At the Launch of Waterford City & County Council’s Repair Directory in Lismore were from left Michael McBride, Lismore Tidy Towns. Ella Ryan, Environmental Awareness Officer Waterford City & County Council. Mary O’Brien and Mary McBride, Lismore Tidy Towns. Brendan O’Connor, Librarian and Cllr John Pratt. Photo Sean Byrne//Deise Media
Lismore Tidy Towns launched the ‘Waterford Repair Directory’ in Lismore on Thursday last, the 6th of October.
This directory lists various businesses around Co. Waterford that can repair a range of broken items. The aim is to encourage repair and reuse as a method of reducing waste. View the full directory on www.waterfordcouncil.ie or see below to download.
The Department of the Environment and Waterford City & County Council funded Vivienne Foot, through the Local Agenda 21 Environment Partnership Fund, to compile the Repair Directory for Co. Waterford.
Speaking at the launch of the Repair Directory in Lismore last Thursday, Ella Ryan, Environment Awareness Officer with Waterford City & County Council said “The aim of the Repair Directory is to make it easier for people to consider repair as an option to extend the life cycle of an item rather than just throwing it away. As well as being important to waste management, repair and reuse are also important elements of the local economy. We are delighted to launch this directory as part of National Reuse Month.
Waterford City & County Council has commenced a programme to redevelop the landscaping on the seven roundabouts on the N25 Dungarvan Bypass.
The roundabout on the Youghal Road entrance to Dungarvan will be re-landscaped with a seaside/maritime theme. The Council’s Environment Department in partnership with the Arts Office is now inviting artists to submit proposals to work on the old sea buoy at this location using a maritime theme.
Full details and the application form are available below or by contacting the Arts Office on 058-41416. The closing date for receipt of submissions is 12 noon on Wednesday 9th November 2016.
05/09/2016. FREE TO USE IMAGE. Pictured at City Hall, Waterford City at the installation of “Waterford 2016” painting by by Irish artist, Blaise Smith which is 5 metres in length. Picture: Patrick Browne
The Office of Public Works and Waterford City & County Council commission a new large scale painting for Waterford Flood Defence Works
The Office of Public Works and Waterford City & County Council have recently commissioned Irish artist, Blaise Smith, to create a new large-scale painting that reflects a 21st century view of Waterford city under the ‘Per Cent for Art Scheme’ for flood defence works.
In 1735, Waterford Corporation, as it was then known, commissioned a painting of the city from Dutch painter, William Van der Hagen (d. 1745). This painting still hangs today in the Bishop’s Palace, one of Waterford Treasures’ award winning trilogy of museums, and is considered to be a painting of national importance. The new painting entitled “Waterford 2016”, 5 metres in length and comprised of 52 panels, will act as a companion painting to the Van der Hagen painting. The view is from the same vantage point – showing the city from across the river Suir as it stands today with all the changes that have taken place over the span of two hundred and eighty years.
Blaise Smith A.R.H.A. is a leading Irish figurative painter. Speaking about this commission, he said: “Like the Van der Hagen from 1736, I hope that my painting will be viewed in 280 years’ time and people will marvel at how the city looked in the past. Hopefully another lucky artist will be commissioned then, and will be facing an even bigger painting challenge than I am at this time.”
Speaking ahead of the unveiling of the painting, the Mayor of Waterford, Cllr Adam Wyse has acknowledged the significance of the painting: “This painting allows us to reflect, not only on the past, but on the future, and the great potential that Waterford has. The fact that we now have two tremendous paintings of Waterford, separated by almost two hundred and eighty years, is a testament to the pride we hold in this beautiful city, just as our predecessors did before us.”
Waterford City & County Council requested that the Percent for Art funding relating to these vital works be used to commission a new painting of the City of Waterford from across the River Suir. Waterford City & County Council considered it fitting and appropriate that the proposed art commission would stem from works undertaken on the river itself.
This new painting will form part of the State Art Collection, while residing permanently on display in Waterford City. The painting will hang in the vestibule of City Hall in Waterford City for future generations to enjoy.
