A look back on one of the most remarkable chapters in modern Ireland's industrial history
Crystal workers Liam O'Rourke and Tom Power. Photo: Joe Evans
The date was January 30 2009, and the workers of Waterford Crystal have just been told that the company was shutting down.
What followed was an impassioned, unprecedented scene, as close to one hundred workers stormed into the Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre in a desperate plea to save their jobs and the iconic Waterford brand.
Initially, there were little more than a dozen who found themselves outside the Visitor Centre, faced down by a team of security workers.
The workers found a way inside, and told national media that this was now an occupation.
Reporter Marion O'Mara wrote in the Waterford News & Star that week:
'Ashen faces, vacant expressions and numbed silence gave way to angry outbursts and the storming of the Visitor Centre at Waterford Crystal.
'By the minute their numbers swellled, and it became clear that the cutters, blowers and employees, who in many cases had given decades of their life to the company, were not giving up their jobs and hard earned redundancy without a fight.'
Faced with the devastating loss of their livelihoods and pensions, the workers refused to walk away, and for eight weeks they staged the sit-in.
On Mother's Day, the sit-in ended, as Marion O'Mara wrote:
'Altogether, it took less than two hours to taken down the posters and banners that had been motivation for eight weeks.
'The windows of Gatchell's restaurant and the reception area of the gallery were stripped in silence. Hands were shook, tears fell from the eyes of grown men and with hunched shoulders they walked away with their thoughts and memories.'
It is remembered as one of the most remarkable chapters in modern Irish industrial history.
This story is now set to be told on stage, in a new play by Waterford theatre company, Theatre Vamps. It is arguably the company's largest production ever.
"The Last Days of the Glass" tells the true story of the men and women who staged the sit-in.
Written by Derek Flynn and directed by James Power of Stagemad Theatre Company, the new drama brings the voices of those days back to life.
Starring Derek Flynn, Kaz Butler Kelly, Clodagh Kenny, and Jamie Power, the play honours the people behind the headlines.
Writer Derek Flynn said: "This is a story I've wanted to tell for years and, to be honest, I was amazed that no-one had told it before.
"It's such an extraordinary story of courage, determination and above all, hope. Whether you lived through those unforgettable days, worked in the factory, or simply remember what Waterford Crystal meant to the city, this is a story that belongs to all of Waterford."
"The Last Days of the Glass" takes place in the Dr. Mary Strangman Large Room, City Hall, on October 9 and 10.
Tickets are available now on the Theatre Vamps page on Eventbrite.ie.
