Waterford Today | Waterford's free weekly newspaper

Q. Was it human hubris or flawed design that sank the "unsinkable" luxury liner the "Titanic" on its maiden voyage, killing 1500 people out of the 2200 on board, the world's most famous maritime disaster?A. Blame it on a little pride and a lot of bad engineering, says Adam Weiner in "Don't Try This at Home: The Physics of Hollywood Movies." The ship had design innovations that theoretically should have made it safer, such as the hull's 16 separate buoyant compartments divided by watertight doors. It was touted that the ship could stay afloat even if four of its sections were breached, but tragically on that night of April 14, 1912, a massive iceberg that outweighed the ship by about 5 to 1 punctured six compartments near the bow. In under three hours, the ship sank to the bottom

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Aries - March 21st - April 20thLive and let live is what you are all about this week as you forgive people for indiscretions that once, you might have looked at more judgementally, and as a result, you have more time for the more important issues that surround you. Somebody who may have won a few euros on the Grand National recently might be in the money again.

Taurus - April 21st - May 21stThe fact that we can now travel so easily from Waterford Airport and cut out the nightmare that is the Dublin experience will be a major plus in the life of one or two Taureans out there. Book early though, and get the best price. The creative juices begin to flow as well as somebody decides to take up an arts course - it will

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Waterford ladies receive mysterious letters

The story of how a married woman's bravery and a Civic Guard's trap combined to put an end to a disquieting 'Jack the Ripper' scare in the city was revealed to a "News" reporter on Tuesday.

For a period of six weeks past, it appears that several letters had been received by various young girls and married women appealing to them, in every instance, to keep an appointment with the known sender, who signed himself 'Jack'. In two cases married women received as many as four letters during the past month. One sample read "My dear girl, how are you going on since I saw you last, my love? I hope you are well. I want to see you tomorrow (Thursday) night at 7.15, and I will wait for you at Chapman's window, O'Connell Street. Please try

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At the launch of the sixth annual Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (IGDB) / Specsavers SHADES 2008 national fundraising campaign (2 April) Roy Keane, Irish football legend and Sunderland manager appealed for schools in the Waterford area to come up with some FUNdraising activities. Roy joined IGDB and Specsavers to call on all schools, businesses and organisations to support Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind / Specsavers National Fundraising and Awareness SHADES 2008 week running from Monday 5th until Saturday 10 May.

THE SHADES SCHOOLS INITIATIVE appeals for students in the Waterford area and from across Ireland to come up with fun & innovative ways to FUNdraise for the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind/Specsavers SHADES Campaign. Regional winners will be chosen for their most novel & creative fundraising

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Irish Heart Foundation seeks 'volunteers with heart' in Waterford

The Irish Heart Foundation is searching for 'volunteers with heart' to join their Happy Heart team in Waterford and raise vital funds to improve Ireland's stroke services.

If you're looking for fun, friends and lots of laughter – then don't miss your chance to become part of the country's most HEART-warming event of the year. Happy Heart Weekend 15-17 May, is the Irish Heart Foundation's largest national fundraiser – but it is also so much more. All over the country people come together on this weekend to join in a common goal – to raise money and make life better for people with stroke and heart disease.

This year marks the 18th anniversary of Happy Heart Weekend, which is sponsored by Omron medical devices. Here are just some of the reasons volunteers in

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The couple involved in the first ever spouse to spouse living transplant operation in Ireland which took place at Beaumont Hospital last week will return home safe and well to their three young sons today. Wife and husband Deirdre and Ned (Edward) Crowe from Carrick on Suir, Co. Tipperary made Irish history last week when Deirdre donated her kidney to her husband Ned. This is the first time for a non blood related transplant to take place in this country.

Speaking at the Irish Kidney Association's Renal Support Centre in advance of the couple's departure from the grounds of Beaumont Hospital was Mark Murphy, the Chief Executive of the Irish Kidney Association who said "this is a landmark occasion for living transplantation in Ireland and it opens the

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Eat Smart Week (28th April- 2nd May)Eat Smart - Eat Slowly! is the advice of the Nutrition and Health Foundation (NHF) for this year's Eat Smart Week (28th April - 2nd May). "Many of us tend to overestimate the amount of food (or portion size) that we need. The lack of portion control is one of the reasons why over 50% of Irish people are either overweight or obese," stated Dr. Muireann Cullenn, NHF Manager.

Studies by the Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance show that obesity is not linked to the type of food consumed, but rather the overall calorie intake and exercise levels. "It all comes back to the balance between energy in and energy out. Eat Smart Week is a fantastic opportunity to highlight the fact that it's not only what you put on your plate that matters, but

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From food trails to cookery demonstrations to children's workshops, petting the animals at the Agri Aware Mobile Farm, enjoying the knowledge of the Druid Chef and the all exuberant Farmers Market at Grattan Square; there was much on offer at the inaugural Waterford Festival of Food which took place in Dungarvan last weekend.

The festival was officially opened on Friday April 11th at 6pm by Minister Martin Cullen at the town hall. Afterwards festival-goers followed food trails criss-crossing the town between centrally located restaurants. Two food trails were on offer, the red trail (meat tasting dishes) or the turquoise trail (fish and vegetarian tasting dishes) and both sold out. Special Festival menus, featuring local produce were on offer in many of Dungarvan's fine restaurants.

