This year’s Spring Meeting will take place in East Waterford & South Kilkenny, SE Ireland, starting on Friday 11 May and concluding on Sunday 13 May. The meeting will be using as a base the seaside town of Tramore.
Friday 11 May. We will meet at O’Shea’s Hotel, Tramore, from 7pm for short introductory talks. There will be finger food and wine.
Saturday 12 May. 9 am assemble car park opposite Majestic Hotel for visit to sites in East Waterford; subject to landowners’ permission we will visit the small passage tombs of Harristown, Matthewstown and Carriglong. Portal tombs at Knockeen and Gaulstown. Rhyolite stone source at Monvoy, Henge enclosure at Castletown. Viewing of promontory forts along the Copper Coast (see www.coppercoastgeopark.com).
Sunday 13 May. 9.30 am depart for South Kilkenny: visit portal tomb at Kilmogue/Harristown, passage tomb with megalithic art at Knockroe and possibly passage tomb at Baunfree. Possibly continue to Brownes Hill portal tomb near Carlow for drop off to buses and trains ex Carlow to Dublin
For details of sites see http://webgis.archaeology.ie/historicenvironment/
The fee for attending this weekend will be 70 euros, or £65. This includes a space on a minibus over the weekend and Friday evening reception refreshments. Payment details contained on the booking form.
Getting there
Car: Two hours from Cork airport and about 2.5 from Dublin airport, the latter with a particularly good motorway, though the first 40 km leaving Dublin can be slow on Friday evenings.
Train: Dublin Heuston Station to Waterford (www.irishrail.ie) Last train 18.35.
Buses ex Dublin: Bus Eireann (www.buseireann.ie) and J. J. Kavanagh (www.jjkavanagh.ie) run from Dublin airport to Waterford and some of the Kavanaghs run right to Tramore. Dublin Coach (www.dublincoach.ie) runs from Dublin to Waterford but requires a change for Dublin airport
Buses ex Cork: Dublin Coach and Bus Eireann run to Waterford
Waterford Quays to Tramore: buses with Bus Eireann every 30 minutes.
Base/Accommodation: see www.tramore.ie Tramore has one 4* hotel, the Majestic, and a 3* O’Shea’s, plus a number of B&B both regular and Air, and a good hostel. It’s an old established seaside place, with chip shops, promenade and funfairs, and also a new Japanese Garden. There are other places to stay in the area, but the new Waterford Greenway has brought an influx of tourists so early booking is advised.
To book your place, simply completed the attached form on the right of this page and send to the address at the bottom of page two.