Catherine Drea: Let's dream with more ambition about turning the city back towards our river

Whenever the subject of redeveloping the Quay comes up I go into a riverside daydream. I imagine wandering along the twinkling waters of the Suir with the sun in my face, gardens and trees to my left, and the sound of children playing quietly while adults sit on park benches reading books or drinking coffee! It would be the Sunday Prom in Tramore but with knobs on!

Then I start reminiscing about the great times we had at the Tall Ships Race in 2005 and later in 2011 when the tall ships returned for a visit. Do you remember those fantastic days? If ever I was transported into the history of Waterford and the very reason for the existence of such a spectacular quayside, it was then. The mile-long vista of tall ships from all over the world lined up on either side of the magnificent Suir was a sight to behold.

That weekend over 400,000 visitors came to the Quay in Waterford to witness it. They oohed and aahed their way around the city for those wonderful days. There was something magical about the riverside all the way out to sea and the docking of the ships throughout the city that demonstrated our seafaring history. Somehow, suddenly it all made sense.

If you missed it, just try to imagine the Quays with no cars. There is a beautiful wide empty space where, on those Tall Ships days, people rambled, sat and ate ice creams, had lunch or dinner along the way, and filled the city with life and joy. We could all imagine the olden days when French wines were unloaded from ships along that same quayside and where the life of the city was focused on the busy shipping lines between Europe and ourselves.

It often struck me that when my grandmother worked as a “shop girl” in Hearns, now Shaws, she walked along a very busy quayside. In fact when the fire ruined Hearns in 1915, the shop moved to the Meagher’s Quay side of the road, to a temporary building. She never failed to mention this drama or the glamour of Waterford ladies who continued to buy their hats and gloves from her.

The Quays have been the centre of other special events; I remember bringing a gang of children to the Tour de France race, the many wonderful Spraoi festivals and later Wintervals. Now with the link to the North Quay via a pedestrian bridge (which hopefully will be named for one of the city's notable women!) reclaiming the south quays seems like a no-brainer.

Recently I saw a lot of social media chatter as to what the future of the Quays should be given that the lease for private car parking seems to be coming to its renewal date. Overwhelmingly, people talked in the same vein, the magnificent river frontage should not be used for carparks.

There are strong views about the car parking charges, the pedestrianisation of the shopping areas and the decline of retail in the city. But overwhelmingly when it comes to the Quays people agree that there is incredible potential for all sorts of possibilities.

My own fantasies are very much influenced by the Tall Ships events. Whenever I visualise the future for the Quays I see ships! Maybe they will be training ships like the Jeanie Johnson or tourist attractions like the Dunbrody? Or they could be model Viking ships like the beauty in the Viking Triangle. But whatever happens there will have to be ships!

Then I imagine rambling parks, green areas, playgrounds, small cafes and craft stalls. I see fruiting trees and rich biodiversity in the green areas. Maybe growing food for educational purposes like they have in the streets of Berlin. Then on the river, boat trips and river activities all the way out to join the beautiful estuary villages.

I know that there are arguments about adequate parking and about the decline of retail. People say that the city is lacking a certain buzz. They point to Kilkenny or Wexford and how people flock to the centre of those towns to both create and enjoy the vibe. But those of us who live here need to have more outdoor green spaces in the city centre. Museums are lovely for an occasional visit but we also need free, green spaces as an everyday option.

Families and shoppers alike would throng to a living, breathing, green riverside. Some people are even suggesting park-and-ride facilities or shuttle buses into the Quay. If we build it, they will come! 

Essentially families and shoppers are all looking for the same thing; beauty, culture, relaxation, great food, shopping, fun, safety and lots of free spaces.

The magnificent city of Bilbao, for so many years a wasteland of unused quays and maritime shipyards, completely transformed the cityscape through waterside regeneration. Waterford has done so much of that already but like Bilbao maybe it’s time to take back the river, the maritime history and the magnificent vista of the Quays.

In that recent conversation on social media, I could see that lots of people from other parts of the country aspire to live here, saying that Waterford has it all. But more than many places in Ireland it also has a majestic river at its heart. Let’s dream with a little more ambition about turning the city back towards her.