The 2021 Waterford Harvest Festival runs from Monday September 6th to Sunday September 12th

 One of Ireland’s leading food festivals, Waterford Harvest Festival returns in 2 weeks with a newly reimagined weeklong citywide celebration of all things dine and wine from Monday September 6th to Sunday September 12th 2021. This year’s Waterford Harvest Festival, an annual culinary celebration, will plate up dishes and treats to suit every palate, shining a spotlight on the region’s delicious dining scene and local food and drink legends. 

 

Waterford city will be transformed into a food-lover’s paradise with 7 days of bespoke menus, dining-out experiences, seasonal dishes, local producer collaborations and so many more culinary delights - all celebrating the food and beverage champions from Waterford city and the sunny South East. Everett’s, Waterford’s much-celebrated restaurant set in the remains of a historic 15th century house and intimate wine vault in the Viking Triangle, will host an afternoon to showcase the finest local produce and wonderful producers from across the region. Everett’s Appreciation of Harvest: A Meal to Celebrate is a three course celebration meal showcasing the very best from our rich lands and beautiful seas, with specially selected wines and champagne, thoughtfully paired with each dish. This is a guaranteed lunch to remember! Diners will enjoy a delicious five course tasting menu celebrating wonderful Waterford produce, including vegetables from Ballybeg Greens and Annestown, at the multi-award winning restaurant Momo and their From The Garden Harvest event. Join foodie chats with Bernadette Kervick from Ballybeg Gardens as she shares tips about growing the perfect vegetable garden and how to grow organically.  

 

Watch chefs of Waterford’s iconic landmark The Reg shucking oysters and then tickle your tastebuds with these delectable delights and a smooth glass of Guinness at Guinness & Oysters at the Viking Longboat at The Reg. The Old Couch Café - a Waterford city gem at the heart of Waterford’s Cultural Quarter  - will be serving up a three curated course lunch menu that spotlights Waterford’s diverse, talented and passionate food producers - all wrapped up in European influence. The Stable Yard Food Hall, the artisan food hall at the epicentre of Waterford city, will feature Harvest specials and surprises across Carters Chocolate café, The Ice Cream Place,The Italian Bakery & Pizza Kitchen and No.9 Barronstrand St. restaurant and Mediterranean Deli! Go Loko at Waterford Harvest Festival with a menu of events in one of the city's favourite spots Loko Restaurant including a vegan midweek tasting menu, a weekend meat feast showcasing the best butchers and meat producers in the region,and The 20km Brunch which serves up a special brunch menu with all ingredients sourced within 20k of their front door. 

 

The city’s energetic and iconic Apple Market hotspot celebrates Waterford Harvest Festival with a selection of mouth-watering foodie events and not-to-be-missed beer and whiskey experiences. Visit Heerys Bar and Restaurant, right at the centre of the Apple Market hub, and enjoy Heerys Harvest Night, a three-course harvest meal showcasing the finest produce from local suppliers. Eat, drink and be merry with Grady’s Yard X The Phat Cow harvest collaboration; Overlooking the water on John’s Bridge, chomp into the best artisan burgers and cool down with a refreshing YellowBelly beer from one of Ireland’s leading breweries. Are you brave enough to try Revolution's Mega Burger Challenge? Take on the ultimate Man vs Food challenge and attempt to devour this burger and fries beast within 25 minutes at the Apple Market’s Revolution Bar - defeat the monster and it's free! Festival-goers can select from over 290 Irish whiskeys at the award-winning Revolution Craft Beer & Whiskey Bar, including 22 releases from Waterford Distillery – there is not much in Irish Whiskey that they do not stock! During the Harvest Festival, you can enjoy a range of over 20 whiskey tasting trays from just €20.  

Street food fans, craft-beer connoisseurs and whiskey worshipers, will not want to miss out on the Phoenix Yard Feast in association with Tully’s and Tom Mahers. Street food goes restaurant style for this unique food and drink event set in the vibrant surrounds of O’Connell Street. Tuck into a smorgasbord of savoury and sweet tastes and treats from all five mouthwatering food traders while enjoying amazing ales, bubbling beers and a wide selection of spirits - all while kicking back to tunes for the perfect Sunday experience!  

