When Oliver Cromwell arrived in Dungarvan he was greeted by a Mrs Nagle who, legend has it, presented the invading army with a jug of beer and thereby earned mercy for the town's inhabitants.
That bold initiative some 350 years ago has secured Mrs Nagle a place in a new book about well-known Waterford people - including some whose connections with the county will come as a surprise to many.
The crime novelist Raymond Chandler, for example, qualifies for inclusion in Waterford People - A Biographical Dictionary, because his mother was a Thornton from Waterford city.
Kilkenny hurling supporters will raise an eyebrow at the inclusion of Paddy Buggy, the former GAA president who won five Leinster championship medals playing for the Cats.
But Tom Fewer, the author of this fascinating publication which is filled with anecdotes about Waterford's history and the characters who made it all happen, had one criterion which those included had to meet: only those who had made "an interesting contribution" of some kind were selected.
Some, like the late Dr Noel Browne, were born in Waterford but left at a young age to make their mark elsewhere. "It's not a `Who's Who'," stresses Tom.
"People might ask me why this person or that wasn't included but it's not enough to be rich or simply to be successful in life."
So who make it? It's an eclectic list, ranging from historical figures like John Redmond, who represented Waterford in the House of Commons, to modern day sports stars like cyclist Sean Kelly, athlete Susan Smith, and TV presenter Carrie Crowley.
There are even some journalists, in there, including The Irish Times's political correspondent, Geraldine Kennedy, and the late Donal Foley.
However, it's the entry for a certain "Mr Killea", editor of The Waterford Chronicle in 1848, which most catches the eye.
"He was a fierce nationalist who advertised the sale of guns," writes Fewer, "recommending their purchase, and undertaking to arm 200,000 revolutionaries. He also painted his house green as a rallying point for rebels."
The 300 entries also include a Napoleon Bonaparte, not the Emperor himself, but his grandnephew, Napoleon Alfred Bonaparte-Wyse (to give him his full name), who was high sheriff of Waterford in 1870. His brother, the poet William Charles Bonaparte-Wyse, held the same position in 1855.
Paddy Buggy is included because, according to Tom, he has "lived all his life in the city of Waterford, even though technically the part of the city he lives in is in county Kilkenny. He went to school in Waterford, so we couldn't ignore him."
One of those who passed through was Arthur Young, an English agriculturalist and author who visited Ireland in the 1770s. He wrote that the city's "finest object" was the quay, which was "unrivalled by any I have seen".
Tom spent 18 months researching and writing the book, which was the "fun" part. Getting it published and distributed proved slightly less fulfilling. After a publisher who expressed an interest delayed on making a final decision, Tom decided to go it alone.
The result was something of a family production; Tom's niece, Fiona Fewer, did the graphics for the cover while his sons Pierre and Greg were also involved.
Tom, who is manager of Dunmore East Fishermen's Co-op, also personally distributed the book to shops around the county. Now Eason's have come on board to distribute it in Dublin and elsewhere. It's priced at £9.95.