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heritage · Tuesday 18 August 2026 · 6:00pm 
Out of Storage: Maritime Objects from the Collection
At Medieval Museum · Cathedral Square, Waterford, Co. Waterford
At Medieval Museum · Cathedral Square, Waterford, Co. Waterford
Curator Donnchadh Ó Ceallacháin opens the Medieval Museum’s stores for a rare look at maritime objects from the Waterford Treasures collection on Tuesday, 18 August 2026. The 90 minute session takes place in the Garden Room and covers material not normally on public display. It is presented free of charge as part of National Heritage Week, in partnership with the Port of Waterford, and forms part of the groundwork for a planned permanent maritime gallery telling the story of Waterford as a working port city.
Ó Ceallacháin talks through the use, construction and history of individual pieces drawn from the museum’s maritime holdings, material connected to centuries of shipping, trade and fishing on the River Suir and Waterford Harbour. Because the objects are normally kept in storage rather than on public display, the session gives a genuine behind the scenes view of how a city museum collects, catalogues and cares for material that does not fit into its permanent galleries. The talk suits anyone with an interest in Waterford’s maritime and trading history, from the Viking founding of the city in 914 through to its more recent life as a working port. Expect a small group format given the Garden Room’s limited capacity, with time built in for questions after the main talk.
The Medieval Museum is on Cathedral Square in Waterford’s Viking Triangle, next to Christ Church Cathedral and a short walk from the Bishop’s Palace and Reginald’s Tower. The city centre is walkable, with Plunkett rail station and the central bus stops a few minutes away on foot.
The Medieval Museum sits at the centre of Waterford’s museum quarter, close to the cathedral and the old city walls, so this talk pairs easily with a wider afternoon exploring the city’s Viking and medieval sites. There is more to see in Waterford and across Co. Waterford.
Heading to Medieval Museum in Waterford? Waterford has plenty more to see. Read the Waterford area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.