 

Join in supporting Waterford’s local food and drink landscape, recognising the makers, creators and producers, and celebrating the creativity, passion and determination of this industry. Walsh's Bakehouse, home of the treasured Waterford Blaa, celebrate their 100th year this year and will tickle taste buds with a 1 day live outdoor mini-‘feastival’ A Century in the Baking - Celebrating 100 years baking in Waterford. Join Ireland’s most famous Bread-Bros in Blaa HQ and tuck into oven-fresh floury-rolly goodness while kicking back to some music! Sink your teeth into the best BBQ bites, explore the ‘local legends’ food market, quench your thirst with a cold one and whet your appetite with foodie demos and talks. This is a bread event like no other, roll on down and don’t miss out!  

Go behind the scenes of the GIY TV programme with their exclusive GROW COOK EAT experience. Join presenter and GIY Founder Mick Kelly and GIY’s Head of Food JB Dubois as they take you on a magical journey from their plot to your plate at this intimate dining experience which includes an interactive tour of HQ’s organic food gardens, seed sowing masterclass and homemade pizza cookery demo.  

 

Join Viking Irish Drinks for their Vikings & Angels collaboration with The Fat Angel Wine Bar and enjoy an evening of foodie and cider pairings and games galore. Dress like an Angel or a Viking and you might win a prize! The award-winning Blackwater Distillery collaborates with a selection of Waterford’s most loved museums, bars and restaurants during this September’s Harvest week. Savour an 8 course Waterford Food Tasting Menu inside the atmospheric 13th century Choristers’ Crypt with drinks reception, brought to you by Bishops Palace Cafe & Blackwater Distillery in conjunction with the Waterford Museum of Treasures. Also, enjoy an evening of Prohibition-themed cocktails and entertainment in a Jazzy speakeasy with in-house mixologists and award-winning guest mixologist - John Coleman at Prohibition Cocktails @ Shush with Blackwater Distillery. 

Launching this September as part of Harvest Festival, A Slice of Culture is Waterford’s brand new intercultural festival which will transform Wyse Park and The Rogue Gallery & Studios into a Hungarian cultural celebration of art, dance, song, stories and aromas. A Slice of Culture is presented by The Rogue Gallery & Studios and Waterford Hungarian Cultural Organisation, and this year’s event will center stage some of Hungary's most famous traditions and dishes. 

 

Make a holiday out of your culinary adventures with a Foodcation in Waterford city - a much-needed staycation with an emphasis on how to eat like a local and with locals! Waterford offers a plethora of accommodation options for families, friends and couples ranging from family-run hotels to home-from-home B&Bs and guesthouses, all of which can be found at VisitWaterford.com.  Overlooking the stunning River Suir,one of Ireland’s three sister rivers, the Darrer family of Dooley’s Hotel have been welcoming guests for three generations. With over 70 years of exceptional service, this popular hotel at the heart of Waterford city will showcase bespoke Harvest menus every day across the full festival run, running from breakfast through to lunch and dinner. Treacys Hotel Waterford, Spa and Leisure Centre offers visitors a fantastic location to explore the city across the festival week and is offering a 3 night B&B Harvest staycation special with the Treacy Triple Treat from only €198 (two pax sharing). The Waterford Marina Hotel is a haven of peace and tranquility nestled idyllically on the banks of the River Suir with complimentary onsite parking and is offering an extra discount to visitors when booking directly through their website. The Fitzwilton Hotel is a boutique style hotel in the heart of Waterford City, with a funky café bar and a stylish restaurant Chez K’s which is a favourite dining location for Waterford locals and visitors alike. Take your staycation to the next level in Ireland’s oldest city and indulge in a foodcation feasting on the very best Déise dishes, blaas and beers. 

Keep up to date on your favourite Social Media platform:

·         Website: http://www.waterfordharvestfestival.ie/ 

·         Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/waterfordharvest/ 

·         Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harvest_fest/

·         Twitter: https://twitter.com/harvest_fest 

·         Official hashtag: #waterfordharvest

For the full programme of events and booking details visit  www.waterfordharvestfestival.ie.  

So book in, get your table and your tickets before they are all gone! 

Grab your friends, bring your family and get to Ireland’s No.1 Foodie Destination this September for Waterford Harvest Festival! 

WIN a Nutty Delights 5th Birthday Hamper

The guys at Nutty Delights are celebrating their 5th Year in Business and YOU CAN WIN this fabulous Nutty Delights 5th Birthday Hamper right here!

