Waterford and Wexford estuary villages band together for Heritage Week free public events
Lots of events are taking place in Passage East over the coming days.
The five traditional fishing villages on the two sides of the Waterford estuary are banding together for a joint heritage week programme of free public events this month.
The events, running from Saturday, August 15 to Saturday, August 22, were announced by the Waterford Estuary Villages Alliance to showcase "a fishing community coming together to confront the threat of heritage loss".
Starting on Saturday, August 15, with a troop of period-dressed pikemen and musketeers in a Croppy Boys reenactment across the estuary from Duncannon to Crooke Graveyard, Passage East, the free events will cover a range of historical and cultural stories.
Saturday will also see a moving reenactment of the Cockle Women on Passage Beach, with samplings of traditional cockle chowder to follow.
Narrated heritage and history tours will run on both sides of the estuary over the week, with an interesting tour on offer on the recently restored Reaper boat at Cheekpoint pier for those on the Waterford side.
“With strength in unity, Weva is on a mission to revive a culturally vibrant and economically sustainable maritime community across the villages of Duncannon, Passage East, Cheekpoint, Ballyhack and Arthurstown," said Weva Chairman, Walter Foley on the announcement of the joint programme.
"National Heritage Week is a perfect opportunity to showcase our shared estuary’s bountiful yet at-risk heritage and celebrate some of its unique elements with local communities and visitors”.
Other events in the Heritage Week programme include free guided tours of Ballyhack Castle, Duncannon Fort and a history and heritage cruise from Ballyhack. A traditional net roping skills workshop is also open to the public for free in this joint estuary endeavor.
