The opening evening event at the AVEA Conference took place in the wine cellars of the medieval section of Waterford Treasures Museum.
The event took place in the wine cellar of a building built by Peter Rice in the 1400s, featuring Dundry Stone from Bristol.
Curator Cliona Purcell leads the team in presenting unique exhibitions, focusing on Waterford’s mediaeval past and coin-making history. She explained that Waterford had a carefully guarded monopoly on wine imports, giving it the title “wine capital of Ireland.”
Waterford Treasures Museum houses a collection of artefacts spanning over 1,000 years of history, including the 13th-century choristers’ hall. The museum offers special evening events, allowing visitors to explore galleries after dark, enhancing the cultural experience.
Archaeological evidence, such as animal bones and oyster shells, provides insights into mediaeval diets and trade, including wine imports.
Cliona Purcell shared: “The space itself is very, very special. Peter Rice liked the finer things in life, which you can tell as you look around here, see the stone on the edges of the columns. Waterford imported vast punches of wine during the mediaeval period, and sold it right around the southeast of Ireland.”