Nutty Delights, based in Georges Street Arcade and Jervis Shopping Centre, are a premium retailer of nuts and dried fruits and sustainability is at the core of everything they do. From the sourcing of their products to the packaging they use in-store and for online orders.

To celebrate, they are running a series of competitions and giveaways over on their social media. And, we are running a number of online and in-store promotions. 

From the 29th until the 3rd of August, we’re celebrating in-store at both of our branches. The first 50 people that call in get a free gift of our best-selling nuts and dried fruits!

On the 29th of July, they are discounting their entire store (online and in-store) by a whopping 25%. This will last for 25 hours, so you have to act fast! (T&C’s apply)

They're even giving away a Fitbit to one lucky person and that competition will run on their social media platforms from the 29th July until the 3rd of August.

A Nutribullet will be up for grabs on the 2nd of August and that winner will be announced the next day.

Nutty Delights are a small family-run business and without the support of their customers and the public, they would not have been able to reach this level of success. 

WIN this fabulous Nutty Delights 5th Birthday Hamper right now!

As another big thank you to everyone who has helped them reach this anniversary they have given us One Special Birthday Nutty Delights Hamper to give away to one lucky winner!

All you have to do is follow them on your favourite Social media platform:

On Twitter @NuttyDelights

On Facebook @NuttyDelights.ie

On Instagram @NuttyDelights.ie

On LinkedIn Nutty Delights

AND tell them how much you'd love to Win the Birthday Hamper adding the hastag #NuttyDelightsTurns5 (and tell them Zack sent you!)

You can check out their full range of delicious products on their brand new website at www.nuttydelights.ie

The Winner will be announced on the 4th of August.

Best of Luck everyone!

Zack.

Ireland's National Burger Day to take place on August 12th

With the reopening of indoor dining on the horizon and foodservice finally starting to show signs of returning to some degree of normality, the hunt for Ireland’s Best Burger has begun, thanks to National Burger Day.

In support of the foodservice sector, Kepak’s fourth annual National Burger Day is encouraging customers to get out and have their say by voting for their favourite burger, while also showing some much-needed support for local food outlets and operators as they emerge from recent pandemic related closures.   

Following a jam-packed virtual celebration last year, National Burger Day is back on August 12th 2021 and is bigger than ever this year - with outlets across Ireland once again battling it out for the coveted title of Ireland’s favourite Burger.

Hundreds of Irish food businesses of all categories and sizes are set to take part in the search for Ireland’s best burger, from much-loved fast-food joints to family owned-pubs, hotels, and speciality burger restaurants.

To top it off, for every burger purchased and a photo shared online with the hashtag #nationalburgerday, a meal will be donated to Simon Communities across the country, with over 14,000 meals donated in 2020 as part of the campaign. 

Voting is already underway and customers across the country have just over three weeks to cast their vote online through the dedicated website - www.nationalburgerday.ie.

Votes from all corners of the country will be gathered and counted and Ireland’s Best Burger will be announced on National Burger Day, August 12th, 2021 - an event sponsored by Kepak, and supported by Flipdish, Blenders, Coughlans and Kilmeadan, with participating businesses all over the country marking the day by offering a Buy One Get One Free exclusive offer on selected burgers.

 

“We’re delighted that National Burger Day is returning even bigger and better this year,” said John Savage, Kepak Foodservice Solutions Commercial Director. “After what has been a challenging period for Irish foodservice operators, this campaign truly is the coming together of Ireland’s biggest and best food brands in support of the sector and the beloved burgers on their menus. National Burger Day is so much more than a competition – it is a celebration of a beloved national food staple and world class foodservice providers. After a difficult year for those operating in the sector, we are excited to host this nationwide battle of the burgers and put a positive spotlight on Irish food outlets.”

Find out more REGISTER YOUR BUSINESS or Cast Your VOTE at www.nationalburgerday.ie 

Urchin Bar and Adventures opens at Ardmore Beach

The latest inclusion to Waterford’s impressive gourmet food and beverage offering is new Ardmore beach bar, Urchin Bar and Adventures. 

The Pantry at CLIFF has also launched an exciting new phase, with a brand new unit next door. The exciting dual offering at Ardmore Beach from the members of Food the Waterford Way, the county’s food brand, is focused on championing local ingredients and suppliers.

