I was delighted to be invited to contribute to the Digging into Waterford Podcast Series this summer. The blurb stated that "As part of Visit Waterford’s 2025 campaign, Dig Into Waterford, the project launched the Digging Into Waterford podcast. The series hosted by...
Citizens of Waterford have flocked in their hundreds to the city quayside this May to view the installation of a new bridge across the River Suir. In sometimes glorious sunshine and with the aid of tremendous engineering technology, crowds were wowed by this technical...
Great news to share as Ballyhack Castle opens for Summer 2025. Another positive is that I will be employed there as a seasonal guide for the duration with my colleague, Tim. Getting to Ballyhack Castle The OPW runs the castle along with numerous others sites...
In 2024 I undertook a major piece of research on behalf of Regina Fitzpatrick. Heritage Officer. Kilkenny Co Council on the River Blackwater of Kilkenny. The Blackwater River might be considered a backwater to the modern reader. Although in a navigable waterway sense...
The story of the Elvira Camino is one deeply woven into the maritime fabric of Waterford. Sparked by a postcard sent over Easter by Liam Ryan, the image of the ship alongside Waterford’s busy quay led to a fascinating dive into its long and storied past. This blog...
On April 13th 1917 the SS Bandon on a trip from Liverpool to Cork was lost off Mine Head following an attack by U Boat. The following information is taken from Waterford Council booklet on Shipwrecks off the Waterford Coast 1914-1918. The Bandon was owned by the Cork...
Our local drama group in East County Waterford has just completed four sold-out shows of a play that highlighted our fishing traditions and heritage of our locality, Tales of the Estuary. Performed to warm and attentive audiences, the play was a one-hour piece that...
post publication edit: This was the 2025 April 1st post! An annual tradition on the page A new tourism initiative has just been announced. It will see the Barrow Railway Bridge Revived. It will also be seen as a game-changer for the fortunes of the South West Wexford...
Introduction In the late 19th Century, James Otway, harbour engineer, wrote a paper for the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland. His topic was the development of the Port and Harbour of Waterford. The entire paper is a fascinating glimpse into Waterford Port...
St John's Pill Waterford's St John's Pill or St John's River is a historic landmark in the development of the city. Initially, it was a major factor in Viking settlers choosing the area for their Longphort. The marshes it drained provided a strategic defence for the...
Like every port in Ireland and beyond - there are rules. Many of these are standard, but others are unique and specific to a given port, primarily due to its geographic location. Waterford had many such specific rules and one category was for the Pilot Boat Master. ...
I was delighted to come across this podcast from Finn Dwyer - AKA Irish History Podcast. Its a question I am often asked. He covers it comprehensively here - although he doesn't touch on the scotch weir phenomenon. During the Great Hunger of the 1840s, one million...
There has been a long history of shipwrecks off the Waterford coast. During the First World War and the battle for control of the seas between the German and British navies, many ships were sunk along the coast of Waterford in the period 1914-1918. The addition of the...
Jim Murphy - the Early Years Jim Murphy was born on the 6th of February 1945. Born to a maritime family, in a maritime community, it's perhaps not surprising that he chose the sea for a career. Settling in Liverpool in the mid-1960s he steadily rose through the ranks...
Pat Murphy, Cheekpoint, has died aged 87. He passed away on Friday January 3 2025. I don't normally record such events on the blog, but in Pat's case, I had to. You see Pat was a character who played a major role in my work. Pat was a community activist (to coin the...
Tides & Tales Maritime Community Project CLG launched our new website on Thursday 16th January 2025 at Central Library, Waterford City. The project's vision is to facilitate the maritime communities of Waterford Harbour and the three sister rivers (Suir, Barrow,...
St Ita's Well at Faithlegg is a regular stop on any walks we do at Faithlegg. But it begs several questions; who was she, why a well and why at Faithlegg. Forgotten Lady They say no one remembers the runner-up, and St Ita must be a classic example. Often referred to...
The Board of Tides & Tales Maritime Community Project CLG invites you to the official launch of our new and enhanced website. The site showcases the rich maritime history of Waterford, its harbour and the Three Sister Rivers. The Website Enhancement Launch takes...
‘Unlike me, the Atlantic wild salmon does not have a voice, so it cannot tell the story of why and how it has been driven to the point of extinction.’ Written by a fisherman, this memoir focuses on the River Shannon and the experience of growing up there in a driftnet...
While picking rubbish off the Cheekpoint foreshore recently, I made an incredible find. A collection of recently exposed timber poles on the shoreline suggested an old fishing weir. It was not a surprise in itself in a once-thriving fishing community. But having...
Commercial fishing and seafaring are challenging occupations. Although creature comforts have improved, forecasting is much better, and rescue services are more proficient, accidents still occur. This Christmas blog looks at a different era, two very different...
This December marks 106 years since Waterford endured its worst maritime tragedy. The Clyde Shipping Company steamers Formby and Coningbeg were sunk by a U-boat in the Irish Sea in 1917. Tragically, 83 lives were lost, including 67 from Waterford and its surrounding...
Many of you will have heard of Freney the Highwayman, but Freney the river pirate? That's certainly a new one for me. Freney the Highwayman, Freney the Robber, James Freney the noblest highwayman in Ireland. These are just three of the titles I have encountered that...
The Tramore Coast Guard Station 1874 - 2024 by Ivan Fitzgerald Although small in scale (94 pages in all) this book packs a punch. Broken into twelve chapters, it covers the origins of the Coast Guard, the building of the Tramore station, and some of the life-saving...
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