The Irish in America

WHERE GENEALOGY COMES FULL CIRCLE


1 Comment

New Dungarvan Guide!

Exciting things are happening at the Waterford County Museum.

My sister, Regan, and I were lucky enough to visit Dungarvan this past September. Willie Whelan personally showed us around the Waterford County Museum and brought us on a quick tour of the town. A group of dedicated and talented volunteers make the museum happen, and they are doing a fantastic job. It is truly a gem, and this book is a must-have for anyone interested in Dungarvan or Irish history in general.

Read the press release for :

The Ideal Christmas Gift – Dungarvan: A Historic Guide & Town Trail
Waterford County Museum will launch their new 80 page guide book about Dungarvan on Wednesday 28th November. The guide book content includes a history of Dungarvan, articles on notable local personalities, historic sites in the locality, a town walking trail, numerous full page photos and maps. The book is produced to a very high standard and the museum will arrange shipping worldwide. All profits from the book go the upkeep of the museum.

One of the book’s authors William Fraher said that “I am delighted with the finish and appearance of the book. The larger scale landscape format allows the wonderful photographs from the museum archive to be seen to best advantage. I think it would make an ideal Christmas gift for anyone with relatives or friends living abroad”.

Co-author Willie Whelan stated that “We think this book will be attractive to local history enthusiasts, tourists, locals and school children. It also provides an authoritative basic historical guide to the Dungarvan area.”

Support from Waterford Leader Partnership has enabled the price of the book to be kept at €10 allowing as wide a range of people as possible access to their local history.

Pádraig Ó Cuirrín, President of Waterford County Museum welcomed the launch of the new book and added “I am really delighted that the museum has managed to produce such a quality publication. I would also like to acknowledge the support of the Waterford Leader Partnership in helping fund this book. Without the ongoing support that we receive from the Leader Partnership our work would be much more difficult. Dhéanfadh an leabhar seo bronntanas oiriúnach; go háirithe do cáirde agus gaolta thar lear.”

Dungarvan: A Historic Guide & Town Trail (printed by local company Printmaster) is available to buy in the museum at St. Augustine Street, Dungarvan for €10 or it can be bought on-line via www.waterfordmuseum.ie.

For more information about buying the book contact:
E-mail: history@waterfordmuseum.ie
Website: www.waterfordmuseum.ie
Phone: 058 45960

If you want to learn more about the Waterford County Museum…

1. Follow the Waterford County Museum on Twitter – every day they tweet great photos from their collection. Click here to follow them.

2. Browse around the website – there is a great search engine at the bottom where you chose a time period from the drop-down menu and search for articles about that era…try it out!

3. Get the Town Trail app from iTunes or Google Play for your iPhone (99 cents) or Android (free).


2 Comments

Donaghmore Workhouse Museum

Donaghmore Famine Workhouse Museum Donaghmore, County Laois

The Donaghmore Famine Workhouse Museum provides a fascinating “two-in-one”  museum experience. It seems odd at first – agricultural artifacts displayed in a nineteenth century workhouse?

Names etched into walls by Black&Tan soldiers at Donaghmore Workhouse

But in the case of Donaghmore, it makes perfect sense. The workhouse opened in 1853. By that time many of the Irish who suffered the effects of the Great Famine (1845-59) had already died or emigrated. The workhouse remained open until 1886. The Black and Tans (British soldiers in Ireland) used the workhouse as a barracks in the early 1920s before the Donaghmore Co-operative Society established the Donaghmore Creamery in the workhouse buildings in 1927.

Butter label

The Co-operative donated two workhouse buildings to the community, and in 1988 a committee of volunteers was formed to renovate, interpret, and manage the buildings.

Liam Phelan

Our tour guide in October was Liam Phelan who explained that the workhouse buildings were so well-preserved because they were used, but not altered, for so long by the creamery and the Co-operative Society. This also explains why the displays of farm machinery and implements fit right in at the workhouse.

Original door to the girls' dormitory

There are several panels throughout the museum that address specific topics related to the workhouse. The one below discusses emigration.

click image to enlarge

Trivia Question

What longtime Donaghmore Creamery employee and current Rathdowney resident was also a member of the 1949 All-Ireland Leinster Hurling Championship and All-Ireland runner-up teams?

The first person to leave a comment with the correct answer will win a special prize!

For more information on workhouses:

All photographs taken by Regan McCormack, October 2011.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 2,079 other followers