Skip to content

Waterford City

By Waterford City & County Council

Works commence on new City Centre Community and Cultural hub

Waterford City and County Council has commenced works on the creation of a new community and cultural hub in the heart of Waterford Cultural Quarter.

With funding of €651,654 awarded through the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), the repurposing of 16-18 Barker Place on O’Connell Street, will result in a creative multi-purpose venue for community and educational use.

It is expected that the development will vastly contribute to the overall vibrancy of the city and its Cultural Quarter. 

The building is earmarked to provide local facilities and a venue for migrant services, adult education, a community and performance facility, and foster entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation and employment for communities living and working in Waterford.

Works are currently underway with renovations due to be completed in Spring 2023.

Katherine Collins, Waterford Cultural Quarter Project Manager commented, “The importance of this facility in Waterford Cultural Quarter cannot be overstated.

“The Community and Cultural Hub will be used by residents, creatives, educators, and students of the O’Connell Street area, as well as the people of Waterford City and County as a space to get information and support, to meet up in groups and to learn and explore creative skills.

“Celebrating the different cultures present in our region will be a large focus of the Hub and we look forward to welcoming the community in the coming months.”

Waterford Cultural Quarter is a culture-led urban regeneration project based in the O’Connell Street area of Waterford city. Its vision is to deliver inclusive and sustainable innovation and growth for the cultural and creative sectors and has six priorities including developing excellent buildings and public realm as well as supporting collaboration and place-making.

This is the first of 22 City Centre regeneration projects that has been awarded funding under the URDF, with total funding for the regeneration projects coming to almost €28 million.

Work to the remaining projects are progressing and are at various stages through site assembly, survey work and preparation of planning applications.

For more information about Waterford Cultural Quarter visit www.waterfordculturalquarter.ie

-ends-

By Waterford City & County Council

Reminder : Two Rice Bridge lifts today

There will be two bridge lifts at Rice Bridge today, Tuesday 4th October 2022 – at 12 noon and 2pm.

By Waterford City & County Council

All pumped up for People’s Park new adult fitness park!

A new adult fitness park has recently been installed in Waterford’s People’s Park to encourage people to get out and get active.

With ten new pieces of exercise equipment including a sit-up press, decline bench, pull up station and shoulder press, the equipment is durable and robust enough to withstand the elements.  The exercise equipment allows for a wide range of body weight exercises to be completed across all muscle groups and the set-up of the equipment enables users to experience an outdoor exercise circuit according to ability.

Waterford City and County Council, with support from Waterford Sports Partnership’s Active Cities Waterford project, replaced the old equipment that had been in situ for over 10 years.  Commenting on the new gym equipment, Metro Mayor of Waterford, Cllr. Jason Murphy said that the new addition to the People’s Park is guaranteed to be very popular.

“The gym equipment is of the highest standard and offers a full gym experience, for free and outdoors.  It’s a wonderful addition to the Park, which I’m sure will attract those who are new to exercising in outdoor locations and expand the benefits associated with regular exercise to a greater number of people.”

“Safety has also been taken into consideration, as the bark mulch base is not only more environmentally friendly, with minimal impact on the natural environment, it also doubles as a fall-resistant material.”

Sean Gormley, Executive Engineer, Waterford City and County Council, added that the adult fitness area is an investment not just in the area, but in people’s health.  “The cost of the gym equipment and installation was €46,272, and while it is a long-term investment in key infrastructure, it is also an investment in providing a safe and accessible place to promote health and well-being in Waterford.”

Waterford Sports Partnership was delighted to contribute to the costs of the outdoor gym under the Active Cities Waterford project, which is a Dormant Accounts funded project via Sport Ireland.

Elaine Mullan, Active Cities Officer with Waterford Sports Partnership, said “Having a quality outdoor gym such as this, available free to the public, is an example of how we want to make it easier for people in Waterford to be more active.  Exercising in the outdoors brings with it added benefits and we look forward to seeing this new equipment used by young and old.”

-ENDS-

By Waterford City & County Council

Jukebox of Poetry installed in Waterford’s Cultural Quarter

Poetry as Commemoration, the latest art instalment in Waterford, is situated in Hanover Street in the centre of Waterford’s Cultural Quarter. Produced by the “Poetry as Commemoration” project in partnership with Waterford Council, members of the public can ‘turn the handle’ and enjoy a poem on demand from the unique programme.

The Poetry Jukebox places poetry in public spaces with recordings of 20 poems relating to the complex history of Ireland during the War of Independence and Civil War available to hear at the press of a button. The first selection of poems include works by well-known poets including Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, John Hewitt, and W.B. Yeats, as well as lesser-known writers such as D.L. Kelleher, Alice Milligan and Agnes Kerr.

Speaking on the project, Waterford City & County Council’s Arts officer, Conor Nolan said:

“Poetry and popular ballads have long been vessels for the commemoration of historic events and heroic individuals. The regular rhythms and recitative qualities meant that the jukebox was suited to commemorating historical figures, bringing memories and poetry directly to the public.”

