Author Archives: Emma Haran

Peter O’Connor At the 1906 Olympics Peter O’Connor climbed the flagpole at the medals ceremony and hoisted a large green flag bearing a golden harp and the words “Erin Go Bragh” – Ireland Forever”. Film Notes Further Information  –  https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2020/jan/13/international-olympic-committee-seeks-to-ban-podium-protests  ​RTE short piece on Peter O’Connor on his Olympic Success –   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jll6laPUCEg&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=urbsintacta   About Waterford […]

O’Connell Street (formally King’s Street) “ Waterford City was the first City in Ireland to rename a street after Daniel O’Connell”.  – Joe Falvey (Local Historian)   Film Notes Read a biography on Frederick Douglass – View PDF View a photo of Frederick Douglas – View PDF ​View a photo of Frederick Douglass Blue Plaque – View PDF  […]

Murphy Engineering “Herself and the Infant of Prague did run the business and made a great success of it” – Bill Murphy talking about his mother’s ingenuity and the workers help in saving the Company after his dad suddenly died.   Film Notes Murphy Engineering is still a Waterford success story – see link here   […]

Mary Street, the Strangmans and the Old Motor Car Trade in Waterford “Talking about the Brewery in the 1700’s “…Its all to do with the water, It was better to drink beer at that stage than the water”      – Joan Johnston author on Waterford Quaker History   Film Notes Learn more about Joshua […]

Whites – Shipping, Chemist and Chandlers White’s trading was diverse, they often traded with exotic and far flung destinations such as Patagonia, Quebec or Calcutta. Passengers were carried from Waterford to Quebec and Montreal returning with a cargo of timber. Many ships carried passengers across the Atlantic during and after the famine. White’s imported cargo […]

Willy Watt – Waterford Sack & Bag Company William F Watt, as well as being a highly successful Waterford businessman, also possessed a lovely tenor voice and was one of Irelands best known singers. He was an enthusiastic musical philanthropist whose drive and energy was largely instrumental in the foundation and continued success of Waterford […]

Neighbours on Bridge Street “During the War – Tom, Alfie and I all had ‘Slug’ guns which we used to shoot pigeons. Flanagan’s used to buy the pigeons for One Shilling and Sixpence a pair. That’s ninepence a pigeon and they were all exported to England you see to feed them” – Bill Murphy talking […]

Waterford Newspapers Aged 22 years old Edmund Downey moved to London from Waterford where he worked as a journalist and as a publisher. For the next 28 years he wrote 20 books himself and also published almost 300 titles many of them important Irish novels. At fifty years of age he returned home to Waterford […]

Bells Shop & Chemist   “You would not say that under Bells Lamp” was a common saying in Waterford by parents if they thought their children were telling lies, the superstition was that if you told a lie under the large Bell outside the chemist it would fall down and entrap you. The Bell was […]