Photo's of times Past: Ballybricken Fair c1880

One of the earliest references to the existence of a market on Ballybricken was in 1680 when the Market House outside Saint Patrick's Gate was mentioned. Over a long period Ballybricken was the centre of the pig and bacon industry for which Waterford was famous. As early as 1831 there were twice weekly pig markets held on the Green.

The development of farming and the extension of the railways in the second half of the 19th century led to a system of monthly fairs being introduced. In 1853 there were three fairs held during the year in Ballybricken, the first on the 4th of May, the second on the Feast of St. John the Baptist on 24th June and the third, the onion fair, on 25th of October.

Shadows of the Past a photographic stroll through old Waterford began as an exhibition mounted by Waterford Civic Trust as part of the Tall Ships Festival in Waterford City during July 2005. The tremendous success of the Tall Ships for the city was mirrored in the success of the exhibition. The huge public response to these photographs prompted the Trust to publish Shadows of the Past.