Bold orange and blue colours set the tone for Urchin Bar and Adventures — open Monday to Saturday from 12 noon until 11.30pm, and Sundays from 12.30pm until 11pm. There is a full bar with signature cocktails such as the Tanora Gin Spritz from Blackwater Distillery along with gins, beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks. The Insta-worthy venue, complete with neon signs, also champions other local suppliers, Dungarvan Brewery and Legacy Cider.

For added fun, the Urchin Bar has partnered with Ardmore Adventures and adults and children can book stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking along with other water activities from the venue.

Meanwhile, neighbouring The Pantry at CLIFF is open seven days a week during the summer season, serving teas and coffees from 10am and food and drinks from 11am. Those purchasing takeaway food from The Pantry at CLIFF can take it away with them or eat in at Urchin Bar and Adventures. 

Continuing to showcase the true taste of Waterford, The Pantry at CLIFF is serving their signature prawn rolls, sandwiches and wraps, along with warming food for those colder Irish summer days like house-made seasonal soup and hot pots. Coffee is provided by Drury, a small family run boutique coffee roastery in Youghal; and there is Freezin’ Friesian artisan ice-cream — with delicious lemon meringue, triple chocolate and salted caramel flavours — on offer, made by the Kiersey brothers in Kilmacthomas.

Food the Waterford Way is the county’s food brand, showcasing authentic Waterford cuisine. It is supported by the Department of Agriculture and the Local Enterprise Office. A producer-led, county-wide members’ organisation, Food the Waterford Way celebrates and nurtures artisan food producers, food retail and hospitality outlets.

For further information, see urchin.ie and thepantryatcliff.ie and visit foodthewaterfordway.ie.

Sligo Food Trail celebrates 5 Years with a super Calendar of Online Events

Sligo Food Trail are celebrating their fifth birthday with taste and in trademark style, launching a commemorative video entitled “A tasty trip around five years of Sligo Food Trail” as well as a series of exciting online events showcasing some of the talented members. It’s grown to become a strong and vibrant network which has put the north-western county firmly on the food map. It’s quite a milestone for the network which began in 2016 and has matured into one of the best recognised food networks in the country.

Cllr. Marie Casserly, Chair Sligo Food Trail said, “I’m so proud of all that Sligo Food Trail has achieved. Over the five years it has put Sligo firmly on the map in terms of food and drink, drawing national and international attention to our county. The strength of a network like this and the power of the collective working as a group is really visible”.

The new video, will be released online to kickstart celebrations, is voiced-over by Aoife Carrigy, Chair of the Irish Food Writers Guild, who was guest speaker at the official launch of Sligo Food Trail, in The Model, Sligo, back in 2016. It’s a real trip down memory lane, featuring showcase events like the Harvest Feasts and the special Sligo ‘chew chew’ train that brought media on a culinary journey from Dublin to Sligo town. Taste The Island, networking events, several series of videos and the Irish Food Writers Guild visit are all remembered in glorious technicolour. 

Members of Sligo Food Trail and media celebrating Sligo Food on the special train event

Everyone is invited to join in an appetising series of online food and drink events. The tastings, demonstrations, recipes and Zoom events will run from Tuesday 4th – Friday 14th May showcasing some of Sligo Food Trail’s talented members. Try a tasting, learn tips and techniques from the experts, and marvel at the breath-taking showstopper created by one very talented chef.

Events Calendar:

• Thursday 6th May - Grainne Gilmartin from Sligo Wellness Centre focusses on cooking for teenagers in her live Zoom event ‘Teenage Brains’.

• Friday 7th May - It’s the ice cream man - Neil Byrne from Mammy Johnston’s in Strandhill. ‘Creptastic facts and ice cream trivia’ will be entertaining and educational in equal measure.  

• Saturday 8th May - Anthony Gray, owner of EalaBhán and Hooked Restaurants, takes to the stage, demonstrating a delicious “DIY Smashed Burger” recipe. 

• Sunday 9th May - “Aw Shucks” is the intriguing title of a demonstration where Aisling Kelly of Sligo Oyster Experience shows everyone three ways to serve the delicious bivalves. 

• Tuesday 11th May - The seaweed queen herself, Prannie Rhatigan (Irish Seaweed Kitchen) presents ‘Seaweed the Superfood’, introducing everyone to cooking with seaweed, making seaweed pesto and even a seaweed smoothie. 

