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

In Pictures: WAHS Outing To Inistioge

It was a beautiful day in Inistioge for our visit of the village and nearby Woodstock Estate, led by Mr Ben Murtagh and Mr John Kirwan. We learned so much about the area from medieval times to this day...

Now a private house, the building with the three high windows
 was the former Methodist Church. 

The Alms House, built in the 18th century for the care
of the widows of the area. 

The 'Armillary Sphere' used to explain the seasons,
was in Woodstock gardens, and now stands on the site of the old R.I.C barracks

Plaque on the wall of the C of I Church.

Detail of the statue in Mary Tighe's mausoleum.

The end of the tour: members and friends
 in the walled gardens of Woodstock Estate. 

In Pictures: WAHS Visit to Jerpoint Park

The visit to Jerpoint Park - the Lost Town & Country Experience - was just that, an experience!. We followed Joe and listened to the story of the town, and the pilgrims coming to see the tomb of St Nicholas, Bishop of Myra. We walked in their footsteps, trying to imagine the main street, the Market Square, the mills that 300 years ago, made Jerpoint such an important, thriving town. 

Near the the ruins of St Nicholas's Church

Inside the church

At the tomb of St Nicholas of Myra.

The ruins of one of the three mills on the river. 

The church in the sunset. 

Granny Castle and Coach Trip 2013

Members and friends had a busy agenda to kick off the start of the summer season, first with the outing  led by Ben Murtagh to Granny Castle where members of the South Kilkenny Historical Society joined us, on June 6th.

Then on June 9th the coach trip was to Wexford, first stop Johnstown Castle Grounds & Agricultural Museum, 

and in the afternoon we met guide Monica Crofton of Wexford Walking Tours, for a tailor made tour of the town, starting at the Franciscan Friary, down Mary Street (ex Keyser Street) on to the quays, up to Selskar Abbey. Back on the coach to Barntown to visit the Church of Saint Alphonsus , a church designed by famous architect Augustus Pugin.

The day ended with a lovely meal in White's Hotel.

Find out more about Wexford History on Wexford Hub

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)

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.

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.