Minister Cullen opens 'Blaze of Glory' Waterford Sports Exhibition

Martin Cullen TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, this evening (Thursday 26 February 2009) opened the 'Blaze of Glory - Celebrating Waterford Sporting Achievements' exhibition at the Waterford Museum of Treasures, Merchant's Quay, Waterford.

The 'Blaze of Glory' exhibition includes storyboards of Waterford sportsmen and women. Memorabilia including All-Ireland Hurling and Railway Cup medals, an Olympic Silver Medal and many more items are on display at this award-winning Museum, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary with this exhibition, - the latest in a series on social history themes.

Speaking this evening in Waterford, Minister Cullen said: "For the next three months, this exhibition gallery will be Waterford's sporting 'hall of fame', dedicated to talent honed and nurtured by those whose mantra is 'never give up'. It is devoted to those who are constantly pushing out the boundaries, because success in any field, but especially in the sporting arena, is never achieved by working within your comfort zone. The achievements and successes of our sportsmen and sportswomen inspire us all."

Minister Cullen added: "This evening we are among some of the greats, the legends in Waterford's sporting history. These men and women will forever have their names engraved on the list of great sons and daughters of Waterford and will be spoken about whenever sports enthusiasts talk or write about sporting legends." The Minister added: "We are also celebrating the people who work both on a professional and voluntary basis in the background - the coaches, the trainers, the physiotherapists and the referees. Those people through whose dedication, young sportsmen and women are afforded the opportunity to participate, to strive and to reach the pinnacle of their fitness."

As well as the information panels and rare footage, the exhibition at the Waterford Museum of Treasures includes; From Gaelic games, the All-Ireland hurling medals from Jim Ware and Frank Walsh as well as Railway Cup medals. From Soccer, John O'Shea's Premiership medal and Irish international cap and Alfie Hale's three in-a-row gold medals won by Waterford in 1968, 1969 and 1970.

The exhibition also includes rare 1930s to 1950s soccer and hurling jerseys, caps and whistles and many more trophies and souvenirs.

For more details of the exhibition and the opening times at the Museum see www.waterfordtreasures.com