Research
Let us help with your researchResearch
The Tides & Tales Maritime Community Project currently has in excess of 500 free-to-access blogs or primary research pieces, on the local maritime heritage available. All of this is free and available to the public and we have plans for much more. Feel free to search the site, use the blog categorisations or contact the project if you require help.
In some cases this is a simple process of sharing details already to hand. We always endevour to respond. Others require further research, including linking with third parties to try and find satisfactory responses.
If you need further or more detailed research, including the references, either on an existing blog or any matter related to the maritime history of the Waterford area or beyond we would be happy to receive such requests. However, in order to sustain the project we may need to charge a research fee.
If you have a research question please contact our Coordinator through the contact page on our site. The Coordinator will assess the query and let you know the query type and cost. For example:
€0 – Straight forward query with information readily to hand.
€20 – Basic Query – supplying information we have on file or relatively easy to access.
€50 – Intermediate Query – This could be defined as a question requiring further research and time.
€90 – Advanced Query – This relates to queries that require reaching out to relevant third parties.
All funds raised will go towards sustaining the Tides & Tales Maritime Community Project and making it possible to provide the blogs and this valuable resource material.
Our Blog
Blockade of Waterford 1642
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...
Heritage Week 2026 preview
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...
Road to the Passage Ferry
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...
Passage East Mission 1912
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....
Viking Fishing Net Weight
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...
Saltees to Waterford City by steamer in 1888
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...
Subscribe to our Blog
Would you like to be part of the ever growing Tides and Tales Community? If you would like to join our regular monthly email list, please complete the form below and hit subscribe.