For further press information, please contact Claire Feely or Emma Kelly at Elevate PR on 01 662 56 52 or email claire@elevate.ie / emma@elevate.ie
Notes to Editors
Details of Painting
Artist: Blaise Smith
Title: Waterford 2016
Date: 2016
Media : Oil on 38 x 38 cm Gesso panels (52 in an array of 4 x 13)
Overall dimensions: 494 cm x 152 cm (unframed)
Photography from this event will be available from Patrick Browne Photography, 086 2515700 or brownesphotography@me.com
Background to Flood Defence Works in Waterford
The city of Waterford has a long history of flooding from the River Suir and John’s River. The Flood Relief Scheme was carried out by Waterford City and County Council with funding provided by the Office of Public Works. Works were carried out on a phased basis with approximately 1.5km of glass and reinforced concrete walls being constructed along the river Suir Quays, Scotch Quay and Waterside which were completed in May 2011. Further works were commenced in November 2011 which comprised the construction of flood walls and embankments on the River Suir, John’s River and the Lisduggan Stream and sections of the Tramore Road were raised and upgraded. All of these works are now substantially complete with some minor works remaining to be carried out. The flood relief scheme provides protection to 334 residential and 186 commercial premises.
05/09/2016. FREE TO USE IMAGE. Pictured at City Hall, Waterford City at the installation of “Waterford 2016” painting by by Irish artist, Blaise Smith which is 5 metres in length. Picture: Patrick Browne The Office of Public Works and Waterford City & County Council today unveiled a commissioned piece by Irish artist, Blaise Smith, under the Per Cent for Art Scheme for flood defence works. The new large-scale painting reflects a 21st century view of Waterford city and is entitled “Waterford 2016”. It is 5 metres in length and comprised of 52 panels, and acts as a companion painting to the 1735 commission by Waterford Corporation, (as it was then known), from a Dutch painter William Van der Hagen (d. 1745). Blaise Smith has taken his view from the same vantage point; showing the city from across the river Suir as it stands today, with all the changes that have taken place over the span of two hundred and eighty years.
Blaise Smith A.R.H.A. has recently completed a portrait commission for the Abbey Theatre. He has exhibited widely in Ireland and abroad. His project SCHOOLWORK which involved 20 paintings of an Irish Secondary School won an AXA Business to Arts Award in 2012. His portraits have been shown in the BP Portrait Award in the National Portrait Gallery in London and most recently his Landscape “The Join” won the Carlow AIB Eigse Award for most outstanding work in 2015.
Beach goers and swimmers alike are asked to be vigilant as several members of the public have reported Portuguese Man O’War jellyfish both in the sea and washed up on shore.
The sightings were on Ardmore beach, Clonea beach (Castle end) and Tramore beach.
The sting from these creatures is very painful and can be fatal – even when the animal is dead, so please do not touch or pick them up etc.
The basis of the scheme is that repair and improvement works to suitable vacant properties are funded to bring them up to the standard for rented accommodation and the cost of the works is then deducted from lease payments over an agreed lease term.
A key component of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness is a new scheme, the Vacant Housing Repair and Leasing Initiative, which targets the delivery of social housing and also ensures that existing housing stock is used to the maximum degree possible.
Waterford City and County Council have piloted and progressed the initiative with Department of Housing Planning Community and Local Government support. CSO Census data and local studies have indicated that there are significant numbers of vacant dwellings in Waterford City & County. The Vacant Housing Repair and Leasing Initiative (also known as Repair and Leasing Initiative or RLI) is intended to target these properties as a possible source of social housing and also provides the property owner with an income stream that may be otherwise unavailable.
Wednesday, September 28th 2016 was World Rabies Day and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is taking the opportunity to highlight the importance of continuing vigilance against rabies.
Ireland is fortunate to have been rabies free since 1903, but as rabies cases have been reported in pets and wildlife in Europe in recent years, Ireland is not free from risk.
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) estimate that approximately 60,000 people across the world die every year from rabies and that Rabies is still endemic in 150 countries/territories worldwide. Most human deaths occur in children in developing countries. The majority of these deaths are preventable by increasing public awareness and access to canine rabies vaccine. Rabies eradication requires a multidisciplinary effort between health, veterinary and local authorities. By working together rabies can be eliminated for good.
In 2015 the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), World Health Organisation (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with partners, the Global Alliance for the Control of Rabies (GARC) announced their framework for eliminating rabies by 2030.
The Department emphasises that Irish citizens can play their part in achieving this vision. Whilst the risk to Ireland is considered low, increasing animal movement across Europe means that we in Ireland must remain vigilant.
The illegal importation of dogs, cats or other pets is the most likely way that rabies could be introduced. If you are travelling with pets within the EU (including the UK) or importing pets into Ireland, it is a legal requirement for them to be vaccinated against rabies. Full details can be found on the Department’s website at the following link:
Beach goers and swimmers alike are asked to be vigilant as several members of the public have reported Portuguese Man O’War jellyfish both in the sea and washed up on shore.
The basis of the scheme is that repair and improvement works to suitable vacant properties are funded to bring them up to the standard for rented accommodation and the cost of the works is then deducted from lease payments over an agreed lease term.
Wednesday, September 28th 2016 was World Rabies Day and the 
