6 minute read
South Eastern Promise
BLESSED WITH THE BEST OF OURWEATHER, THE SUNNY SOUTH EAST ALSO OFFERS WORLD-STANDARD EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES, HISTORIC AND ARCHEOLOGICAL RICHES, AND CULTURAL EVENTS TO INTRIGUE AND DELIGHT. TAKE OUR WHISTLE-STOP TOUR THROUGH CARLOW, KILKENNY, WATERFORD, WEXFORD AND SOUTH TIPPERARY.
CULTURAL PURSUITS
The National Opera House (wexfordopera.com) is Ireland’s first custom-built, multipurpose opera house, a state-of-the-art building with two auditoriums. It is also home to the Wexford Festival Opera, which was founded in 1951, and has since established an international reputation for ambitious and spectacular productions, drawing fans from all over the world.
A new addition to Waterford’s emerging cultural quarter is the Waterford Gallery of Art (waterfordarts.com). Located in the former Waterford Savings Bank, the Thomas Jackson-designed building has been completely reimagined around the Municipal Collection and the gallery’s inaugural exhibition, Aspects: Highlights from the Waterford Art Collection, features the works of Paul and Grace Henry, three generations of the beloved Yeats family, and painter and stained glass artist, Evie Hone amongst many others.
For ten days each August, Kilkenny’s historic churches, castle, courtyards, townhouses and gardens offer a magical setting for the city’s Arts Festival (kilkennyarts. ie). An electrifying and innovative mix of musicians, performers, writers and artists deliver intimate encounters and unique collaborations. Expect openair Shakespeare in neo-Gothic surrounds, contemporary music performed in medieval houses, pop-up concerts across secret gardens, and projection shows at the cathedral and castle.
Those with a hankering for traditional Irish music should step lively to Carrick-on-Suir in south Tipperary on the June Bank holiday weekend when the Clancy Brothers Festival of Music and Art (clancybrothersfestival. com) takes to the streets. The festival honours the legacy of the Clancy Brothers, a music group popular since the 1960s, who are credited with highlighting Irish folk music around the world. With music, art, poetry and storytelling, there are singing and busking competitions, workshops and free open-air concerts.
Budding musicians may like the sound of Music Generation, a programme that provides performance music education opportunities to over 4,500 children and young people in county Carlow. It has a schools programme providing vocal and instrumental tuition, a community music programme, and four county ensembles. The programme is co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds, the Department of Education and Skills, and Local Music Education Partnerships.
HIGHER LEARNING
Defining itself as a “research-led organisation with a demonstrably impactful, innovative, and dynamic research community,” Waterford Institute of Technology (wit.ie) has secured in excess of €150 million in external research funding over the past decade. Uniquely, the Institute hosts three Enterprise Ireland Technology Gateways that allow industry to engage with and capitalise upon the expertise available at WIT. In the last five years, the Institute has worked with 400 companies, in Ireland and globally, and the Technology Transfer Office has recorded 654 research agreements with industry. According to Brian Foley, Industry Services Manager at WIT, “If industry approaches us with a problem, we can scope a solution in conjunction with them and work it up into a full collaborative proposal.”
Limerick Institute of Technology (lit.ie) has two campuses in county Tipperary: LIT, Clonmel Campus and LIT, Thurles Campus, which is home to Games Fleadh, Ireland’s largest digital games programming festival. The Fleadh is the brainchild of data analyst and cybersecurity expert Dr Liam Noonan, a programme leader at LIT’s Department of Information Technology, and he has recently developed a Data Analytics and Cyber Security degree, available at the Thurles campus from 2020. The course will give students the skills to turn data into insights that can be applied by users as diverse as sports managers and coaches, scientists and industry leaders, governments and state agencies to make informed decisions.
Institute of Technology Carlow (itcarlow.ie) was a key draw for insurance multinational Unum, who established its strategic software services centre in the area ten years ago. Today, almost one third of Unum Irish employees are IT Carlow graduates and the symbiotic relationship between the organisations is based on co and joint learning. One such example is the Research Fellowship Programme, a scholarship launched in 2015 for Unum employees to enable and sustain a creative and collaborative research community between the partners. This partnership continues to strengthen, and in March 2019, Unum announced that Ireland will be its Data Science Incubation Hub, and IT Carlow its collegiate feeder programme.
HISTORY'S ALIVE
The world’s oldest intact working lighthouse, Hook Lighthouse (hookheritage.ie) stands proud at the tip of the Hook Peninsula in county Wexford. A monk named Dubhán established a monastery on the peninsula in the fifth century and it is said the monks kept a beacon to warn soldiers of the rocky headland. In the 13th century, the tower of Hook was built by William Marshal to guide ships to his port of Ross, and light was provided by a coal fire. Take a tour and climb the tower’s 115 wellworn steps before emerging onto the fourth floor balcony to enjoy the incredible view.
The Viking Triangle, in the heart of Waterford city, is home to three unique museums (waterfordtreasures.com) that tell its 1,100-year-old history. The stone fortress that is Reginald’s Tower was built in 914 and houses the treasures of Viking Waterford. The Medieval Museum showcases artefacts from the era and is the only building on the island to incorporate two medieval chambers: the 13thcentury Choristers’ Hall, and the 15th-century Mayor’s Wine Vault. The elegant neoclassical Bishop’s Palace, built in 1743, is home to treasures of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries such as a decanter dated from 1789, the oldest surviving piece of Waterford Crystal.
Founded soon after the Norman conquest of Ireland in the 13th century, you would be forgiven for thinking that little would remain of Kilkenny Castle (kilkennycastle.ie). This stunning example of a defensive castle has been in continuous use since it was built and thanks to an incredible restoration project, the exuberant spirit of days past has been faithfully brought to life. A must-see is the collection of Ormonde family portraits that take pride of place in the great Picture Gallery, with its hammer-beam roof featuring hand-painted pre-Raphaelite figures and naturalistic scenes.
A journey through Ireland’s ritual and religious history awaits along Carlow’s Trails of the Saints (carlowtourism.com). Three driving routes through the south east feature some 51 ecclesiastical attractions, among them a Romanesque doorway at Killeshin, a medieval cathedral at Old Leighlin and the Relic of St Willibrord, the Patron Saint of Luxembourg, and many other sites of archeological importance. St Patrick’s Trail in the northern part of the county covers 89km, St Laserian’s Trail in mid-Carlow stretches to 69km, and St. Moling’s Trail in the south is 70km, and all can be driven comfortably in a day.
Take advantage of good weather and visit the Tipperary Heritage Way (irishtrails.ie), a 56km walking trail along quiet country roads, forestry tracks and riverside paths. The route follows the course of the River Suir from the Knockmealdown Mountains to the historic town of Cashel and there are several attractions along the way offering rest and interest, from ancient graveyards to abbeys and even a decorated cottage. Try the 10km ramble from the village of Golden to Cashel, or the two-kilometre riverside path from Cahir Castle to the romantic folly of Swiss Cottage.
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