Building on the success of recent imaginative attractions in Waterford, the Bishop’s Palace is about to become home to an original and innovative visitor experience on early glassmaking in Waterford.

The new re-enactor tour will be led by Susannah Penrose, granddaughter of one of the original founders of the Penrose Glass Factory. Her mother, Elizabeth Penrose’s beautiful shell cabinet, featuring a menagerie of delicate glass animals, was returned to Waterford City in 2014 and now forms the centrepiece of the exhibition as a direct link to the family. The museum itself has been revamped in recent weeks, with new installations of delicate glassware, fine silver and exotic porcelain to give visitors a real taste of the wealth and finery of upper-class eighteenth-century living.

The finale of the tour will feature a seventeen minute 4D presentation created by Emagine in association with Waterford Treasures – a partnership which has, in the past, led to the hugely successful King of the Vikings, Waterford’s most popular visitor attraction. Here, Elizabeth Penrose will take over from her daughter to continue telling the story of their family, and the foundation of the glassworks. The exhibition promises to bewitch and enthral visitors, taking them on a journey across the history of glassmaking in Waterford, featuring some familiar faces along with some new ones. The experience will immerse guests in the culture of eighteenth and nineteenth century Waterford, through the eyes of a young Quaker girl who witnessed the burgeoning economic and creative prosperity of the city first-hand.

The exhibition was officially opened by John Halligan TD, Minister of State for Training and Skills. The opening day featured a summer cocktail reception, and two short lectures on early and modern glassmaking in Waterford City before visitors experienced the new installations at the Bishop’s Palace. Dr. Audrey Whitty, Head of Collections and Learning at the National Museum of Ireland spoke about the Penroses and their lasting legacy in the city, while Dr. John M. Hearne discussed the master craftsmen of the twentieth century and the impact the modern Glass factory has over modern Waterford. The day was a celebration of generations of glassmakers in the city, their work and their lives, and of that fine craft which put Waterford on the international map.

APPChat Social Media for Kids, Parents & Guardians

Tower Hotel | Waterford | Sat. 7th September
Social Media, Phone Addiction, Online Reputation
September 7th -3 x 1hr Sessions from 10AM; Tickets sold per session

Hosted by Damien Tiernan | WLR | Fmr. RTE Correspondent
Graham Mulhern, Principal Speaker, BeSecureOnline. 

10AM Parents & Kids | 5-10 Years Old
11:30AM Parents & Kids | 11-13 Years Old
2PM Parents & Kids | 13-21 Years Old

What in it for Parents, Guardians, Adults?
Phones are everywhere, yet it's hard to know to whats right for your kids, Teenagers
Learn about Snapchat, Instagram, Tik Tok,
What are the dangers in Social Media
What you can do to reduce kids Phone addiction, steer them in the right direction
I just want to know whats going on
We will tell why Its okay to look at your kids phone
What is the law, Gardai, Is it illegal

Pricing
Tickets are priced per session
Mutli session Tickets are €25

Young Kids
What Apps they can use
Time limits, Access to the internet
How to set up Profile, Privacy setting correctly
Snapchat, Instagram explained and discussed

Tweens
Living with Phones, Mental Health
Addiciton, Bullying, How to behave online
Netiquette

Teenagers
As above
Sexting, Online Reputation, Winning Online, Avoiding Addiction
Like Hunting, Creating postive online experience
Online Reputation, impact on Schools, Sport, College, Jobs, Career
Warning - Plain speaking where appropriate.

Pricing
Tickets are priced per session
Mutli session Tikets are €25
We have kept costs low as possible

Phone Bookings & Queries
01 908 1588
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For bookings visit https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/appchat-social-media-seminar-for-parents-guardians-tickets-68586075799

Under blue skies, the village of Dunmore East was the picture-perfect backdrop to the 25th Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival, the four-day festival of free banjo pickin', foot tappin' mandolin' pluckin', barnstormin', step dancin' fiddle playin', double bass clawin' bluegrass, Americana, country and roots sessions.

Now in its twenty fifth year, the festival attracts some of the biggest names on the bluegrass scene and this year the festival also featured a wide range of young and vibrant UK and Irish bluegrass, roots, rockabilly and country talent, which didn’t disappoint the large crowds.

The line-up of 11 acts played almost 40 free gigs throughout the four-day festival and audiences were introduced to Nashville’s Liz Moriondo, embarking on her first ever Irish tour and on the receiving end of a warm Irish welcome.

