Willie Whelan

DUNGARVAN
The town of Dungarvan was founded in 1185 by King John (when he was a prince). Things didn't go to plan.

#waterford #dungarvan #irishhistory

ABBEYSIDE BEACH
During the Famine in April 1847 a crowd of labourers called to Fr. Halley's house in Bridge Street, Dungarvan appealing for work. He asked them not to resort to violence. The next day he arranged for 400 men to be employed picking stones at Abbeyside beach at one shilling a day.

Storms in Dunmore East c1950, Tramore c1905, Bunmahon 1978, and the wreck of the Peri, Helvick Head 1907. #StormÉowyn

Storm info: @meteireann.bsky.social or @carlowweather.bsky.social

Dunhill Winter Lecture Series
LECTURE - WATERFORD COUNTY MUSEUM

🗣️ by Curator William Fraher
📅 Thursday 23rd of January
🕕 7.30pm
🏛️ Dunhill Multi-Education Centre , X91FVF9
🎟️ Admission €5 All Welcome

Find out about the work of the museum in Dungarvan.

THE AFTERMATH - FILM
A short clip from "The Aftermath" on the difficulty of securing Irish War of Independence pensions. I was interviewed about my grandfather.

🎭 Gealach Gorm Theatre
🏛️ Kill Community Centre
📅 Sat 18th January
🕗 8.00pm 🎫 €15
Book Online: ie.powertik.com/en/events/af...

Chimney sweep whose death changed child labour laws honoured with blue plaque George Brewster, youngest to get plaque, died aged 11 in 1875 after getting stuck in flue, leading to law banning ‘climbing boys’

www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...

LECTURE BY JULIAN WALTON
⛪ The 200 year history of Ballylaneen, Faithlegg, & Carbally Churches ⛪

🗣️ Speaker: Julian Walton
📅 Thursday 16th January 2025
⌚Time: 7.30pm
🏛️ Dunhill Ecopark, Dunhill, Co. Waterford. X91 FVF9
🎫 Admission: €5 All Welcome

#waterford #history

🗣️ LECTURE - GALLOWS HILL
by Archaeologist Dave Pollock
Gallows Hill - there's something strange about it.
🏛️ Waterford County Museum, Friary Street
📅 Thursday, January 23rd 7.30.
🎫 Admission: €5 - All Welcome

THE AFTERMATH
📅 8pm Saturday 18th of January
🏛️ The Gealach Gorm Theatre,
📌 Kill, Co. Waterford
A film by John Foley about the aftermath of the War of Independence and the Civil War in Waterford.

Tickets: €15 from
ie.powertik.com/en/events/af...

Diverse Waterford Oral History Project Diverse Waterford Oral History Project is a theme used to describe the influence of diverse cultures and nationalities on Waterford City and County.

Loads of other interviews on diversewaterford.ie about school days, work, the library service too...

Photos are a Waterford snowman c1910 | Foley family, Coolagh Road, Abbeyside, March 1947 | Friar's Walk, Abbeyside c1900

⛄ ❄️ THE BIG SNOW ❄️⛄
Waterford Oral History Project
Lots of great Waterford & Irish history on the Diverse Waterford website. Particularly topical are the interviews about the "Big Snow" of 1963.

📻 Listen: www.diversewaterford.ie/waterford-we...

A project by:
@waterfordlibraries.bsky.social

The Moresby, a three-masted, iron-hulled ship, built at Whitehaven, Cumberland, England, in 1882.

Ivy Neesham Coomber, the youngest victim of the Moresby tragedy, was just two years old when the ship ran aground at Ballinacourty, Abbeyside, on Christmas Eve in 1895.

The current memorial in Moresby Park is a smaller scale replica of the Wigham Light Buoy that marked the location of the wreck of the Moresby. It incorporates elements of the original buoy.

Local photographer Edmund Keohan created a display in his studio window to commemorate the tragedy. Twenty of the twenty-five crew members and passengers lost their lives.

THE MORESBY
On Christmas Eve 1895 a tale of tragedy and heroism played out in Dungarvan Harbour, Waterford. On the anniversary of the sinking we remember the victims, survivors, and heroes.

Read More: www.facebook.com/share/p/1DNW...

Martin & Willie Whelan of Déise Design at their Coolagh Road office. These cottages have been home to the Whelan family since the 1890s. Over the years, the space has served as a workshop for their father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Photo: Karen Dempsey

The homepage of the first Dungarvan Museum Society webpage from 1999.

In 2016, Willie (pictured here with his wife Rosie) was honoured with the Person of the Year Award from the Dungarvan and West Waterford Chamber of Commerce for his contributions to heritage, local culture, and tourism.

