Top 10 Things from the Waterford Tall Ships

The mist rising from the river Suir on Sunday morning is beautiful and eerie and a somewhat sombre crowd gather on the quay to wave off the tall ships and their crews. For an hour or so the boats glide out to cheering and waving. The crews of the Lord Nelson are in the rigging with the jaunty Bare Necessities blasting from the pa system. Some of the youth sail training vessels manage a few uggie uggie uggies and a couple of cheers but the cast of the Columbian vessel, The Gloria  show everyone how these things should be done . The crew are perched on the rigging and across the deck in their national colours singing an anthem. It is the most breathtaking and cheerful  sight . 

Top  Ten   Moments at Waterford Tall Ships


Best Moment 
The massed choirs and orchestra deliver a moving and rousing premiere of  'Come the Sails' The stunning combination of music and lyrics with a 250 strong choir and orchestra was premiered on the historic quays in the beautiful Wallace Plaza ;

Massed choirs and orchestra with conductor Niall Crowley open the festival

                                'Magnificence of Rigging above a mile of quays'



Best Sight  Crew of Columbian vessel The  Gloria singing from the rigging as their ship glided out of Waterford Harbour. Heart Stopping.

The Hucklebuck Shoes

Best Gig   Brendan Bowyer and Band rocking it on the Plaza.  Mothers with teenagers  and grannies in tow sang along and bopped to the music of this local boy and newly conferred freeman of the city. You can see this legend's Hucklebuck Shoes in a Museum case in the shiny new Bishop's Palace Museum. Surreal! Isn't he still wearing them? Doesn't look like he is ready to hang them up any time soon.


Best Fun Event: Pirates Parade . Everyone knows children  love dressing up but organisers were surprised when so many parents turned up suitably attired.     Talking of dressing up we also liked the cool shirts worn by  Steve Wickham  and Mike Scott of  the Waterboys  Psychadelic deck chair stripes  and purple paisley and marks go also to  Rowan Sherlock,  fiddling  Jazz Dude of the Waterford Gypsy Jazz Ensemble for his Ukelele Tie

Best Lyrics  Poems by Five  Poets set in Come the Sails opening cantata Mark Roper, Peter Sirr, Michael Coady, Megan Nolan and John Ennis

Best Foodie Experience  The vast range of food options all along the quay with massed al fresco dining. We enjoyed the chorizo and bean stew from Mediteranean Kitchen and the best aroma came from Green Saffron

Al fresco on the Quay for 3 days

Best Accoustic Act  Local sea shanty specialists Hooks and Crookes Sea Shanty Group was the hardest working group of the weekend. These gentlemen were on the go from lunchtime on Wednesday and were ubiquitous for the duration of the weekend.  Bravo! 




Best Twitter Updates @WaterfordTweet  and @HooksandCrookes delivered  useful up to the minute updates on events and information relating to the Festival. There was a terrific  on going  dialogue from the Waterford Twitter community with great tips on queing times and best entertainment around town.

Best Stall Ardkeen Quality Food Store for the  sheer size and range of their temporary tented emporium .



Best Innovation The decision to make the city traffic free. The massed crowds comfortably wandered the streets on foot or bicycles in safety as the park n ride system worked brilliantly. Could we look to do this again  on say the first weekend of the month? The Quay is a perfect amenity for a coninental style passeggiata.

Pirates, a Parrot and a Putative President Friday at Tall Ships

Magnificence of rigging

above a mile of quay

the city's faces freshened

                               by salt from every sea           Mark Roper

It was another lovely sunny day in Waterford for Day 2 of the Tall Ships Festival

'I've got this pirate stuck to my foot'

On the North Quay, the crew of the Columbian vessel, 'Gloria' were perched 

Ennis Pirates

RTE's John Murray live from the South Quay

on their rigging and singing in unison like some exotic songbirds. On the South Quay, John Murray (assisted by Ennis man Colm Flynn)  clad in fishermans cap to keep the sun off was interviewing Waterford folk outside the RTE tent . I was too late for Brendan Bowyer and Brass and Co but I caught the very hardworking sea shanty group, Hooks and Crooks in one of their many performances of the weekend who closed the programme with a rousing O Ro Se Do Bheath Bhaile  following the discussion and competition to find the best Waterford accent. It all hangs on the ulvaral rrrs apparrrently!  In Bolton Street the gangs of marauding pirates could be contained no longer and swarmed onto quays colliding with presidential hopeful Michael D Higgins (sadly not in costume)  on his way to do an interview on WLR. The pirate count stopped after 4000 to the chagrin of late arrivals. These pirates came in all shapes and sizes and one even had his own live parrot!

Little and large pirates

'From Ship to Shore' exhibition housed in the converted Greyfriars Church was well worth a visit with an eclectic range of maritime paintings, prints , photos and watercolours. It was  poignant to see the bell and compass of the late lamented Asgard  11 on display here a reminder of the dearth of Irish boats represented.  The craft village was a hive of activity and you could see spinning weaving and glass blowing in the Cathedral Courtyard. Fran Ryan's Dingle Knits looked very tempting indeed.  From our perch in the Tower Hotel Bar we could keep an eye on the tennis semifinals and watch the  Crews Parade 

Bell recovered from Asgard 11

Donna Roche and Mark Fitzgerald lead the massed bands

The Springstreens launched the activity  on  the Plaza in the afternoon which was rounded off by a splendid massed bands concert combing the efforts of Waterford City Brass , Barrack St Concert Band and De La Salle Scout Band. A lean and angular Mike Scott,  the epitomy of a Raggle Taggle Gypsy in brimmed hat and leather jacket to keep out the nippy evening air and Steve Wickham of The Waterboys looked liked they were having fun at their rocking set at Bolton Street dishing up a set including their many hits  Of the numbers I enjoyed the slimmed down duets most with Wickhams wonderful playing at its most audible. .  From the plethora of food stall, local grocer Ardkeen Stores stood out for the sheer size and range of offerings.  The Saffron corner smelt gorgeous.  My companion  had a tasty chorizo and bean stew from Mediterranean Kitchen but my paella  from another stall was disappointing,  gluey yellow  rice and chicken is not a 'paella'  in any culinary dictionary.  When all was said and done, it was hard to beat Dooly's chips eaten from the box
 on the wall in the park.

Exmouth Shanty Men entertain in O Loughlin's

Michael D Higgins views parade

The ebb and flow of tides
and bedded silt
by wharves and quays
Michael Coady

More fun to come tomorrow and the weather promising fair.