Heritage Week 16th – 24th August 2025

National Heritage Week celebrates all things heritage. It brings together communities, families organisations, cultural institutions, academics and enthusiasts, to build awareness about the value of heritage and supports its conservation. This year the focus is on exploring our foundations, it invites us to reflect on the legacies of our past and examine the foundations upon which our communities, cultures, and identities are built.

Waterford Libraries are celebrating Heritage Week 2025 with a selection of exhibitions, talks, workshops and events across our branches.

Click on the button below to view and download the full events programme for Waterford Libraries.

Heritage Week 2025 Events in Waterford Libraries

Exhibition – 125 Years of Local Government in Ireland

This exhibition explores the history of Irish local government, including the pivotal first local elections in 1899, as well as examining some of the important services provided by local councils across the country.

Date: 16th August – 23rd August
Time: During Library Opening Hours
Venue: Dungarvan Library

Free Event – Booking Not Required

Contact Dungarvan Library on 058 21141 or dungarvanlibrary@waterfordcouncil.ie for further information.

Exhibition – The Waterford Shipping Disaster 1917

The Waterford Shipping Disaster 1917 resulted in the complete loss of the crews and passengers of two ships, the SS Formby and the SS Coningbeg, and had a death toll of 83 people. This loss of life was the tragic outcome of the battle for the seas in the First World War. View the exhibition during library opening hours from 18th – 22nd August.

Date: 18th August – 22nd August
Time: During Library Opening Hours
Venue: Carrickphierish Library

Free Event – Booking Not Required

Contact Carrickphierish Library on 051 849696 or carrickphierishlibrary@waterfordcouncil.ie for further information.

Exhibition – The Notoriously Dissolute Females

Nineteenth century society recognised two types of women – the weak “Angel of the House” in need of protection and support and the woman of dissolute character. This view of women impacted upon the lives of women in Waterford in many different ways and often dictated how women were treated. View the exhibition during library opening hours from 18th – 22nd August.

Date: 18th August – 22nd August
Time: During Library Opening Hours
Venue: Carrickphierish Library
Free Event – Booking  Not Required

Contact Carrickphierish Library on 051 849696 or carrickphierishlibrary@waterfordcouncil.ie for further information.

Exhibition – Waterford Scout County Photographic Exhibition

To celebrate the donation of the Waterford Scout County Logbooks to Waterford City and County Archive and Waterford City and County Libraries, the Index Gallery, Central Library will host an accompanying photographic exhibition from Waterford Scout County. View the exhibition during library opening hours from 20th – 31st August.

Date: 20th August – 31st August
Time: During Library Opening Hours
Venue: Index Gallery, Central Library
Free Event – Booking Not Required

Contact Central Library on 051 849975 or centrallibrary@waterfordcouncil.ie for bookings and further information.

Talk – From PC to Publishing and Everything In Between. How to bring your book from dream to reality with Brian Kennedy

Join published author and historian, Brian Kennedy, for an informative talk that will guide you through the process of getting your manuscript from your computer screen to the bookstore shelves. Brian will cover the essential steps, including editing and proofreading, designing an eye-catching cover, and pitching your book to publishers. Discover the pros and cons of traditional publishing versus self-publishing and learn how to navigate each path. Whether you’re aiming for a traditional publisher or want to take control with self-publishing, this talk will provide you with the tools and insights needed to turn your dream of becoming an author into a reality.

Date: Monday 18th August
Time: 2:30pm
Venue: Central Library

Free Event – Booking Required

Contact Central Library on 051 849975 or centrallibrary@waterfordcouncil.ie for bookings and further information.

Launch – Waterford Scouting – A New Resource

Join us to celebrate the donation of the Waterford Scout County Logbooks to Waterford City and County Archive and Waterford City and County Libraries. A great new resource for anyone interested in the history of Scouting in Waterford.

Date: Wednesday 20th August
Time: 6:30pm
Venue: Index Gallery, Central Library

Free Event – Booking Not  Required

Contact Central Library on 051 849975 or centrallibrary@waterfordcouncil.ie for further information.

Event for Children – Map Making Craft Workshop

Celebrate Heritage Week 2025 and help us Explore Our Foundations by mapping the library with a fun Map Making Craft Workshop. Join us in Central Library to create your very own fold out map. Learn about map making and then create your own futuristic Waterford City, the setting to your favourite book or imagine up an entirely new place!

Suitable for children ages 8 – 10years.

Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Date: Thursday 21st August
Time: 2:30pm
Venue: Central Library
Free Event – Booking Required

Contact Central Library on 051 849975 or centrallibrary@waterfordcouncil.ie for bookings and further information.

Talk – From Privilege to Right: The Introduction of Free Education in Ireland and Its Lasting Legacy
by Dr. Maxine Keoghan

The introduction of free education was a radical change that turned education from a privilege for the few into a right for all, reshaping Irish society and fueling decades of progress. In this talk, Dr. Maxine Keoghan, will discuss the lasting legacy of the introduction of free education in Ireland.

Maxine holds a PhD in History from the National University of Ireland, Galway. Publications include include, “Tramore of our Times” and “Waterford’s War of Independence, the Pickardstown Ambush” as well as contributing to and editing “The Shipwrecked Soldiers’ Cairn – The Tragedy of the Sea Horse in Tramore Bay, 1816”.

Date: Friday 22nd August
Time: 7:00pm
Venue: Tramore Library

Free Event – Booking Required

Contact Tramore Library on 051 849594 or tramorelibrary@waterfordcouncil.ie for bookings and further information.

Talk – Beyond the Highlands: How Ireland Shaped its Own Highland Piping Tradition by Tigerlily Keoghan

Tigerlily Keoghan, musicologist, singer and piper, will explore the development of Ireland’s highland piping tradition. The Irish piping tradition carved its own path, crafting a nationalist repertoire that was fiercely its own.

Date: Saturday 23rd August
Time: 2:30pm
Venue: Ardkeen Library

Free Event – Booking Required

Contact Ardkeen Library on 051 849755 or ardkeenlibrary@waterfordcouncil.ie for bookings and further information.

Heritage Week Events in the Fisherman’s Hall, Dunmore East

Talk: The Place of the Fisherman’s Hall in the Social Life of Dunmore East by John Burke

Talk: Malcolmson Family Influence in Dunmore East by Maria Walsh.

Date: Thursday 21st August
Time: 7:30pm
Venue: Fisherman’s Hall, Dunmore East
Free Event – Booking Not Required

Contact Ardkeen Library on 051 849755 for further information.

Unveiling of Waterford Civic Trust Blue Plaque in memory of Nanette Malcolmson.

*Please note the time for this event has changed to 12:00pm noon*

A Waterford Civic Trust Blue Plaque will be unveiled on the Fisherman’s Hall in memory of its founder Nanette Malcomson. The ceremony take place on Sunday 24th August at 3:00pm. Plaque will be unveiled by Minister Mary Butler TD.

Date: Sunday 24th August
Time: 12:00pm
Venue: Fisherman’s Hall, Dunmore East

Free Event – Booking Not Required

Contact Ardkeen Library on 051 849755 for further information.