid-1900s, insofar as all that can be encapsulated within a short presentation.

While the history of Annestown House and its several incumbents ie. Henry Cole, the Palliser and the Galloway families all necessarily play a central part in the story of the Annestown and in the presentation other less prominent members of the community also feature in the story.  ‘History remembers the celebrated; genealogy remembers them all’.

Tony will be exploring the earliest of days in the shape of fascinating new findings from recent excavations at the nearby promontory fort.  Tony will also look at Annestown before it became Annestown.  

We will hear of The Earl of Enniskillen and his cousin Henry St. George Cole, who played a significant role in the story of Annestown.

EXCLUSIVE! Tony will also reveal for the first time who the ‘Anne’ of Annestown is!!

Then there is Ann’s Town Hotel and the latest craze of Sea Bathing - and its impact on the village

Shipwrecks, seaweed, songs, cycling, cauliflower, a swimming pig and even a village pub may also be discussed, with some wistful poetry to finish.

As usual, the lecture will take place at 8 PM in St Patrick's Gateway Centre, Patrick Street, Waterford Eircode X91 YX61

Programme of Events Spring 2024

 Please see below a list of the upcoming lectures up until summer this year, starting  Friday, 26/01/24.

26/01/2024	Tony Hennessy  Annestown, lovely Annestown, oh do you wonder why I dream of you!
23/02/2024	Dr Fionnuala Walsh  "Life will never be the same again": Irish women's experiences in the Great War and its aftermath
22/03/2024	Dr Shane Browne  "Playing at war"?: The Waterford National Volunteers, 1914-17
12/04/2024	Annual General Meeting
26/04/2024	Prof. Terence Dooley  The Irish Land Commission and its archives: why they should be opened to the research public
31/05/2024	Dr Edel Bhreathnach  Ardmore, Lismore and Waterford: a tale of three competing medieval churches