1848 Tricolour Programme 2018

Thomas Francis Meagher and
The Tricolour

Celebration 2,3,4 March

As part of a weekend of Celebrations honouring the 170th anniversary of the flying of the Tricolour at  33 The Mall by Thomas Francis Meagher, on 7 March 1848.

Saturday, 3 March FREE EVENT
2.00pm-4.30pm: Lecture series, Waterford Medieval Museum.
• ‘The Memoirs of General Thomas Francis Meagher:  from manuscript to print’. Professor Padraig Ó Macháin, Professor of Modern Irish, University College, Cork.
• ‘The Death of Thomas Francis Meagher’.  Dr Martin Hearne, author and editor of Thomas Francis Meagher: The Making of an Irish-American.
• The Legacy of Meagher and Modern Ireland. Noel Whelan, author, barrister, Irish Times columnist.

An Archaeological Guided Tour with Orla Scully

On Thursday 5th June members and friends gathered in Cathedral Square to meet Ms Orla Scully, who had led the excavations in the Viking Triangle, and this was an opportunity to put in context some of the artefacts mentioned by James Eogan the previous week, and by Orla in a lecture to WAHS in 2011. 

February Lecture: The ChristChurch Cathedral Collection by Mr Kieran Cronin

The February lecture will be delivered by Mr. Kieran Cronin of Luke Wadding Library,Waterford Institute of Technology on the 

Topic: The Christ Church Cathedral Collection - A library by the people, for the people of Waterford
Date: Friday 28th February 
Time: 8 pm.

Please note that exceptionally, the venue for this lecture will be the Medieval Museum.
Admission: €5.00 non members (members free)

2013 AGM of the Federation of Local History Societies

The Federation of Local History Societies is holding its AGM this week-end 24th to 26th May 2013 in Waterford City.

Members of the FLHS in the Medieval Museum
prior to a guided tour of both the Medieval and the Bishop's Palace (Photo courtesy of Pat Deegan)

WAHS is honoured to be the hosting society and a program of activities has been organised to showcase some of the gems of the city. Having heard Julian Walton recounting 1000 years of history in under 1 hour on Friday evening, members of the visiting societies were able to discover the treasures held in the new museums today (Saturday)

WAHS - Our Night at the Medieval Museum

On Friday 25th January, despite the blustery and very wet conditions, members made their way to the Medieval Museum for the first event of the year. We were met by Donnchadh Ó Ceallacháin and Annie Birney who guided us through the stairs and corridors... and through time. 

Members meet in the reception hall of the museum.

Donnchadh explained how the museum came to be, and what the construction involved, from the archaeological testing to the final project. We then started down the stairs to the undercroft - The Choristers' Hall and the Mayor's Wine Vault.

Between the Chorister's Hall and the Wine Vault... a narrow passage.

Then to the top floor, where the political and commercial life of the city were explained, as well as everyday life in medieval Waterford, what the city looked like, thanks to models, what people wore, what objects they used, and some aspects of crime and punishment. 

 Also on display is Henry  VIII's hat, or Cap of Maintenance.

         

Annie Birney explained the origins of the pottery on display  and  told us about the fashion of the time. 

All this knowledge is based on artifacts, but also on the entries in the Great Parchment Book. The room where the book is displayed is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Niall Byrne,who transcribed the Great Parchment Book, and was a  former Chairman of WAHS.

Donnchadh Ó Ceallacháin explaining the importance of the book.

After that, we were brought to the first floor, dedicated to the religious aspect of medieval life. Many statues discovered in the city are displayed, as well as other objects linked to religious life.  The highlight of course were the gold cloth vestments, and the story of their (re)discovery.

For more pictures: Photo album of our visit to the museum(click link to view)

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.

A Waterford Olympic Medalist: Peter O'Connor

In the 1906 Olympic Games in Athens Peter O’Connor, a lawyer from Waterford, won a silver and a gold medal.

 Prior to independence Irish athletes took part in the games as part of the British team and during the medal ceremony O’Connor brandished a green flag to emphasise his Irish nationality.

The Blue Plaque that bears his name is located at 23, O'Connell Street, Waterford. (Source: Waterford Civic Trust)


Footage of his jump can be seen on the top floor of the Bishop's Palace.

Big Bad Vikings at the Waterford Harvest Festival

One of the events at the Waterford Harvest Festival was Viking Combat re-enactment by the BloodAxe Viking Re-enactment Group. This event was organised by Waterford Museum of Treasures.