A replica of the "Spectrum" computer on which the Whelans started their computing journey. Photo: Karen Dempsey

A STORY ABOUT CHRISTMAS, COMPUTERS, LOCAL HISTORY (& PARENTS)
Over 25 years our website company volunteered our time for heritage projects, web sites, social media, signage, publications etc. And it all began one Christmas, back in 1983…

Read More: www.facebook.com/share/p/19WL...

#waterford

🧵 2/2
Here's the text about Abbeyside street names for anyone who doesn't have Facebook. 😉

🧵 1 /2
ABBEYSIDE STREETS – PART 1
A short series about the street names of Abbeyside, Dungarvan, Co. #Waterford, #Ireland.

T. J. Murphy Place
Kyne Park
The Burgery
The New Line
Stucco Lane

Read More: www.facebook.com/share/p/1Dbr...

🧵 1/2

ABBEYSIDE BORN ARTIST SARAH PURSER
Once the foremost portraitist in Ireland. She was very successful in obtaining commissions, famously commenting "I went through the British aristocracy like the measles."
Read More: www.facebook.com/share/p/19ef...

Armed only with their courage, these brave men marked their ships as neutral by painting the Irish tricolour and "EIRE" in large letters on their vessels.

His Story: www.facebook.com/share/p/1C3L...
🧵 2/2

CAPTAIN TOM DONOHUE – AN ABBEYSIDE HERO
During World War II, Ireland relied on a small fleet of just over sixty small unarmed ships to import essential supplies. Sixteen of these ships were sunk, resulting in the deaths of 149 men from a fleet complement of 800 sailors.
🧵 1/2

THE EARLIEST FILM FOOTAGE OF DUNGARVAN & ABBEYSIDE
(and a mystery solved)

🎥 Watch The Film: bit.ly/Dungarvan1920

📖 Read the story:
www.facebook.com/share/p/15iY...

#waterford #ireland

THE EARLIEST FILM FOOTAGE OF DUNGARVAN & ABBEYSIDE
(and a mystery solved)

🎥 Watch The Film: bit.ly/Dungarvan1920

📖 Read the story:
www.facebook.com/share/p/15iY...

#waterford #ireland

ELECTION
Fianna Fail supporter Norrie Ahearne from Cappoquin, Waterford (and her donkey) standing up to cowardly intimidators, freemasons, and ex unionists during the 1937 election. #GE24

🗣️ History Lecture🗣️
THE FARMING HERITAGE OF THE COMERAGHS
with local historian & guest speaker Síle Murphy.

Free Admission - All Welcome

🏫 St Brigid's Hall, Kilrossanty,
Co #Waterford X42 K206
📅 Date: Tuesday 3rd December
⌚ Time: 7.30pm
Queries to (085) 8011466

FISHING IN WATERFORD DURING THE FAMINE
One of the the most common questions asked by people about the Famine period is "Why did people near the coast not eat fish?"

Read about the precarious life of the local fishermen of Abbeyside & Dungarvan during the Famine.

www.facebook.com/share/p/15CT...

BOOK LAUNCH OF BLOODSHED IN THE COMERAGHS AT DUNGARVAN LIBRARY

Buy Online: mybook.to/thomaskeating

The story of Thomas Keating, Commandant of the 2nd Waterford Battalion IRA, who was shot and captured on April 11, 1923 during the Irish Civil War.

🎅🚨BACK IN STOCK🚨 🎅
David Walsh Office Supplies
Eason Dungarvan
Waterford County Museum

A PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY OF DUNGARVAN
by William Whelan
📖 389 pages - Hardback - A4
📷 512 photos - 35+ photographers
💶 €30

Buy Online: mybook.to/dungarvanphotos

LIFE AFTER THE ABBEY
One of the most important developments in the history of Abbeyside, #Waterford occurred when King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. After 250 years the very reason for Abbeyside's existence ceased to be. Read more.
www.facebook.com/share/p/18aU...

📷 Eddie Dee

Photo by Eddie Dee

Photo by Eddie Dee

A brief history of the Augustinian Order in Abbeyside.
🔗 www.facebook.com/share/p/17gP...

One of a series of short articles I've written to help promote the conservation of Abbeyside's ancient bell tower c1450 & abbey c1290. abgparish.ie/save-our-abbey/

#waterford #ireland #history

ABBEYSIDE CALENDAR
"Celebrate the Year, Support Our Heritage."
𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦

abgparish.ie/calendar
Calendars €15 to any Ireland, UK or Europe address (includes p&p). Other locations on application. Proceeds fund the preservation of Abbeyside's historic bell tower and abbey. #waterford

WHEN THE CAMERA LIES
Baile na nGall, An Rinn c 1890 (NLI)
Ian Hannigan colourised this image too well 😀.
Here's what life was like inside the homes: www.waterfordmuseum.ie/exhibit/web/...

from DESPERATE HAVEN
The story of the famine in Dungarvan & West Waterford. mybook.to/desperatehav...