• Wednesday 12th May - ‘Brew Coffee with Carrow’, is a Zoom event with Andrew Willis of Carrow Coffee inviting everyone to join in as he talks about their new Peruvian coffee 'Alberca' while brewing with an aeropress. You can purchase some in advance if you’d like to brew along with him. 

• Thursday 13th May - Dave Raethorne and Ollie Alcorn (head distiller) of Lough Gill Distillery present a virtual tour of their distillery in Hazelwood combined with an Athrú Whiskey tasting. 

The finale of the celebrations is entitled ‘Pure Poetry in Chocolate’, by executive chef Alan Fitzmaurice from the Glasshouse Hotel. Alan will be drawing together the very best of local food and ingredients from the Sligo Food Trail producers and inspired by the landscape and beaches, to create a floral-style centrepiece, fit to grace the finest dining table in the land! 

Registration is required for the live events and I'm told that the website almost crashed on the first day with bookings, so register your place at www.sligofoodtrail.ie/5years Today!!!

Keep up to Date with Sligo Food Trail via their Social Media at

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SligoFoodTrail/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sligofoodtrail

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sligofoodtrail.ie/

Zack

A Story about the old pre-1855 Six-arch River Eske bridge in Donegal Town and my Donegal Castle print

(Warning - This story does not include any Irish food!)

About 25 years ago, I bought a print of a castle, set in a frame mount, in Kenny’s Bookshop in Galway. Having been born and grown up in Donegal Town, I instantly recognised the scene in the print. It depicted O'Donnell's Castle, which sat beside the river Eske right outside our front door at Waterloo Place. What was unusual about the picture was that a bridge crossed the river from behind the castle across to Waterloo Place, not where the bridge is now. A signature, Lewis, was visible in the corner of the picture.

The Print of Donegal Castle that I bought in Kenny's Bookshop, Galway 

The print had a hand-written sticker on it saying "Castle of Arran". I asked the man in the shop where was the Castle of Arran? "Up in Malin Head, I think", he replied. But I knew it was our castle in Donegal Town and the Castle of Arran may have been a reference to Lord Arran, former landlord around south Donegal. There was something else special about this print. I could faintly see printed writing coming through from the back of the picture.

My father, Vincent Gallagher, was a printer, and from a very young age we grew up learning about type styles and mechanical printing, long before there was anything like PageMaker or Microsoft Publisher. I knew by the impression of the writing and the font type, that the print was quite old. So I bought this lithographic print, for £30.

Taylor and Skinner Maps of the Road of Ireland 1777
showing the bridge crossing the river to Bridge End 

As a boy, I had been told that there was once a bridge that crossed over from behind the castle to Waterloo Place and that the main road to Mountcharles and Killybegs ran on from end of the bridge, straight up Meetinghouse Street where the Forge Pub is now. However, the late Eileen McBrearty (previous owner of the Forge pub) had always insisted that the old name for that road and hill was "Bridge End". In fact, the Forge pub was formerly known as "The Bridge End Bar".

The printed writing on the back of my Print

When I got back home, I opened up the mount to see what the writing on the back of the print was. It was part of a narrative account of the history of the O'Donnells and also about a plot by Sir John Perrott to capture the young Red Hugh O'Donnell in 1587. It was fascinating to read, although incomplete, and the paper and ink type pointed towards the document being well over 100 years old. The print had the words "Donegal Castle" printed under it. This was also the first representation of an older bridge crossing the River Eske that I'd ever seen. So I put it in a frame and it's been hanging on my wall ever since... until covid-lockdown-3 came along!

Copy of The Dublin Saturday Magazine from the collated collection printed in 1865

In January 2021, I decided to clean the inside of the glass of the frame. When I took out the print I noticed a piece of the paper which was taped to the mount and was folded over itself. I gently took it off the mount and unfolded the paper. There, at the top of the print was a torn magazine title. There was enough visible to be able to make out the name "The Dublin Saturday Magazine" with "Vol.1, No.14, Price One Penny", printed under it.

And so began a few months of research into the origin of the print and the authenticity of the picture showing the bridge.

Title Page of the Dublin Saturday Magazine Volume 1.

