On June 10th, Mayor of Waterford Metropolitan District, Cllr. Adam Wyse, participated in the historic tradition of ‘reclaiming the waters’ aboard the Irish Naval Service vessel LÉ James Joyce.

The ceremony traces its origins to 1626, when King Charles I granted Waterford a new charter, known as the Great Governing Charter. The charter restored and reaffirmed the city’s historic rights and privileges, many of which had been withdrawn during the reign of his father, King James I.

Among the powers conferred under the charter was the title of Admiral of the Harbour, bestowed upon the Mayor of Waterford. The role granted the Mayor authority to hold admiralty courts within the harbour and established a symbolic tradition that continues to this day. As part of the ceremony, the Mayor casts a ceremonial silver dart into the estuary at the confluence of the Three Sisters rivers, formally claiming the waters on behalf of the city.

RTW25
Captain Kieran Breen making a presentation to Metropolitan Mayoe Cll. Adam Wyse. Photo: John Power
RTW18
Metropolitan Mayor Cllr. Adam Wyse Reclaiming the Waters on Board The LE James Joyce on Wed. Last with Cllr’s Jim Griffin and Declan Barry, Lt. CDR Kieran Breen, Capt. LE James Joyce, Lt. Tahlia Britton, Sub. Lt. & Gunnery Officer, Laoise Mulcahy,David Sinnott, CEO, Port Of Waterford and Darren Doyle, Harbour Master, Waterford. Photo: John Power

Speaking after the event, Mayor Wyse said, “It is a great honour to continue a tradition that has been part of Waterford’s history for four centuries. The ceremony serves as a reminder of the city’s rich maritime heritage, and the important relationship Waterford has always enjoyed with its harbour and waterways.

“I would like to thank the officers and crew of the LÉ James Joyce, particularly Executive Officer Tahlia Britton, as well as Captain Darren Doyle and the Port of Waterford for their continuing support in facilitating this historic event.”

At the culmination of the ceremony, Mayor Wyse performed the traditional act of reclaiming the waters, declaring, “To drive out King Neptune, I cast this silver dart into these waters and declare: ‘According to the Great Governing Charter of Waterford City, as granted by King Charles I, on behalf of the Mayor of Waterford and Admiral of the Harbour, I claim these waters.”

The annual ceremony remains one of Waterford’s most distinctive civic traditions, celebrating the city’s enduring connection to its maritime past and its historic status as one of Ireland’s most important ports.