The project, which includes an island-wide series of writing workshops, invites communities to turn to poetry as a way of understanding the challenges of the past and the possibilities of the future. As noted in on the project’s literature, this is especially relevant in the final years of the Decade of the Centenaries 2012-2023 marking one hundred years since the Irish War of Independence and Civil War.

Luke Currall, Visual Arts Co-Ordinator with Waterford City & County Council, commented on the make up of the project, saying:

“Poetry invites reflection on the murkier ‘contours and colours’ of experience and can transport readers or listeners to a different time and place through rhythms, images, and sound. Bringing together this material, Poetry as Commemoration seeks to deepen the collective understanding of this challenging period in Irish History.”

The project is a two-year all-island project led by the Irish Poetry Reading Archive at UCD Library and is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 programme.

A further curation will be recorded for Spring 2023 containing 10 new poems by commissioned poets, as well as 10 historical poems. Project partners include Quotidian – Word on the Street, Poetry Ireland and Arts Council Northern Ireland.

See https://www.poetryascommemoration.ie/ for further details.

By Waterford City & County Council

Heritage week Photo Competition – Take a picture of Waterford’s Medieval Walls & Towers

This coming week is Heritage Week and we’re having a photo competition !

Over the past few years Waterford City  & County Council have been working on our Medieval City Walls and Towers.

Last year, during the Public Consultation for Waterford’s Medieval Walls Interpretation Plan, people came back with their impressions and ideas for the walls.

This year we are working on a Medieval Walls and Towers Trail and also illuminating some of the walls.  For Heritage Week, we would like you to take some photos.
This competition is open to professional and amateur photographers.  You are welcome to submit up to a maximum of 5 photos and they can be of the Walls, Towers, features or activities along them, or even selfies. Photographers can submit existing or new photographs to this competition.

There are 2 categories:

  1. Students under 18
  2. Adults

** ENTER HERE **

The closing date is 26th of August and the winning photos will be posted on our social media. Any queries to rryall@waterfordcouncil.ie

By Waterford City & County Council

Heritage week Photo Competition – Take a picture of Waterford’s Medieval Walls & Towers

This coming week is Heritage Week and we’re having a photo competition !

Over the past few years Waterford City  & County Council have been working on our Medieval City Walls and Towers.

Last year, during the Public Consultation for Waterford’s Medieval Walls Interpretation Plan, people came back with their impressions and ideas for the walls.

This year we are working on a Medieval Walls and Towers Trail and also illuminating some of the walls.  For Heritage Week, we would like you to take some photos.
This competition is open to professional and amateur photographers.  You are welcome to submit up to a maximum of 5 photos and they can be of the Walls, Towers, features or activities along them, or even selfies. Photographers can submit existing or new photographs to this competition.

There are 2 categories:

  1. Students under 18
  2. Adults

** ENTER HERE **

The closing date is 26th of August and the winning photos will be posted on our social media. Any queries to rryall@waterfordcouncil.ie

By Waterford City & County Council

Summer in the City and Music Generation Waterford present Draíocht Phort Láirge

Cathedral Square is set to host the highlight event of Summer in the City for 2022 on Sunday next, August 14th, when over 70 young musicians from Music Generation Waterford’s specially-formed fusion orchestra will perform for the first time ‘Draíocht Phort Láirge’ – a collection of newly composed music by Nóra Byrne Kavanagh, reflecting the beauty and topography of the Waterford region.

With traditional Irish music setting the main pace of the collection, the undertones of brass, wind, classical guitars, wind, brass, electric, acoustic, bass guitars and percussion will bring a unique eclectic sound, drawing on the talents of young musicians form across Waterford.

Music Development Officer Shauna McCullough said, “We are incredibly excited to be part of Summer in the City once again and share this new music with the people of Waterford. Sunday will be the culmination of months of creative and hard work by everyone involved and we hope the people of Waterford will come out to enjoy the day in Cathedral Square and see the orchestra perform on the big event stage!”

Anna Jordan, Festival Director added, “I am overwhelmed with how lucky we are to live in a county where we can casually pop an originally composed composition with an Orchestra of over 70 youths into Cathedral Square of a Sunday. Music Generation have been a dream team to Summer and the City recovery year and are an asset to Waterford. This is the highlight of this year’s festival.”

‘Draíocht Phort Láirge’ is a collection of 12 original compositions of music, composed by Nóra Byrne Kavanagh with harmonies, countermelodies and percussive elements created through a collaboration between Music Generation Waterford team of local musicians Nóra Byrne Kavanagh (Irish traditional music), Danny Pullman (wind & brass), Jennifer Hartery (classical guitar), Darragh O’Connor (acoustic and electric guitars), Jill Devlin (harps) and Chris O’Sullivan (percussion). The preparation of the orchestra was also supported by Music Generation Waterford team members Emily Cox (Irish traditional music), Edward O’Neill (bass guitars & brass) and Conor Clancy (guitars).

