At the turn of the previous century a pilot brought a sailing ship from Dunmore East to Passage East. Once safely at anchor, the pilot was rowed ashore to the village. There he took the fateful decision to turn towards the Crooke Road and take a long walk back to the...
I am indebted to Roger Willoughby for allowing me to reproduce this blog. Too much is still unknown about our heroine, but I feel that what is known needs to be recorded here at least, in the hopes that more might emerge. It’s the story of Mary Lannen, a labourer's...
As early as May 1837, Duncannon had a daily paddle steamer service, connecting the village to Waterford and points onwards. The paddle steamer also was advertised to call to Arthurstown, Ballyhack, Passage and Cheekpoint. The coming of the railway in 1906 was a boon...
On December 3rd, 1917, the British steamer SS Copeland, on a voyage from Glasgow to Cork with general cargo, was sunk by the German submarine U-57, 5 miles SSW of Tuskar Rock, St. George Channel. 12 persons were killed. U57 was launched on 29 Apr 1916 and sank over 60...
A guest blog by David Carroll. In the Spring of 1941, Hitler ordered an intensification of air attacks on shipping in the coastal waters around the UK. As a result, the Irish Sea, St. Georges Channel, the Bristol Channel and the seas off the south coast of Ireland...
On Thursday 29th October, the National Heritage Week 2026 Awards will be held in Dublin. It is with immense pride that we can announce that our chair, Breda Murphy will be there with others as after much deliberation, the Heritage Council have announced that the...
The SS Sea Fisher departed Waterford city on Saturday 9th December 1916 at 3pm. She and her ten man crew were never heard from again. This blog marks that event with what information is available to me at present. The Sea Fisher (1883) was built by McIlwaine &...
On Saturday, April 24 1852 nine men from Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, went to the assistance of a sailing ship showing signals of distress. When they finally managed to row to the vessel through an easterly gale, help was refused. On the return leg of their mission,...
I recently received a gift of a book from fellow heritage blogger Kathleen Moore Walsh. She thought the story would interest me, a story of a fellow countrywoman, Mary Ann Patten nee Brown, who became stand in captain of a clipper ship after her sea captain husband...
John Colclough of Tintern Abbey, Co. Wexford, was the second son of 'Sir' Vasey Colclough. As his older brother was in France, John took control of the family home and lands after his fathers death in 1794 and was seen as a productive and improving landlord. His...
Heritage Week 2026 was a tremendous success both locally and nationally. Working with the OPW as a seasonal guide at Ballyhack Castle we were very busy with visitors, requests for tours and supporting other events and sites. I also provided an illustrated talk at the...
On Wednesday, 29th October 1862, the Royal Yacht Squadron vessel Eva was at anchor at Cheekpoint, Co Waterford, awaiting favourable sailing conditions before setting out on a Mediterranean cruise. A storm had cleared, and as the day broke, a watery sun confirmed the...
Map Man: Irish Maps & Mapping is a new book published by Barry Dalby, the owner/operator of EastWest Mapping. The 184-page book is filled with numerous photos and as Barry states, it helps to "...address the various queries as to how we make maps, about features...
On Tuesday evening, 4th August a major incident was averted as Arklow Cove was leaving Port of Waterford. At 9pm approximately the coaster was coming down the river on a flooding tide. It seems the engine failed and to avoid grounding at Morans Poles, Cheekpoint the...
The following blog is an insight into an English naval blockade of Waterford and New Ross following an Irish uprising in 1641 which started the Confederate Wars 1641-1653. It is drawn from a first person account of Captain Thomas Powell of the armed merchantship...
This year, as is our norm, the Tides & Tales project will contribute to several events both directly and indirectly, and will also promote other talks connected to our waterways or the harbour on the blog, by social media or in person where possible. Below is a listing of events that we want to promote […]
William Whittaker Barry completed a walking tour of Ireland. His journey was later published in book form as A Walking Tour Round Ireland in 1865, by R. Bentley in 1867. I am transcribing a short excerpt here of his trip from Waterford to the Passage East Ferry, to...
This month's blog travels back to Passage East to the middle of June 1912. The origins of the story were a photo which photographer Andy Kelly shared with me some years back that he had received from Sean Furlong, who generously allowed me to use it for this story....
On Thursday, 18th June 2026, I had the opportunity, as a member of the Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society, to join other members for a private visit to view the new excavations at the internationally important Woodstown Viking settlement. The site, which...
A journey from the Saltees to Waterford city by steamer in 1888. Taken from the book A Trip to the South of Ireland by John Otteran Downey WATERFORD HARBOUR, RIVER AND CITY If daylight serves, our tourist friend may conclude that he sniffs as well as sights land on...
Introduction Ballyhack Castle is a 15th century tower house with some amazing defensive features and an interesting story to tell. Strategically located on the historic Waterford harbour, the castle has witnessed almost 600 years of Irish history, its village and hill...
In April 2026, an exciting and long-overdue announcement was made - that a permanent Maritime Gallery would be created in Waterford City. A series of open days will be hosted around the county in May, and the plan is for the gallery to open early in 2027. Tides &...
There’s a notable WWII war grave in the grounds of the Brass Cock church- or offically St. Thomas’s Church, on the Dunmore Road, Waterford. What sets it apart as a war grave, is that it is for a young woman – a Wren, Margaret Marion Clarke. Margaret, pet name Peggy,...
I was delighted to be featured on an episode of the very popular maritime podcast Steady As She Goes with host Captain Seán Boyce of Rosslare. The episode covers a wealth of topical stories of the coast, including a proposed new maritime history gallery in Waterford,...
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