Waterford City & County Council has erected a new heritage sign in Seafield, Bunmahon to commemorate an Irish College that was erected nearby in 1835 by Stradbally native, Philip Barron.
The new bilingual sign gives an overview of the life of Philip Barron, who was born in Durrow House in Stradbally, and his lifelong efforts to promote the Irish language and culture.
The sign describes Philip as a man “who had great ambitions for the literature and language of his native country.” Among his other achievements was the publication of the Ancient Ireland periodical and he was the owner of the Waterford Chronicle newspaper.
Barron’s Irish College at Seafield, from where his ambition was to promote “the revival of learning in Ireland”, was short-lived and by mid-1835 its doors were closed again and all that remained of the College by 1916 was some ruins.
The Irish and Heritage Officers of Waterford City & County Council, who produced this sign, have thanked local historian, Aidan Coffey and poet and writer Áine Uí Fhoghlú for their assistance in creating the sign.
The commemorative sign for Philip Barron’s Irish College in Seafield can be found at the junction of Seafield Boreen and the R675 near Bunmahon.
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