Orla Burke from Ferrybank won Waterford’s first Rose of Tralee title back in 1977 when she was a 20-year-old student nurse. Orla remains a Rose of Tralee enthusiast and is a passionate proponent of the festival and all that it represents. In fact, the trip to the County Kerry town is an annual highlight for Orla...
Foley on File
Down at the Lithuanian Way
Down at the Lithuanian Way
Lithuania is situated on the south-eastern shore of the Baltic Sea and is the largest of the three Baltic states with a size of 65,290 km² and population of 2.65 million people. Its capital and largest city is Vilnius, while Kaunas and Klaipėda are other major cities. Lithuania, surrounded by Latvia, Belarus, Poland...
Lending a helping hand
Lending a helping hand
Kieran Foley The new home of The Helping Hand voluntary service was officially opened in Waterford on Friday last, May 13th. The service began operating from a stall near the brewery on The Quay in 2015 before the use of St. Patrick’s Gateway Centre was secured. The service continued to operate from here for a number...
Home sweet home
Home sweet home
Polina Gribanova from Belarus has been visiting Waterford since she was aged nine, thanks to Chernobyl Aid Ireland and the Dunphy family in Dunhill. Now, she has made the Déise her permanent home Kieran Foley In January 2017, I reported on the story of Polina Gribanova from Belarus who has been visiting Waterford...
Clonea Power’s community hub
Clonea Power’s community hub
Kieran Foley The picturesque village of Clonea Power, situated at the foothills of the majestic Comeragh Mountains, is unquestionably one of County Waterford’s hidden gems. A landmark building within this charming village was recently renovated and the end result is testament to the determination and enterprising...
A special gift from aunt to nephew
A special gift from aunt to nephew
Kieran Foley Organ Donor Awareness Week takes place this week until April 30th. There are currently around 600 people in Ireland waiting for a heart, lung, liver, kidney or pancreas transplant. Organ Donor Awareness Week is normally the flagship fundraising event for the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) but, as most of...
A Greenway vision realised
A Greenway vision realised
It’s now five years since the Waterford Greenway was officially opened – but the path to success wasn’t smooth as members of the voluntary Déise Greenway Group know only too well . Last week marked five years since the official opening of the wonderful Waterford Greenway. Saturday March 25th 2017 was a glorious day...
Transforming South Kilkenny
Transforming South Kilkenny
PICTURESQUE Piltown is certainly punching above its weight in terms of community spirit, pride of place and entrepreneurial activities. Although the village was bypassed in 2002 with the opening of the upgraded N24, Piltown has managed to retain a vibrant atmosphere combined with a quaint charm. Boasting a number of...
Kilmeaden’s Story of Rail
Kilmeaden’s Story of Rail
One of the major success stories of tourism in County Waterford is the Waterford Suir Valley Railway (WSVR) in Kilmeaden. WSVR is a voluntary, community heritage project with charitable status and has been in operation for more than 20 years. The attraction has featured prominently in both national and international...
Flying an Independent flag for Waterford
Flying an Independent flag for Waterford
Kieran Foley This week marks two years since Ireland went to the polls for General Election 2020. On February 8th of that year, voters across Waterford selected their TDs and among the victors was Independent candidate Matt Shanahan. The Butlerstown native experienced a meteoric rise in politics, having first been...
Déise set for terrific tourism year
Déise set for terrific tourism year
Kieran Foley A major positive from our recent pandemic experiences has been the popularity of County Waterford as a staycation destination. Huge crowds of tourists made the Déise their destination of choice in both 2020 and 2021. Proving that Waterford’s status as a major tourism player is on the rise, the Waterford...
Larcvhille and Lisduggan’s community heroes
Larcvhille and Lisduggan’s community heroes
Following a nationwide search, Larchville/Lisduggan Residents’ Association Chairman John Burns was named an Inspirational Hero in the Gala Retail and Virgin Media Inspiration Awards. Established to shine a light on individuals who make Ireland a better place with their selfless acts and inspirational deeds,...