The musical talent came from far and wide as The 19th Street Band, with roots in Arlington, Virginia rocked Dunmore East and were a huge hit with their vibrant, high- energy performances.

The Dunmore East Bluegrass festival has been running every year since 1995. Festival Organiser, Mick Daly, was delighted with the attendance, the reaction to the festival and the artists performing this year.

“It was a fantastic festival with our biggest numbers ever. The music acts got a warm and rapturous welcome wherever they played, and the weather couldn’t have been better. We’re lucky to have such a scenic setting for the festival with so many visitors remarking on the beauty of the village.”

“After 25 years the festival is still attracting big-name bluegrass and roots acts. Pilgrim St, Lands End, Mons Wheeler and Charlie Reader have performed here several times and love coming back to Dunmore East. And we love them returning as they bring something special to the festival each year.”

The festival was officially opened by Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. John Pratt on Thursday evening at the Strand Inn followed by performances from Liz Moriondo and Kiss My Grass.

“The support from visitors who travelled far and wide to the festival was wonderful and they turned out in their droves over the weekend to see, hear and experience some great musical talent. Local businesses and the community are invaluable in their support and this year, we were grateful, to once again receive funding from Waterford City and County Council. The festival is run on a voluntary basis and without this support we wouldn’t be in a position to keep bringing great bluegrass, Americana and rockabilly music to Dunmore East.”

Mick added, “Back in the day, the festival primarily appealed to bluegrass purists, however each year the remit broadens and whilst the festival is still as popular with hardened roots music fans, it also appeals to anyone who enjoys a great old style, toe-tappin’ tune. That was clearly in evidence by the immense number of people that came to Dunmore East over the Bluegrass weekend.”

For more information about further events taking place in Dunmore East throughout the year visit www.discoverdunmore.com.

Celebrating the people who make great food and beautiful crafts, Local Enterprise Office Waterford will sponsor two events during the Waterford Harvest Festival which takes place throughout the city from September 6th to September 8th.

The Love Local Lunch is a perennial favourite in the Waterford Harvest Festival calendar, as the business networking lunch showcases the abundant local quality produce, prepared by the talented kitchen team at Dooley’s Hotel.

Keynote speaker at this year’s Love Local Lunch is Peter Mulryan of Blackwater Distillery. Following a long career as a series producer with the BBC and RTE, Mulryan established the gin distillery in Co. Waterford in 2014. He will share his story of going from TV producer to gin distiller and setting up an award-winning distillery on the banks of the Blackwater River.

The LEO Waterford Love Local Lunch takes place at Dooley’s Hotel on Friday, September 6th. Tickets cost €15, which includes a three course lunch and are available from www.localenterprise.ie/waterford

Another event that Local Enterprise Waterford is delighted to support is the Copper Coast Pop-Up Market in the Apple Market. A collective of talented local artists, crafters and food producers, the Copper Coast Pop-Up Market traders will display their wares beneath the Apple Market roof on Saturday, September 7th from 11am to 6pm.

These talented producers usually gather each month in Tramore and showcase their local home-made, handmade, eco-ethical products and the Pop-Up Market will give visitors and locals an opportunity to meet the makers and hear about their creations and the inspiration behind them.

Food, the Waterford Way Market at the Apple Market on Sunday, September 8th is another chance to meet the people behind great food and discover new taste experiences as a wide range of demos will be on offer from Waterford’s diverse food community.

Richie Walsh, Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Waterford is delighted to support these two key events. “Waterford is renowned for its hard-working, talented and passionate producers. Waterford Harvest Festival is fantastic platform for these creative and dedicated food and craft producers to showcase the very best of what they do. The Copper Coast Pop-Up Market will give traders a great opportunity to be front and centre at the Harvest Festival.”

“The Love Local Lunch is always a hugely popular event. It’s not only because of the quality of the lunch, but because of the calibre of speakers. Peter is an engaging raconteur and visionary and I know people will be genuinely interested in hearing his story of how an ambitious idea became a multi-million-euro, award-winning enterprise.”

If your business in pre-start, start-up or established business phase and would like to find out more about what business support services are available from LEO Waterford visit www.localenterprise.ie/Waterford/

14 August 2019: Waterford Harvest Festival is to transform the historic city into a foodie wonderland from 6 – 8 September, with over 70 free and ticketed events taking place. The three days of gastronomical greatness is to feature some of Ireland’s best chefs, interactive demonstrations, and delectable food and drinks. For full details see waterfordharvestfestival.ie.

