Documentaries to chart crystal’s role in Waterford

WATERFORD’S crystal factory has always had a cherished role in the life of Deise people, as well as in the history and economy of the region.

And now that role is being immortalised in a series of six hour-long documentaries charting the history of glassmaking in Waterford from the 1940s to the present day, which will be aired on local radio.

And a box set of the series is being donated to the archives, ensuring that generations to come will understand the key role crystal plays in Waterford.

The series begins on Waterford’s WLR FM on Thursday. Created by writer and theatre director Jim Nolan and broadcast journalist Liz Reddy, “The Glass” offers a living history with the Waterford Crystal story told by those who work or have worked in one of Ireland’s best-known indigenous industries.

More than 70 people were interviewed for the documentary series which was researched over a six-month period. While the factory-floor workers tell their own stories and recall the peaks and troughs the company has experienced, the programme-makers also speak to Brian Patterson, Paddy Galvin and Redmond O’Donoghue who recall their time at the helm.

The company’s current chief executive John Foley is also interviewed.

The station’s head of news and sport, Liz Reddy, said it had been a labour of love: “This has been a fascinating series to work on and we’ve met some amazing people with remarkable stories.

“As well as tracking the company’s story, something that marks these programmes out is that they seek to put the workers centre-stage to tell their own often extraordinary stories rather than having so-called ‘experts’ talking to and about them. In that sense, the series offers a unique oral history of Waterford and the company which was the main employer here for many years.”

*The six programmes in “The Glass” will be broadcast each Thursday from September 21 at 11am, with repeat broadcasts at 1pm each Sunday.