I discovered a book of multiple Dublin Saturday Magazines, was published as a collective in 1865, by J. Mullany, Dublin, under the title "The Dublin Saturday Magazine: A Journal of Instruction and Amusement, Comprising Irish Biography and Antiquities, Original Tales and Sketches, Poetry, Varieties, Etc,". There is a physical copy of this 1865 compilation in both the University College Dublin (James Joyce Library) and in the National Library of Ireland with copies in various UK and US libraries. This compilation is printed in black and white. My print was coloured.

As my print had the words "Vol.1, Price One Penny, No.14" printed on it, this indicates that the original individual weekly magazines were printed separately, before this 1865 compilation book. I managed to access and download a full copy of this Dublin Saturday Magazine, Volume 1. This therefore dates my print of the castle and the old bridge to at least 156 years old.

Each of these magazines consisted of stories and news from around Ireland and historical accounts, with lithographic prints and an attached descriptive article. I have no idea how my print came to arrive in a mounted frame in a bookshop in Galway, but it had definitely come from an original Dublin Saturday Magazine.

I decided to look for any information on that original bridge that crossed the river Eske, from behind the O'Donnell Castle and I uncovered some interesting drawings, maps and descriptions.

My print was signed "Lewis" with "S.L." also inscribed in the left hand side of the bridge. I uncovered that a cartographer and publisher named Samuel Lewis had travelled around Ireland in the early 1800s, writing and drawing maps and sketches for "A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland", which was published in Two Volumes, in 1837. Was it possible that this drawing for the magazine was done by Lewis or maybe taken from an earlier sketch of the scene?

A Description of entering Donegal Town by Richard Twiss in "A tour in Ireland in 1775"
note: "where there is a tolerable bridge of six arches"

In 1775, Richard Twiss, in his guide book "A Tour in Ireland in 1775", wrote "I then went to Raphoe, and traversing bogs and mountains arrived at Donegal, where there is a "tolerable bridge of six arches, and a large ruined castle." In 1777 Taylor and Skinner compiled a "Road Map of Ireland" with drawings showing the bridge crossing the river Eske at the rear of the castle.

Part of the Griffiths Valuation map and Donegal Town Plan, c.1860
which shows the two bridges in situ at the same time.

According to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage , the existing "three-arch road bridge over the River Eske, was built c. 1855, having a footpath extension to the south elevation added c. 1975" and "replaced an earlier six-arch bridge, which was located adjacent to the north-east of the present structure. Both bridges appear to have co-existed for a period c. 1860" (earlier bridge indicated above as 'old bridge' on the Griffiths Valuation map and Town Plan, c.1860. This makes sense as they would have still have had to use the old bridge while the new bridge was being built.) The location and style of this earlier bridge also suggests that it may have also replaced an even older bridge dating to the pre-1700 period.

The 1837 First Edition 6" Map by the Ordnance Survey of Ireland shows the approach to the original bridge from Bridge Street, carrying on straight behind the castle, the bridge crossing the river and the road continuing up Meetinghouse Street (previously known as Bridge End) and on towards Mountcharles. The road goes straight through the land on which the outbuildings behind the Methodist Church now stands and therefore gives credence to the old name of Bridge End, for that part of the town. It also shows a Salmon Weir crossing the river, to the north side of the castle.

pre-1855 Donegal Bridge as shown on the 6 inch OSI map First Edition c.1837

The approach to the bridge from the centre of town shows the road coming down Bridge Street and turning in behind the Castle grounds, going straight through where the parallelogram-shaped building (which incorporates Julies Beauty Salon) now stands. This building was only built after the new bridge of 1855 was finished and is so shaped because of the space available due to the road turning to the approach of the new bridge.

Fish Market shown on the left side at Bridge Street, Donegal Town c.1837

On the 1837 map, there are no buildings on the left hand side of Bridge Street from Kearney’s building (recently the Tattoo Shop) down to the end of the present bridge. The terrace of buildings which includes Henderson’s, The Scotsman’s, La Bella Donna and The Reel Inn were all built at the same time, in c1860, after the new bridge was finished. Before that time, this whole area, from Henderson’s Hardware down to the rear of the Castle is shown as a vacant space with a low wall around it and described on this map as a "Fish Market".