There will be free masterclasses from respected chefs across the weekend at John Roberts Square with A Taste of Dawn Meats Cooking Demos to feature Edward Hayden and GastroGays, along with Jenny Flynn (Faithlegg House Hotel), Emiliano Cislaghi (Emiliano’s Italian Restaurant), Eric Thezé (La Boheme), Eoin Aulsberry (Holy Cross Bar & Restaurant) and Sam Burfield (The Tannery).

Speaking on the 11th annual Waterford Harvest Festival, Festival Director Tommie Ryan said: “Whether you want to learn from your culinary heroes, fancy becoming a world blaa eating champion or simply want to celebrate the great Irish produce that is seaweed, there is something for everyone at Harvest. Thanks to our brilliant chefs, growers, producers, distillers, foragers and brewers, visitors will have the chance to embark on some serious taste adventures across the three days.

“The epicentre is the Festival Market on Arundel Square and Michael Street, open across the weekend and full of food champions showcasing and selling their mouth-watering food and beverages. The annual Blaa Eating Competition also takes place on Sunday at Arundel Square. There is the Waterford Chamber Skillnet’s South East Makers Market on Broad Street, while The Apple Market hosts the Copper Coast Pop-up Market on Saturday and Waterford’s finest producers and makers on Sunday.

“We are also delighted to celebrate Waterford produce and the launch of Fáilte Ireland’s #TasteTheIsland campaign with a new event, Greenway Grazing - The Waterford Way on the Friday. The Waterford Greenway will become an open market for the occasion, with an opportunity for walkers and cyclists to graze their way along the trail.”

Coupled with special beer, wine, whiskey and gin tastings and tours across the weekend, will be unique dining experiences hosted by local restaurants during Waterford Harvest Festival including a zero waste dinner created by GROW HQ Head Chef JB Dubois, and visiting chef and Chef’s Manifesto Ambassador Conor Spacey of Food Space at the GROW HQ on the Dunmore Road (6 September).

There will also be a Food from our Fields experience at Bellissimo (6 September); and an exclusive Grand Finale Dinner at Faithlegg with chefs Jenny Flynn, Pamela Kelly and Paula Hannigan (8 September). Showcasing Irish flavours with a Malaysian twist, head chef at The Cottage Restaurant, Co. Leitrim, Sham Hanifa will produce a special lunch at Everett’s Restaurant (8 September); while seaweed expert Marie Power joins the team at Momo for a tasting menu featuring local seaweeds (7 September).

There will be brunch at the Granary Café (8 September); local oysters at the Viking Longboat at Reginald’s Tower on the Saturday and Sunday; and a business networking lunch with Waterford Local Enterprise Office at Dooley’s Hotel (6 September). On Saturday (7 September) there will be a three-course meal paired with drinks from Waterford’s most passionate producers at The Reg; a Pigs and Pints event on Bailey’s New Street; and a meat lovers’ feast at Bodega. There will also be a Mexican Day at No.9; a middle eastern inspired mezze barbecue at Loko; and a tasting menu of Thai and Vietnamese street food at Sabai.

Speaking on sports nutrition at a free Glanbia sports talk will be nutritional therapist Amy Gilligan, sports scientist Arthur Dunne, fitness instructor, Ken Browne and Waterford FC manager Alan Reynolds. The event takes place at The Book Centre on Friday (September 6) and will be hosted by WLR’s Kieran O’Connor. Discussing whether a plant based diet is better for us and the planet will be GIY’s Michael Kelly and a panel of experts in Theatre Royal on Saturday (7 September).

There will also be a host of family activities such as a free kids chocolate biscuit making workshop at Carters Chocolate Café (8 September); and the renowned Baby HQ: Harvest LiveWell Day at Ballinakill Shopping Centre (6 September). The Ballybricken Fair, running on the Saturday and Sunday at Ballybricken Green, will include wood carving, birds of prey, an Agri Aware mobile farm and Butter Discos, where kids learn to churn as they dance.

For the full festival programme visit waterfordharvestfestival.ie. Follow Waterford Harvest Festival on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #WaterfordHarvest19

If free banjo pickin', foot tappin' mandolin' pluckin', barnstormin', step dancin' fiddle playin', double bass clawin' sessions are for you, then the beautiful picturesque coastal village of Dunmore East, Co. Waterford is the only place to be from August 22nd to August 25th.

Fans of bluegrass, Americana, blues, country, rhythm ‘n’ roots can expect the cream of the musical crop as top class acts line up for this year’s 25th Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival.

Top international names include Liz Moriondo from Missouri and The 19th Street Band, with roots in Arlington, Virginia and Holywood, Northern Ireland.

