Winter Solstice - South Kilkenny Historical Society

It's still time!

If you want to get to a megalithic tomb for the winter solstice, you can join South Kilkenny Historical Society at Knockroe (Sunset) 2012
Friday, December 21st
Meeting point and time: Owning Church car park, 2pm.
Remember the footwear - wellies in preference to high heels!

WAHS Annual Lunch 2012

On Sunday 2nd December last, members and friends from near and far attended our Annual Lunch in Dooley's hotel on the Quay. The guest of honour was His Worship the Mayor of Waterford, Cllr Jim D'Arcy. A good time was had by all, once we had enjoyed the mulled wine reception and the festive meal, a trip 'down memory lane' was presented by vice-chairman Eddie Synnott through a series of slides from the Munster Express photographic archives. Of particular interest were those of the outings of the then Old Waterford Society.

Seated: Fergus Dillon, Chairman, presenting a copy of  'Decies' to the Mayor, Cllr Jim  D'Arcy.
Standing: Michael Maher, Sonny Condon, Eddie Synnott, Kevin P Hall, Tony Gunning, Erica Fay, Séamus Reale, Béatrice Payet, Cian Manning, Donnchadh ÓCeallacháin, George Kavanagh.

WAHS Vice-Chairman Eddie Synnott, Mayor of Waterford Cllr Jim D'Arcy, WAHS Chairman Fergus Dillon

A view of the dining room.

Kilmainham Gaol Museum Collection & its Waterford Connections

On Friday 23 November 2012, Ms Anne-Marie Ryan gave a lecture on Kilmainham Gaol Museum collection, with a closer look on some items of Waterford interest.

Chairman Fergus Dillon introduces Ms Anne-Marie Ryan. 

The entrance gate of the gaol

Close up of the illuminated manuscript presented to Charles Stewart  Parnell
by Waterford Corporation when he  was made Freeman of the city. 

Jack Edwards bloodstained handkerchief.
Jack Edwards, Waterford IRA, shot in Kilkenny jail  in 1922.

Proud teacher? Ms Niamh Crowley chats with her past pupil. 

November Lecture & Annual Lunch

Our next lecture will take place on Friday 23rd November 2012.

Speaker: Ms Anne-Marie Ryan

Subject: Kilmainham Gaol Museum Collection & its Waterford Connections.

Time & Venue: 8 pm, Edmund Rice Heritage Centre, Barrack Street, Waterford.

Entrance fee: non-members € 5.00

ANNUAL LUNCH

Our Annual Lunch will be held on Sunday 2nd December in Dooley's Hotel on the Quay - at 1.30 p.m., and will be preceded by a mulled wine/soft drinks reception at 12.30 p.m.

Our after-lunch entertainment this year will be a slideshow presentation of  ‘Waterford in Bygone Years’ from the archives of the Munster Express by Vice Chairman Mr Eddie Synnott.

This social event is open to  non-members, at a cost of €25.00 per person, payment to be sent to our treasurer, Mr Tony Gunning,

The Big House for TV3 - by Big Mountain Production

In 1881 Ireland, 48% of women in Ireland were employed in the domestic class. In the 1911 census 230,802 people registered their occupation as servants working in houses in Ireland. Are you related to one of them?

We want to hear your stories or the stories of your ancestors who worked in the big houses.

Please get in touch with your stories if you or someone you know worked in one of the big houses.We would like to hear stories or anecdotes from all members of staff - cooks, maids, butlers, footmen, drivers or people who worked in the houses on a causal basis. We are also looking for relatives of former servants to take part in a living history experiment so please get in touch if you have a story. 

We are particularly keen to hear from people who have a connection to Strokestown House in Roscommon as well as other estates in Ireland.

Contact:Big Mountain Productions

Michelle O’Dowd michelle@bigmountainproductions.com 0852356977

For further information, please visit www.bigmountainproductions.com

Julian Walton's Lecture: the Victims of the Seahorse and the War Against Napoleon

The lecture dealt with the circumstances which led to the return of the  Seahorse to Ireland

Vice-Chairman, Eddie Synnott, introduces the speaker.

Captions helped to keep the audience up-to-speed with the movement of troops. 

A view of the audience

Julian Walton and Michael Maher deep in discussion. 

Upcoming Lecture: Julian Walton on The Seahorse Disaster

Our next lecture will take place on Friday 26th October 
 

Speaker:Mr Julian Walton:   

Topic: The victims of the Seahorse and the war against Napoleon

Time: 8 pm

Venue: Edmund Rice Heritage and Conference Centre, Barrack Street, Waterford.

Entry fee: non-members € 5.00

William McCleverty, an 18th Century Explorer's Links with Waterford

A view of the attendance

Kevin P Hall, Erica Fay, Sonny Condon

Life at sea in the 18th century was far from glamorous, especially before the link was made between scurvy and the lack of vitamin C. Those who attended the lecture on William McCleverty on Friday 28th September were left in no doubt as to what it meant to travel on the high seas, face enemies, visit hostile countries and survive the journey home. Captain McCleverty was one of those survivors, and despite it all,  remained in the Royal Navy. Erica Fay delivered a very colourful, evocative description of his life and time. If you missed the lecture, you will be able to read all about it in the next edition of Decies.

2012 Autumn Lectures

Waterford Archaeological & Historical Society's lectures will resume on Friday 28th September, with Ms Erica Fay,   Topic:  Captain William McCleverty, An 18th century explorer’s links with Waterford  

The next events will be  as follows:

Friday 26th October

 

Mr Julian Walton:   

The victims of the Seahorse and the war against Napoleon

Friday 23rd November

 Ms Ann Marie Ryan, Assistant Curator, Kilmainham Jail Museum: 

Kilmainham Jail Museum and Waterford Connections. 