The Old Methodist Church in Donegal Town which is now the complete ground floor of the Masonic Hall

In researching, I discovered that before the Methodist Church was built at its present location, it was located on the site where the Masonic Lodge stands today. On the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage website it states that "The present Methodist chapel in Donegal Town replaced an earlier one in the town which was located at the corner of Waterloo Place and New Row a short distance to the north-east of the present edifice on the site now occupied by the Masonic Hall". I discovered maps and photographs that show the original building, with a hipped roof, that was the old Methodist church.

Old Bridge and Castle Drawing showing Stepping Stones c1820

When I was growing up in Waterloo Place, the old neighbours used to talk of a second wooden bridge situated to the western side of the now present Iron Bridge. I found a lithographic print dated from 1820, in the National Library of Ireland, which depicts the old six arch bridge crossing from behind the castle and also shows Stepping Stones crossing the river on the northern side of the castle, one of which is still can be seen standing in the river today.

Donegal Castle 1838 showing foot bridge and old bridge. Note that the Church of Ireland seen to the left background was built between 1825-1828.

However, on another lithographic print I found in the National Library, dated 1838, it shows the old six arch bridge but also shows another smaller bridge made up of stone built stanchions with a wooden deck raised simply to road level. In this exact same position on the 1837 Ordnance Survey map, a structure is also shown here and is identified as a "Salmon Weir".

As a young boy growing up in this area of town, I was aware of the "lay of the land" around the castle and was also very aware of the existence, once, of this walkway bridge. You can still see the remains of this today. If you walk down to Waterloo Place, stand at the river wall opposite the second house back from the bottom of the Iron Bridge steps, facing the Castle. Look down over the river wall and you will see a stone-built abutment, (which is a structure built "to support the lateral pressure of an arch or span, e.g. at the ends of a bridge") which comes up to just below the present road level. There are small bushes growing on it now but you can see that it is built up about 2 metres up from the river bed. If you look straight across to the castle-side of the river parallel to this structure (and behind the newer-built water and sewerage scheme inspection manhole) you can see a similar abutment, topped with grass and bushes, which would have been the other side of this walk-bridge.

This walk bridge would have given a short-cut access from the Town centre to New Row, before the Iron Bridge was built in 1895. Another similar stone and wooden bridge was also in place on the site of the existing bridge beside Magee's factory at Water Street, would otherwise have had to been used.

"Donegal Cas, 1833, From JS Lever" from James Stark Fleming's sketchpad

I recently found two pencil sketches in a leather-bound notepad attributed to James Stark Fleming, 1834-1922, an artist “who produced on-the-spot sketches and also copied older original drawings located in the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin”. One is a drawing of the Old Franciscan Abbey at the pier here in Donegal Town, showing many of parts of the building that are no longer standing. The other of these drawings is exactly the same as my print, except it is signed in James Stark Fleming's handwriting as "Donegal Cas, 1833, From JS Lever".

Donegal Castle c1800 by Unknown Artist with old bridge in sketchbook in the Royal Irish Academy

Then, I found in the National Library of Ireland, an older and similar drawing, showing the castle and bridge (but with even more of the old castle wall to the gate-house to be seen) as part of a Sketchbook of "Fifty sketches of antiquities and landscapes in various parts of Ireland. Includes castles, abbeys, cathedrals and ruins", created at some time between 1770-1830, but the artist is unknown.

These are pencil sketches that were later used to produce more completed drawings and engravings and it is plain to see that they form the basis for my print, signed "Lewis", which was represented in the Saturday Dublin Magazine. Was the SL Lewis signature actually a JS Lever signature misinterpreted? I do not know.

When the present stone bridge was built, a new road was cut in, creating the triangular "Green" where the Red Shed stands, to give more direct access to the new bridge from the Mountcharles Road. The Methodist Church acquired the land at the end of the old bridge to built a new church, a three-bay double-height over basement church, built between 1857 and 1859, on its existing site.

My reconstructed representation of the old stone six arch bridge that crossed the River Eske from behind the Castle, as it would have been pre-1855.

I finally decided to create an image showing a representation of what this old six arch bridge and this part of Donegal Town may have looked like before the 1855 bridge was built. Using photography, computer design, watercolour paints and with thanks to Richard Cave and Nuala Toland, it is completed and I am delighted with the finished drawing, shown in the last image here.

This has been an exciting journey of research and discovery which now adds yet another little layer to the recorded history of Donegal Town.

Zack.