On Saturday 12th April, morning and

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Jon Kenny returns to Forum Waterford

The inimitable Jon Kenny returns to the stage at Forum Waterford on Saturday May 31st with a fantastic new show entitled 'Back to Front' .The new show heralds a welcome return for Jon to the type of work that made his reputation. Drawing on his impressive background in stand-up, comedic characterisation and music, 'Back to Front' is another exhilarating show from the talented Kenny.

Jon uses the changing face of contemporary Ireland as the scaffold on which to build his hilarious observations and characters. With an astute eye for the ridiculous in modern life, Jon focuses on Ireland's new characters, lambasting the emerging Irish eccentricities in our newly affluent era. Running through such contrasting experiences as supporting Munster rugby to visiting a health spa,

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Having captured the hearts and minds of Bowie fans, music journalists and, legendary Bowie drummer, 'Woody' Woodmansey, Absolute Bowie - Europe's No. 1 David Bowie tribute band bring their superb 'Sound and Vision' Tour to Forum Waterford for one night only this coming Friday, 18th April. In this two hour musical extravaganza, Absolute Bowie cover all aspects and all eras of David Bowie's career, giving audiences a true to life experience of seeing the legendary British musician and iconic songwriter, up close and personal in an intimate concert setting.

David Bowie was born David Robert Jones in Brixton, London, on 8 January 1947. Sharing the same birthday as Elvis Presley. He later changed his surname name to Bowie to avoid confusion with Monkee, Davy Jones. He released his debut album, the self-titled "David Bowie", in 1967 after playing in a

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Applications are now being invited for the fourth annual Ted & Mary O'Regan Arts Bursary. The Bursary, valued at up to e5,000, was inaugurated in 2005 to honour the memory of one of Waterford's best loved and respected couples.

The purpose of the Award is to assist an individual or individuals, either from or with a strong connection to Waterford City or County, to pursue and develop their chosen arts discipline. Previous award winners include the actor, Robert Sinnott (2005), playwright, Pat Daly (2006), Visual Artist, Anthony Mackey and Music Student, Eadaoin Walsh (2007).

Applicants should note that the criteria for the Bursary are open and flexible and that people of all ages may apply. Whilst the Bursary has, in the past facilitated recipients to attend a third level arts course, this is not a pre-requisite. The Award will aim

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Christchurch Cathedral Sunday 1st June at 12pm.

The concert will feature classical works, and popular songs from his album Heavenly

'Gerald Peregrine plays the cello as if born to it'

- the Irish TimesGerald Peregrine is one of Irelands leading young musicians. The youngest member of a well known Irish musical family, his mother is the violinist Sheila O' Grady, his uncle the late great tenor Frank Patterson. Gerald began studying violin at the age of 3, but quickly fell in love with the cello at the age of 6.

Having studied in Ireland, Gerald began commuting regularly to London at the age of 15 for tuition with the late mentor William Pleeth, the former teacher to Jacqueline Du Pre. At 18 he was awarded a Foundation scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music, London, with the renowned American

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The Butler Gallery has an extraordinary resource in its fine permanent collection. Established in 1943, the collection has continued to flourish through gift, loan and purchase. It is a rich archive to which the inquisitive eye may turn and return. Including loans from the Sir Basil Goulding Collection, the Graphic Print Studio and private collections, the Butler Gallery Collection is an eclectic catalogue that can be read and appreciated on many levels.

The annual exhibition Gems from the Collection continues to explore this valuable resource and features works that have not been viewed in recent times along with revisiting beloved favourites. The selection reflects the broad character of the collection itself and embraces a variety of genres from landscape to seascapes, from portraiture to figuration, from still life to abstraction through painting, drawing and printmaking.

The 2008 Gems from the

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Don't miss the chance to see two of Ireland's most talented young musicians perform an evening concert at Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday the 19th of April at 8pm. AOIFE NIC ATHLAOICH (cello) & CLÍODNA SHANAHAN (piano) have been playing as a duo since they were invited to perform at the Clandeboye Festival in August 2006. Since then, they have performed at the Victoria & Albert Museum concert series, the London City Showcase 2007, St. Stephen's Gloucester Road concert series and Elizabeth Maconchy's centenary concert. Their exciting programme will include works by Debussy, Messaein, Beethoven and Raymond Deane.

Tickets €15 / €12 available on the door. Full details at www.christchurchwaterford.com

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A Co. Waterford student is in the running for a prize fund worth €5,000 in the prestigious Dare2bDrinkAware film competition.

Elijah Egan – from Woodstown – and two team-mates have been short-listed in the competition for their film, 'It's A Life Inside'. Elijah is a student at IT Blanchardstown in Dublin.

Dare2bDrinkAware is a competition for third-level students, sponsored by DrinkAware.ie and organised by the Digital Hub Development Agency. The aim of the competition is to highlight young people's attitudes to alcohol, and the aspiring film-makers that entered have produced innovative shorts, challenging the relationship between Irish culture and drinking. The short-listed entries in the competition were announced at an event in the Irish Film Institute in Temple Bar in Dublin recently.

Speaking at the announcement of the short-listed

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