Sunday 2nd  December

Annual Lunch [details beforehand] 

Now Open: Treasures of Medieval Waterford at The Choristers' Hall

The scaffolding is gone, the doors are open: The Medieval Museum is now in operation and awaits visitors from near and far! Below is the promotional video which explain where and how the museum was built, and how unique the project is for Ireland.

Last Outing of the Season: The T F Meagher Trail

On 26 July 2012 we followed Dr J M Hearne through the streets of Waterford to the various locations associated with the Meagher family. We met outside the Granville Hotel, birth place of T F Meagher.

 We moved on to O'Connell St where the Meaghers lived first, at number 51,

and where they had a business where the Granary stands today. 

Dr J M Hearne reading quotes from T F Meagher. 

We then made our way to the Mall - The Meagher family had lived at number 19  (now the Sabai Restaurant), the Tricolour was first flown at number 33 (now Mint Café) and of course the monument to T F Meagher stands proud on the Mall. 

Visit to Graiguenamanagh

On Sunday 15 July members and friends made their way to Graiguenamanagh in the neighbouring county to meet members of the local historical society for an afternoon of discovery. Mr Owen Doyle, Chairman, guided the visitors through the streets of Graiguenamanagh, on the banks of the river Barrow, and to Duiske Abbey.

In pictures: Coach Trip to Kinsale

The coach trip to Kinsale was a great success, and we were lucky enough since the clouds stayed on the other side of the bay. We first went to Charles Fort, where we met Mr Dermot Ryan who gave us an introduction to the history of the area, then we followed  OPW guide William Butler through the fort. After a short lunch break, we went to Kinsale and visited Desmond Castle and met once more Mr Dermot Ryan for a guided tour of the town. We made a detour before leaving, to see the monument commemorating the Battle of Kinsale, a large throne made from stone from the different provinces.
The day ended with a beautiful dinner at Greenbarn Bistro. 

More pictures of  Charles Fort here and the street walk and Desmond Castle here

 

The first part of the coach trip brought us to Charles fort where we were met by Mr Dermot Ryan who gave us the background of the history of  the Spanish Landing.

On the opposite side, the ruins of James Fort are still visible. 

 Inside Charles Fort, guide William Butler ( from Co Waterford!) was waiting for us and gave us an insight of what life in the Fort was, starting with a map of the Fort, in mosaic, he recounted how the fort came to be built, the purpose of each area and the several stages of construction.   

.Standing in front of what was the ordinary  soldiers barracks. 

The monument to the MacCarthy brothers

WAHS Last Outing of the season - T F Meagher

Our outings season is coming to an end, and we'll stay in the city, through the streets of Waterford with Dr M J Hearne who will bring us on the Thomas Francis Meagher Trail on Thursday 26 July.

Meet outside the Granville Hotel, The Quay, Waterford, at 7.15 pm.

High Crosses and Passage Tombs In The Rain

Passion for the past prevailed on Thursday 28 June and members and friends gathered on the car park of Anthony's Inn to meet Mr Joe Sullivan.  Everybody was well equipped with rain jackets, umbrellas and wellies. 

We started at Kilkieran Cemetary, then on to Knockroe Passage tombs and finished at Ahenny. Unfortunately as it was getting darker and the rain was getting heavier we didn't stop at the Slate Quarries. [To see more pictures of the outing click  here]

An Irish solution to an Irish problem: the sound system had its very own umbrella!

One of the high crosses in Kilkieran .

Getting a closer look at the carvings inside.

Not everyone could fit in! 

High cross in Ahenny

Last Outings of the Season: Duiske Abbey & T. F. Meagher

We are coming to the end of our outings season, with 2 events
remaining on the agenda.

On Sunday next, 15 July, Mr Owen Doyle will be our guide in
Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny.

Meeting point: Duiske Abbey, Graiguenamanagh,  at 2.30 pm


Then on Thursday 26 July the last outing will be in Waterford City,
starting outside the Granville Hotel at 7.15 pm, on the  Thomas
Francis Meagher Trail, with Dr M.J. Hearne.

Robert Boyle Summer School

The Robert Boyle Summer School will take place on July 15 -18. Described as a celebration of  Robert Boyle's life, works, and legacy, it is however 'not a "scientific conference" but will be of special interest to scientists, engineers, technologists, along with historians, educators and anyone with an interest in the progress of human thought. As well as talks and discussions, there will be a costumed recreation of Boyle's most famous experiments, a guided tour of the castle gardens, a visit to St. Carthage's Cathedral, a walk in the Blackwater Valley and a coach tour of the surrounding countryside.

For more details and full programme of events go to http://www.robertboyle.ie/robert-boyle-summer-school

WAHS First Outing of 2012: Kells Priory, Co Kilkenny

After several days of torrential rain, our first outing of the year seemed to be doomed, however the Prior(s) of Kells must have looked favorably on our visit as we didn't have any rain while following Ben Murtagh around the old Augustinian Priory. We learned about the various phases of the site, and the lifestyle of the small community.
Founded at the end of the 12th century by Geoffrey Fitz Robert (brother-in-law to Strongbow and knight of William Marshall) the Priory succeeded an earlier church dedicated to St Kieran. Four Augustinian Canons were recruited from Cornwall and brought to Kells. Augustinians were allowed to received tithes and were permitted to serve as parish priests, as opposed to Cistercians who were not allowed to be close to towns or accept tithes.

Entering one of the towers 

Looking up: evidence of  floors, fireplaces, doors, windows and even 'window seats' 

The Chapter House

The South Tower had a dovecote inside (visible through the square opening) 

In the 15th century it became necessary to reinforce the defenses of the area and the seven towers we see today are proof of the strength of the work. Another feature is - the original rendering is still visible on some of  the walls.