BOOZE, BLAA’S N BANTER 2022.
IT’S BACK AND YOU DARENTH MISS IT.
Don’t miss the early morning annual Jordan’s Jamboree, that’s held in Waterford every October Bank Holiday Weekend, as part of the Imagine Festival. We’re back after missing 2020/2022 due to the Covid Lockdowns.
The event is an homage to the bonhomie and craic that were the early hours Dockers Taverns of yore where dockers gathered to ” clear the wrinkles outa their nuts ” as they used to say, following the previous nites drinking, before starting work along the quay’s. They would often be joined by workers finishing their late night shifts in local factories, railway worker’s, as well as an oddball mix of ‘nite owl’s’, dandies, dossers and ladies of the nite etc.
This local maritime, labour and social history event has established itself as one of the highlights of the Imagine Festival over the years, and if you’ve never been along, pencil it in for Saturday 29th October this year and get your Bank Holiday Weekend off to a flying start (doors 9am). Jordan’s is fully licensed for singing and dancing etc..
Complimentary Blaa’s with fillings, along with coffee and tea are provided throughout the morning by our talented chefs, Peter and Noel Atkins. Alcoholic beverages can be purchased from our genial host’s Andy and Cathy Jordan and their wonderful staff.
This year’s event includes the following short talks with musical and spoken word interludes by Waterford’s finest entertainers.
‘Cabin Fever 2003 – Disaster, Fun N Craic on the High Seas’ by Elaine Power.
‘Master of Masters – The Life of Josef Cretzan’ by David Cretzan.
‘Remembering Liam Cahill, Journalist, trade unionist and Author’ by Eoin Ronayne
‘Ulysses, Joyce and Jordan’s’ by Paul O’Brien
‘Dervla Murphy – A Life Well Travelled’ by Frieda Ryan.
‘Lawless Lightermen’ by Andrew Doherty.
‘Remembering Teresa Deevy’ by Ciara Nì Chonchubhaìr.
‘TF Meagher’s river return to Waterford 1843’ by Joe Falvey.
‘The Waterford British Seamen’s Mission’ by Tom Mullane.
Music and Poetry by:
Pat n Jim, the House Band
Cathy Desmond
Priyangee Guta
Louis Quinlan
Paul Dillion
Wayne Power
Martyn Travis
Joe Tobin
Micheal ‘Dyksie’ Walsh
Matthew Roche
and others.
Special thanks to:
Sound engineer Dave Fitzgerald.
Anna Jordan and staff.
The Blaa prep team: Brenda, Mary and Jo.
Also thanks to:
Walsh’s Bakery, Molloy’s Butcher’s and Billy Burke Fishmongers.
WCCC Arts office and staff for PA and sound equipment.
Design Print.
All our loyal and regular supporters.
Unite Community Branch Waterford.
SarahJane and Imagine Festival crew.
The event is organised and sponsored by:
Waterford Council of Trade Unions.
Ulysses, Joyce and Jordan’s – Paul O’Brien
On the hundredth anniversary of James Joyce’s Ulysses, Paul O’Brien will offer a friendly guide to getting stuck in to Joyce’s great novel. Ulysses has a reputation for being hard to read, but for all that, it is a very funny book, full of Joyce’s good humour.
Paul O’Brien, a regular at this event will, hopefully, enthuse you to take the plunge into what is perhaps the greatest novel of the twentieth century.
Priyangee Guha
Priyangee is a human rights lawyer and celebrant from India who processes her trauma with cakes and comedy. Debuting in Waterford, join Priyangee to learn about their adventure in a new continent during a pandemic, and get an insight into her unique processing system. Pri was a Funny Women Semifinalist 2022 and is delighted to share her comedy with you all.
Remembering Joseph Cretzan, Glassmaker Extraordinare – David Cretzan
After 15 long years of research and hard work I can finally confirm the book on my Dad’s life is in the making: Master of Masters – The Life of Josef Cretzan. I have never been more excited and proud to tell the story of his amazing and often very sad life. I never ever thought 17 years ago when we were moving house and I came across a treasure trove belonging to my Dad that it would lead to this. In that box was an array of pictures, documents, heartbreaking letters and a story of a life I knew very little about. Two years later for my 40th birthday, I started my journey of retracing his life. It took me back to his birthplace, a very small village in Northern Romania, to a small glass factory in the snow-covered hills of Putna on the border with Ukraine. The book details Josef Cretzan’s journey from Romania, through Europe and his experience as a soldier during World War 2. Following the war he was separated from his father and younger siblings who were trapped in the Russian controlled zone of Germany. In 1950 an advertisement in a German newspaper seeking experienced glassworkers for a glass factory in Waterford resulted in his arrival to Waterford in 1951 and the book details the contribution he made to glassblowing in Waterford and the wider community in the city.
Rescuing Teresa Deevy from Obscurity – Ciara Ní Chonchubhair
Ciara is a primary school teacher, writer and life celebrant from Waterford. Ciara speaks Gaeilge and loves to perform through the medium of Irish. She has spent the last year travelling the far corners of Ireland marrying people from all walks of life and so has hung up her poetry boots for a while. She is delighted to be back in Jordan’s performing for Booze, Blaas and Banters.
The Wreck of Jeneilska – Elaine Power (Dunmore East)
Elaine Power was born and bred in Dunmore East. Some of her earliest memories are of living over the family pub “Power’s” locally known as “The Butcher’s” experiencing the comings and goings of the local and visiting seafaring community.
In 2003 she was lured to sea by the RTE show Cabin Fever an 8-week-long reality TV show involving 10 competitors sailing on a gaff-rigged schooner around Ireland for a winner takes all 100,000 first prize. Billed as a cross between Big Brother and Survivor on a ship, Love Island it wasn’t!
Shipwrecked on Tory Island on Friday the 13th June after 10 days at sea, this ship of fools became the TV hit of the summer of 2003….
Dervla Murphy – A Life Well Travelled – Frieda Ryan
“The First Lady of Irish Cycling” Dervla Murphy, born Lismore, November 28th 1931 and died Lismore May 22nd 2022.
In her obituary in The Guardian newspaper discussed her importance as a writer, not just a travel writer but a chronicler of her experiences en route as described in her most famous book “Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle” is emphasised thus:
“ ……as much a historical document a of a gone world as a travel book….”
She wrote a total of 26 books some of which have been reissued by Eland.
This short talk to be presented by Frieda Ryan at this year’s Booze Blaas and Banter will give a (hopefully tantalising) flavour of Ms.Murphy’s fascinating life and travels. And perhaps encourage more people to read her books.
