Demystifying Spraypaint Workshop
Sunday morning started with spray-painting for the kids. Caoilfhionn Hanton hosted the workshop in GOMA Gallery. This rising star has nine years of spray-paint and commission experience under her belt…and she’s only 24! Caoilfhionn was great with the kids as she guided them through the fundamentals of spray-painting and shared her skill. Attendees even walked away with their own piece of artwork and the tips, tricks and essential tools of spray-painting.
Walking Tour with Dermot Power
Local historian and author of five books on Waterford’s history, Dermot Power led the 40-plus group on a walking tour of Waterford City as we learned about how our ancestors lived (often in dire poverty) in the “Lanes” of Waterford. We visited some of those lanes and heard how the slums in Waterford were compared to the worst in Dublin. It was a fascinating tour of a dark history that seems to have been swept under the carpet…until now.
The tour started in Ballybricken where Dermot brought us to Gows Lane—one of the worst lanes in Waterford back in the 1800 and 1900’s. We learned how the people who resided there lived in the most bleak conditions, often with large families living in one room with no toilet. Needless to say the living conditions were horrendous for the poorest of the poor who lived there. Dermot is engaging and a fountain of knowledge and it was fascinating to learn from him about the city’s history and often dark past.
Sea Shanti Session with Bana Rua
Jordan’s bar was our next port of call for pints of the black stuff and a sea shanty session with Bana Rua.
Bana Rua are a five-piece vocal harmony and folk group from Waterford City. With them, we raised a toast to our Suir Estuary and all who sailed and sang about her.
Mark Roper: Beyond Stillness
The Medieval Museum was jam-packed for the launch of Mark Roper’s latest poetry book, Beyond Stillness. The launch was introduced by James Harper before Mark took the stage to recite some of his poems from the book, giving us a background on the inspiration behind them. There is an undercurrent of grief in his writing in Beyond Stillness—it’s a grief he feels for the diminishing natural world and what we are doing to it. Afterwards, people patiently queued for almost an hour to get their copy of the book signed by Mark.
John Francis Flynn: Future Folk
Dublin folk singer John Francis Flynn entertained us for a night of glorious music. A multi-talented singer and instrumentalist, John recently won Best Emerging Folk Artist & Best Folk Singer at RTÉ Radio One Folk Awards. He has also picked up numerous nominations both nationally and internationally, so we were lucky to see him in the intimate setting of St. Patrick’s Gateway.
It was John’s first time in Waterford and we hope it won’t be long before he returns for another gig. If he does and you missed it last night, be sure not to make the same mistake again.
Peter Vogelaar x Evan Miles: Single Launch
Geoffs was the final destination of the night and the last of the more than 60 events that took place during this week for the festival. Two of Waterford’s well-known electronic music producers, Peter Vogelaar and Evan Miles, had us dancing our little socks off with their unique live show and single launch party. Both men have been active in the Irish music scene for a number of years, and they ensured we finished the party on a high. What a festival and 21st birthday it has been!
