Waterford, among the main human entry points to Ireland since 8,000BC, is cosmopolitan and outward-looking.  Leading families were often merchants from England, Wales, France, and Holland. Waterfordians today are a huge genetic mix of immigrants; today new Waterfordians have come from many countries including Nigeria, India, the Philippines, Ukraine. 

In turn Waterfordians have contributed to our adoptive homelands, Salamanca to St John’s, Malaga to Mazulipatam.  To echo the Taoiseach’s remarks on his 2024 visit to the USA, we are all ultimately asylum seekers – immigrants / emigrants, highly mobile and culturally adaptable. Nationality and identity ‘are far more complex and fluid than people often care to admit’.

Waterford Treasures will develop a new offering to recognise immigrant and emigrant populations and highlight the rich cross-cultural exchange of our culture. We will consult new Waterfordians before making replica objects from our collections for loan boxes of the objects and learning resources for a variety of ages, to hire out to schools and community groups.

Additionally we will mount a welcoming academic conference open to all to learn of Waterfordians who made their mark abroad, operating across political boundaries and achieving importance in quite unexpected places. We will share our knowledge of their material culture in the displays of Waterford Treasures.

Please note that the details of events listed above are provided by the relevant Local Authorities.