A Sense of Community

Going through the daily grind we never think of the impact we might have on others.
It is very rare to have someone giving you feedback and saying 'Hey, you've inspired me'
or
'I got curious and wanted to know more after I heard / saw...'

We've been using St Patrick's Gateway Centre now for a while...

We've seen it being transformed over the months, we attended lectures on its history, on the lives
of people past. What about today's people?

Have we stopped to notice the changes or just rushed in and out of the doors?

The entrance hall has been decorated, volunteers working in the background have contributed in their own way.

Tables are moved, chairs set up, decorations hanged, refreshment served, and so many other things we are not aware of.

Sometimes we get a chance to chat to the volunteers that help set things up for our lectures.

Has anyone noticed a new frame on the right hand-side, as you go in the main hall?

Jay has taken time to find out about the history of the church, and discovered so much,  he put in his own words the importance of the church for communities throughout the centuries.

The last lines of his composition sum  up so well what the centre is about. (Click on picture to enlarge)

November Lecture: Red Hand on the Suir by Francis Devine

Our next lecture will be

Red hand on the Suir – 

the Irish Transport and General Workers Union 

in Waterford in the early 20th century

 by Francis Devine, retired ITGWU/SIPTU official, historian, writer, singer.

Date: Friday 29th November 2019 

Venue: St. Patricks Gateway Centre, Patrick Street, Waterford.

Time: 8pm.

Admission 5 Euro,   members no charge

Waterford was a founding branch of the Irish Transport & General Workers' Union in 1909 but its early years were turbulent.
Re-established after 1918, the ITGWU presence was badly affected by the historic Farm Labourers' Dispute of 1923 – a dispute with national consequences and central to the Free State's attack on labour. 
Defeat for the ITGWU arguably had repercussions for the union in West Waterford which have lasted until the present day. In 1923, the ITGWU spent a huge amount – over £40,000 – in Strike Pay within county Waterford in an attempt to prevent wage cuts for their farm labourer members. 
However, by 1930, membership had fallen from over 4,700 in 1923 to a mere 300 with many branches wiped out. 
Thomas Dunne was the Waterford ITGWU Branch Secretary throughout the period, a lengthy tenure that did not conclude until the 1940s. The ITGWU's declining fortunes reflected those of organised labour nationally but the union survived and was to revive after 1945 to again become a significant force within the city.



Francis Devine is a retired ITGWU/SIPTU official, a historian, an author and an editor. He wrote Organising History: A Centenary of SIPTU, 1909-2009 (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 2009) and has also written histories of the Medical Laboratory Scientists' Association and the Communications Workers' Union. He co-edited two volumes of Left Lives in Twentieth Century Ireland with Jack McGinley, and a collection of essays on William Walker's Centenary with Patrick Smylie. He is a former editor of Saothar, the Journal of the Irish Labour History Society. 
He is a member of the Expert Advisory Group on Commemorations which was established by the Taoiseach in 2011 to advise the Government on historical matters relating to the Decade of Centenaries. Francis is an accomplished singer, he released the CD My Father Told Me in 2014, and has a second CD An Ownerless Corner of Earth due for release in February 2020.

Waterford City: A History - Book Launch 15th November

The launch of Waterford City: A History by Cian Manning published by The History Press will take place at The Book Centre on Friday 15th November at 6:30pm.

It will be launched by Donnchadh Ó Ceallacháin of Waterford Treasures and accompanied by music from Bogdan Chaus & Ailíse O'Neill of Deep Foxy Glow.

Wine and some light refreshments will be available

Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city, established by the Vikings, has been witness to many significant historical events.
From the marriage of Strongbow & Aoife, it became a vibrant location of religious devotion which earned it the nickname Parva Roma – Little Rome -  to the splendour of the Georgian period, Waterford City documents those momentous events but also the lesser known stories such as the first frog to be recorded in Ireland to the invention of the cream cracker.
This study looks at the social and economic history of the city from Vikings to Victorians covering its notable characters who impacted the local, national and sometimes international scene
 

Snap Apple Night

In Waterford the most famous painting by Daniel Maclise remains the Wedding of Stongbow and Aoife.

