Martin Cullen launches Festive Star, Waterford's Christmas Annual!
Deputy Mayor of Waterford Cllr Adam Wyse, artist Lisa Keane, Catherine Moore, WNS, Mary Frances Ryan, Editor, WNS, and Martin Cullen, special guest, at The Book Centre for the launch of Festive Star. Photo: Joe Evans
A packed crowd attended the official launch of at The Book Centre, where special guests Deputy Mayor of Waterford Cllr Adam Wyse and former Waterford Cabinet Minister Martin Cullen informed the audience of the treats to be found within this year's edition.
A team of contributors, from top chefs, local politicians, photographers, artists, poets, writers and more have contributed to the Waterford News & Star Christmas Annual, packed with festive fun and stories of local people, places and history.
Officially launching the title, Editor of the Waterford News & Star, Mary Frances Ryan, said that the annual publication has become a symbol of Christmas in Waterford: “In Festive Star this year we have exceptional stories of Waterford, our social history, our lived history, our far distant history.
"We have wonderful personal anecdotes of the Déise, we have Hollywood stars with Waterford connections, sporting stars, and young music stars on the rise.
“We have amazing photographs from 25 years ago compiled by our photographer Joe Evans; we’ve fantastic quizzes and crosswords, delicious recipes from Waterford chefs, beautiful gift ideas all available locally in Waterford, exceptional creative writing – short stories and poems, and of course our Young Voices section."
Ms Ryan said Festive Star's contributors "come from all walks of life and all parts of the Déise, east and west – as far as our lovely Gaeltacht".
"Our cover is absolutely gorgeous, thanks to artist Lisa Keane – and perfectly fitting for Waterford’s European City of Christmas accolade, featuring the lovely Winterval Train.
"It wouldn’t be Christmas in Waterford without a copy of the Festive Star!"
A man Waterford holds particularly dear officially launched the title, Martin Cullen, who changed his flights from the U.S. in order to attend the launch.
Amongst his accolades, Martin served in Dáil Éireann as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government; Minister for Transport; Minister for Social and Family Affairs; and Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism.
He said, “Each story, each contribution is so amazingly interesting. It talks about the present, the past, and indeed the long past. I got very nostalgic reading the contributions and it made me think about Waterford in so many different ways.
“It is 14 years since I ever made a speech like this, and I'm delighted to be associated with Christmas, Winterval and the . Christmas is about the Christmas spirit. Kindness, empathy and decency, we need that now more than ever in the world and Christmas brings that out of us. Christmas embodies what is good about our human nature."
Providing entertainment on the night was nine-year-old Toby McDonald, of Tramore's Klub Muzik, with a wonderful rendition of Bob Dylan’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’.
"Waterford is a special place; we've had amazing people in the past and we have amazing people here today, and looking here at Toby it's clear we will have amazing people in the future," Mr. Cullen said.
Deputy Mayor Adam Wyse, meanwhile, commended Waterford for being named the European City of Christmas 2024 and expressed the importance of supporting local media and business, particularly during the Christmas season: “We should support our local media. For us, they'ret he backbone of our local democracy.
"It is important that we have that local media there, that’s trusted, honest, fair and balanced, and that’s why I'm very supportive of this event here today for the ."
2024 is in shops now across Waterford city and county.