Closer to home there’s Alfi, a new Dublin trio combine Appalachian old-time music and Irish trad sounds to produce their own unique songs. Their tracks feature an unusual blend of harp, five-string banjo, low whistle, uilleann pipes and vocals. Dublin band Raglan Rodeo are renowned for their blend of originals and covers.

Acoustic harmony band The Blue Light Smugglers, specialise in bluegrass, country and swing, while Pilgrim St is a seven-piece outfit who bring a broad range of Americana, country, folk and bluegrass to their concerts.

Lands End’s music is strongly embedded in the bluegrass tradition, while each bandmate brings a distinctive sound of their own to the musical arrangements of the group.

Kiss My Grass hailing from Co. Wexford is a band all set to bring an energetic and vibrant bluegrass and rockabilly sound to the festival. Whistle specialises in Americana-style folk, roots, bluegrass, country and rock ’n’ roll. Together the six-piece deliver multi-part vocal harmonies, alongside guitar, banjo, violin, bass, harmonica, mandolin and accordion instruments.

The Northern Irish based Mons Wheeler Big Band also make a welcome return to the festival. Their trademark big rockabilly sound is guaranteed to get the crowds on their feet and Charlie Reader, often referred to as ‘The One-Man Band’ performs acoustic folk melodies and harmonies with the energy one would typically expect from a full group.

The 25th Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival kicks off on Thursday, August 22nd at the Strand Inn and heralds the start of forty free gigs and pickin’ sessions throughout the village at The Strand Inn, The Spinnaker Bar, Azzurro Restaurant, Power’s Bar and The Ocean Hotel.

For more information about the 25th Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival in Co. Waterford, keep up to date on Facebook – Discover Dunmore East - or to download the Dunmore East Festival Bluegrass brochure visit www.discoverdunmore.com.

Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) has seen a 363 rise in part-time students from 2017/2018 to 2018/2019 according to the latest audited Higher Education Authority (HEA) SRS Returns.

The number of students studying WIT’s part-time and online courses increased to 1650 in 2018, a 28% increase on 2017.

Neil Quinlan, Head of the Department of Lifelong Learning says more and more adult learners and employers see the value in continuous learning.

“We are delighted to see an increase in our overall flexible and part-time student numbers as well as students of our online courses. The institute has placed a major emphasis on flexible and part-time learning over the last number of years with a focus on supporting industry needs through bespoke and flexible course delivery. It’s not too late to enquire about courses starting this September. Applications for 2019 can be made until late August and WIT staff are on hand to talk through the application process.”

WIT’s upcoming open evening on Wednesday, 21 August (5pm-7pm) will give adults who are considering a change of career, upskilling or climbing the career ladder a chance to find out how they can benefit from a course.

“Lifelong learning is a mainstream activity of all academic departments at WIT,” explains Quinlan. “Our part-time courses are integrated with academic schools and departments and are of solid academic quality. This is important not just to our students but in many cases their employers who support their return to education.”

WIT has built a strong reputation in the delivery of business courses and this extends into its part-time portfolio. In addition, the demand for engineering personnel has resulted in engineering courses with flexible delivery.

Early-stage entrepreneurs from across the south east, with three hours a week to spare, are invited to apply for the 8-week New Frontiers programme (Phase 1). The programme is run by the WIT School of Business from ArcLabs, the innovation hub based at WIT’s West Campus, Carriganore, Waterford. Past participants say the free course has saved them from making the wrong financial decisions in relation to their business, as well as giving them the tools to take their idea or start-up to the next step.

The deadline for applications is Monday, 2 September at 4pm Applicants apply online at www.wit.ie/newfrontiers.

New Frontiers Programme Manager at Waterford Institute of Technology, Eugene Crehan explains the time commitment for Phase 1 is one evening per week, starting from early September. “This gives people the opportunity to investigate their start-up idea in stealth mode, surrounded by other like-minded people, giving it the best chance for success.”

Phase 1 of the New Frontiers Programme will commence in Waterford at ArcLabs, the innovation hub based on WIT’s West Campus in September 2019 with Phase 2 commencing in December 2019. For more information and to make an application see www.wit.ie/newfrontiers

In 2016 €1.5m in Enterprise Ireland funding was announced to support early-stage entrepreneurs over five years across the south east region. Successful applicants to Phase 2 received €15,000 financial support available to further develop their innovative business start-up. Paid in tax free monthly instalments of €2,500 for six months, this gives people the chance to work further on their business while getting paid to do so.