The artist also painted a scene inspired by a Halloween party in Blarney, co. Cork, in 1832.

A Mix of Music and History for the launch of Decies 75

It was certainly fitting to have the launch of the journal linked to a weekend of musical celebration, (John Dwyer Trad Weekend) since one of the articles concerns the 75th anniversary of the founding of Waterford Music Club, as illustrated on the cover with the photograph of the medallion of the club.

The launch kicked off with
Dr Jimmy O'Brien-Moran 

who played a few tunes on the Uilleann Pipes, 

before rushing off to another venue. 

Some of the contributors to the journal had also been invited to give a short talk related to the article they wrote.

Cian Flaherty talking about the diary of Bishop Stock, written in 1811. 

A great number was in attendance despite the heavy downpours outside.

Continuing the musical theme, Jenny Walsh played a few tunes on the fiddle

There had been great excitement in Dungarvan when excavations on a hill outside the town

 revealed multiple burials had taken place many centuries ago. 

The Gallows Hill Community Archaeology Project took place between 2015 and 2019.

Dave Pollock, archaeologist, stepping in for Christina Knight-O'Connor, gave us an insight on the work done on Gallows Hill. 

The launch was brought to a close with some more music, bringing us nicely back to the modern times

Committee member and former chaiman Sonny Condon on the harmonica 

had us humming along to The Rose.

Peigí Devlin, Hon editor, and her editorial committee:

Clíona Purcell, Shane Brown and Cian Flaherty.

Dr Elizabeth Twohig, Chair of the Waterford Music Club, 

wearing the medallion that appears on the cover of this year's journal. 

Past Tracks Launches in Waterford

Past Tracks, a collaboration between Iarnród Éireann, Flahavan's 

and award-winning author, travel writer and historian Turtle Bunbury 

was launched at Waterford's Plunkett Station on Saturday 12th October.

Committee member and well known local historian Joe Falvey 

was invited to give a short history of the area on the occasion. 

John Flahavan and Jane Cregan holding the panel which offers whimsical

 and little known information about Waterford. 

The pictures on the panel are by talented Carlow-based illustrator Derry Dillon.

Upcoming Events : Lecture on Pirates and Decies 75

Friday 18th October 2019 at 8:00pm in Saint Patrick's Gateway Centre, Patrick Street

Dr Connie Kelleher will give a talk on Pirates, Slaves and Shipwrecks 

Dr Connie Kelleher is a member of the State Underwater Archaeology Unit (UAU) in the National Monuments Service (NMS), Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Former chair and current secretary of the Irish Post-Medieval Archaeology Group (IPMAG),  Connie has published widely and has two books due for publication shortly.

The talk will delve into aspects of the parallel maritime economy that developed on the coast and the waters around Waterford, and the historical and archaeological evidence for these activities.


Saturday 19th October 2019 at 6:00pm in The Granville Hotel, Meagher's Quay

Launch of the 75th edition of Decies 

In conjunction with the John Dwyer Trad Weekend, there will be live music provided by Sonny Condon, while WIT music lecturer and uileann piper Jimmy O'Brien Moran will talk about trad music in Waterford.

Three contributors will also be giving brief talks on their research:

Historian and former Decies editor Des Cowman will discuss new information he has uncovered about how people once lived in the village of Kill.

Coming straight from this summer's dig in Dungarvan, Christina Knight-O'Connor will talk about what archaeologists have discovered beneath the ground at Gallows Hill, a mysterious mound which has been a source of speculation for generations.

Cian Flaherty will explore the significance of a small diary, tucked away on the shelves of Trinity College Dublin.

Copies of the brand new journal will be available for members to pick up, and for non-members to purchase.
Everyone is welcome, so come along to see our members, meet some of our brand new contributors, and to hear about the latest historical research taking place in County Waterford.

Whether you're a student looking for inspiration for a history project, a curious history fan, or are interested in joining a welcoming local society, there's something here for everyone!

See you there!