Summer in the City on Sunday August 14th will kick off at 12pm, transforming Cathedral square into a family friendly event with live music from young rock and pop bands, followed by the premiere of ‘Draíocht Phort Láirge’ when the 70 piece orchestra will take to the event stage for 2pm. Waterford sketchers will also be out and about along with child friendly activities available on the day supported by Active Cities Waterford.

This event is funded by Waterford City and County Council, Music Generation Waterford and Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media LLPPS.

-ENDS-

By Waterford City & County Council

Reminder : Temporary Road Closure : Mayor’s Walk, Waterford

Notice is hereby given that Waterford City and County Council, in exercise of its powers pursuant to Section 75 Roads Act 1993, will close the following public road to through traffic from 4th to 8th July, 2022 to facilitate New Connection for Irish Water.

Road to be closed:
• L1511 Mayors Walk, Waterford.

Diversion Route:
• Via Newgate Street and Manor Hill &
• Via Newport Terrace to Ballybricken Green

By Waterford City & County Council

Welcome Ambassadors make welcome return to Waterford

The Waterford Welcome Ambassadors are back to offer a genuine and local céad míle fáilte to visitors to Waterford.

After a two year hiatus, the Waterford Welcome Ambassadors are a welcome sight on the streets of the city and county.  Welcome Ambassadors offer visitors all the local tips on the range of things there are to see and do as well as advising them on places to eat and how to get to the many spectacular locations and attractions throughout County Waterford.

The Mayor of Waterford City and County Cllr. Joe Kelly welcomed the Ambassadors back. “Following a two year break in the programme, it is fantastic to have friendly volunteers back on the streets helping visitors find their way around Waterford again.”

“Our thanks must go to all the volunteers who give their time to provide the service. Their pride in promoting Waterford should be an inspiration to us all.”

This year sees the beginning of the handover of the coordination of the Welcome Ambassador Programme in Waterford City from Waterford Area Partnership to the newly established Waterford Volunteer Centre.

Sharon Higgins, Manager of Waterford Volunteer Centre said, ‘This is an exciting programme for the volunteer centre to be involved in. We are passionate about the role that volunteers play in the community and already we have seen the experience and positivity the ambassadors bring with them. They are an asset to tourism in Waterford.”

Speaking on behalf of Waterford Area Partnership who initiated the programme for The Tall Ships Races in 2011, Catherine Power acknowledged the positive contribution of all volunteer ambassadors who participated over the past 11 years.

“We are delighted to work with Waterford Volunteer Centre and Waterford City and County Council to ensure the programme continues into the future and goes from strength to strength. To have Waterford Volunteer Centre in place is so positive for volunteering across our city and county and we are really pleased to be involved for this year. I wish all the ambassadors all the best for the summer programme in the years to come.”

Waterford Chamber oversees the Programme in Tramore through the Tourist Information Centre and according to Lynda Lawton, Operations Officer, “It is wonderful to have our team of experienced volunteers back out again this summer under the management of Johnny O’Grady. Johnny and his team are a popular addition to the summer season in Tramore and we are heartened to see a number of new volunteers join us this year.”

The Waterford Welcome Ambassador Programme runs every weekend for 12 weeks in Waterford City and Tramore, and on cruise ship days during the summer months.

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer Waterford Welcome Ambassador in Waterford City or Tramore email info@volunteerwaterford.ie for more details or drop into the volunteer centre.

-ends-

By Waterford City & County Council

Reminder: Road Closures for Waterford Viking Marathon 2022

VIKING MARATHON – Weekend 25TH/26TH JUNE 2022

Notice is hereby given that Waterford City and County Council, in exercise of its powers pursuant to Section 75 of the Roads Act 1993, propose to close the following roads on this coming weekend, Saturday 25th June & Sunday 26th June 2022 during the times specified below to facilitate the holding of the Waterford Viking Marathon 2022.


Alternative Route:
Diversions will be in place on the day and local access will be maintained.
Objections or submissions may be made in writing to the Director of Services, Roads, Water and Environment, Waterford City and County Council, The Mall, Waterford not later than 4pm on Friday 20th May, 2022.

By Waterford City & County Council

Advanced Notice : Temporary Road Closure : Mayor’s Walk, Waterford

Notice is hereby given that Waterford City and County Council, in exercise of its powers pursuant to Section 75 Roads Act 1993, will close the following public road to through traffic from 4th to 8th July, 2022 to facilitate New Connection for Irish Water.

Road to be closed:
• L1511 Mayors Walk, Waterford.

Diversion Route:
• Via Newgate Street and Manor Hill &
• Via Newport Terrace to Ballybricken Green

Latest News
Made in Waterford and hosted in the EU :)