Waterford Institute of Technology is to host a Springboard and Part-time Open Evening on Wednesday 21 August 2019 from 5pm-7pm.

This gives people considering a return to education through an evening course, online course or through block release the chance to talk to WIT subject experts and discuss flexible course opportunities available in 2019/20. Springboard+ experts will also be on hand to discuss Springboard+. Springboard-funded courses are now open to people irrespective of their employment status.

Applications for 2019 can be made until late August WIT staff are on hand to talk through the application process.

Springboard level 6 courses will remain free to all participants, and returning students and those in receipt of certain allowances, including Jobseekers Benefit, will continue to be able to access courses free of charge. For employed participants on Springboard courses NFQ level 7 – 9, 90% of the course fee will be funded by the Government, with participants required to contribute just 10% of the fee.

There is no need to register for this free event - just turn up on the evening.

See more at www.wit.ie/springboard and www.wit.ie/parttime

The picturesque Co. Waterford fishing village of Dunmore East plays host to the 25th Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival from Thursday, August 22 to Sunday, August 25.

Fans of bluegrass, honky-tonk, blues, country, Americana and rhythm ‘n’ roots are in for a real musical treat. The festival will feature a whole host of artists playing almost forty free gigs throughout the village.

Making their Dunmore East debut is The 19th Street Band. Hailing originally from Holywood, Northern Ireland, Caolaidhe Davis moved to the US in 2005 to pursue a career in music. While establishing an earlier group, he found himself in need of a fiddle player. This led him to meet Meghan, who auditioned for his band. What Caolaidhe didn’t know was that he was also auditioning his future wife.

Fast forward a few months and the pair found themselves living on ‘19th Street’ in Arlington, Virginia. There, they wrote songs and created the sound that would become the backbone of The 19th Street Band - a fusion of Americana, country and rock.

Another new act to appear at this year’s festival is Missourian Liz Moriondo. Embarking on her first ever Irish tour, she is a talented singer songwriter who is well known for her dynamic voice.

There’s also Raglan Rodeo, a Dublin band renowned for their blend of originals and covers. Raglan Rodeo draws upon a wide range of influences, including Hank Williams and Carter family classics to Bob Dylan, Neil Young and other Americana artists.

Alfi, a new Dublin trio combines Appalachian old-time music and Irish trad sounds to produce their own unique songs. Their tracks feature an unusual blend of harp, five-string banjo, low whistle, uilleann pipes and vocals.

Meanwhile, another notable fresh three-piece is acoustic harmony band The Blue Light Smugglers, comprising of Luke Coffey, Terence Cosgrave and Niall Hughes. Specialising in bluegrass, country and swing, the group can usually be found playing a residency at the Blue Light Pub, nestled at the foothills of the Dublin Mountains.

In terms of returning acts, there’s Pilgrim St – who made an electric Dunmore East debut in 2018. The seven-piece outfit bring a broad range of Americana, country, folk and bluegrass to their concerts. Those familiar with the group have come to expect a lively and energetic performance from Navan’s finest.

There’s also Lands End, whose members hail from Cork, Galway, Dublin, Munich, Liverpool and Gloucestershire. Whilst their music is strongly embedded in the bluegrass tradition, each bandmate brings a distinctive sound of their own to the musical arrangements of the group.

Another returning act is Kiss My Grass. Hailing from Co. Wexford, the band is all set to bring an energetic and vibrant bluegrass and rockabilly sound to the festival.

Meanwhile, Dublin outfit Whistle specialise in Americana-style folk, roots, bluegrass, country and rock ’n’ roll. Together the six-piece deliver multi-part vocal harmonies, alongside guitar, banjo, violin, bass, harmonica, mandolin and accordion instruments.

The Northern Irish based Mons Wheeler Big Band also makes a welcome return to the festival. Their trademark big rockabilly sound is guaranteed to get the crowds on their feet.

Another crowd-pleaser is Charlie Reader, often referred to as ‘The One-Man Band’, as the Liverpudlian artist performs acoustic folk melodies and harmonies with the energy one would typically expect from a full group.

The 25th Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival will kick off on Thursday, August 22 at the Strand Inn in Dunmore East, Co. Waterford. The event heralds the start of forty free gigs throughout the village at The Strand Inn, The Spinnaker Bar, Azzurro Restaurant, Power’s Bar and The Ocean Hotel.

You can also keep up to date on all things Bluegrass on the Discover Dunmore East Facebook page or by visiting www.discoverdunmore.com