Waterford.
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Overview

Waterford is a city in County Waterford in the south of Ireland. Founded over 1100 years ago, it's famous for its fine glassware, though the glassworks has closed down and Waterford Crystal is nowadays made abroad. The city's main attraction is its Viking, medieval and Georgian heritage, reflecting its importance as a port. With a population of 60,000 in 2022, Waterford is the largest conurbation in the area and has the best range of visitor amenities.

Understand

The River Suir is tidal here, and navigable by sea-going craft. This attracted the Vikings, who settled in 853 and called it Veðrafjǫrðr, the rams' fjord. They were ousted by the native Irish in 902 but returned and held on from 914. This precedes Dublin's settlement in 988 so Waterford is Ireland's oldest city. Its landscape is dominated by walls and fortifications from the Anglo-Norman period, and architecture of the 18th century when it grew rapidly as a port. The Suir was bridged in 1793 but the city remained on the south bank: a strip along the north bank has the railway station and suburb of Ferrybank, then the boundary with County Kilkenny.

Get in

By plane Dublin Airport is usually the best option, for its range of flights and good onward transport. See below for the direct bus to Waterford.

You might also fly into Cork or Shannon and hire a car from there.

Waterford Airport, 7 km south, lost its scheduled flights in 2016. Grand plans for its extension and revival are announced from time to time, but come to nothing.

By train Trains from Dublin Heuston take 2 hr 15 min via Newbridge, Kildare, Athy, Carlow, Bagenalstown / Muine Bheag, Kilkenny and Thomastown. There are eight M-Sa and six on Sunday.

Two trains run M-Sa from Limerick Junction (for Dublin, Cork and Limerick city) via Tipperary, Cahir, Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir. The railway from Rosslare was axed in 2010, use the bus.

is the railway station, just north of the river bridge. Of the many illustrious Plunketts that it might be named for, it commemorates Joseph Plunkett (1887-1916), executed for his part in the Easter Rising.

Expressway Bus 4 runs every couple of hours from Dublin Airport, taking 3 hours via Dublin Busáras and Heuston, Carlow and Thomastown.

JJ Kavanagh competes on this route, with Bus 736 every hour or two from Dublin Airport and several city stops via Carlow and Kilkenny to Waterford, with some buses continuing to Tramore. They have one overnight run.

Expressway Bus 55 runs daily every two hours from Limerick via Tipperary, Cahir, Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir.

Expressway Bus 40 runs hourly from Tralee and Cork via Youghal and Dungarvan to Waterford. Every 2-3 hours it continues to New Ross, Wexford and Rosslare Harbour, for ferries to Wales and the Continent.

Bus Éireann 73 trundles across the Midlands from Athlone to Tullamore, Portlaoise, Carlow, Kilkenny, Thomastown and Waterford. There are two M-Sa, plus a third on Sunday that starts from Longford.

is on Merchants Quay by the riverside.

By road from Dublin follow N7 / M7 onto M9, 160 km and reckon 2 hr 30 min.

From Wexford follow N25. You can also take that route from Rosslare, but there's a shortcut along the minor roads and across the from Ballyhack. It sails 7AM-8PM every 15 min or so.

From Cork or Limerick takes about 2 hours.

Get around

Walking is generally the best option. The area of interest is compact, and you should avoid bringing a car into the centre.

By bus: Bus Éireann operate five city routes, which start from the Quays near the Clock Tower. See the bus network map, but in summary: W1 loops clockwise via Cork Road, Waterford Institute of Technology, Ballybeg, Cannon Street and back to the Quays, every 20-30 min. W2 loops anticlockwise via Cannon Street, Waterford Institute of Technology, Cork Road and back to the Quays, every 20-30 min. W3 runs south to St Johns Park every 20-30 min. W4 runs west via Peter Street to Browne's Road every 30 min. W5 shuttles cross-town between University Hospital in the east, the Quays, and Oakwood in the west, every 30 min.

Bus Éireann also run the hourly Bus 360 / 360A to Tramore from the bus station.

In addition Kavanagh Coaches run buses between the housing estates, college and shopping centres.

The ferry to Little Island may only be used by guests of the hotel (see Sleep) or clients of resort facilities eg the golf course. See above for the public ferry from County Wexford.

See

Christ Church Cathedral. This is the Church of Ireland (Protestant) cathedral, next to the museums. It was built in Georgian style 1773-79 replacing the 13th-century Gothic cathedral, from which the Catholics had been ejected at the Reformation. When the old one was demolished, they found remarkable medieval vestments now in the museum.

Waterford Treasures is a museum complex in the triangle between The Quays and The Mall, with Reginald's Tower at its apex.

Medieval Museum. You start in the 1270 Choristers' Hall, which extends into the wine vaults - Waterford had extensive trade with Bordeaux, which was ruled by the English. Religious artifacts include a relic of the True Cross (it must be a true relic if Pope Paschal II deemed it so in 1110, but no wonder Europe was rapidly de-forested in that era) and a pilgrim badge (violently anti-Semitic). There's a sumptuous gold brooch of 1210, a charter roll stating Waterford's precedence over a rival nearby port (which they destroyed just to be on the safe side), and a ceremonial sword presented by Edward IV. The Cloth of Gold clerical vestments were woven circa 1460 with Florence silk and embroidered in Bruges: they were hidden in the cathedral from Cromwell’s army in 1650, and only rediscovered 123 years later. They were in an ornate Spanish iron chest, also displayed. The "cap of maintenance" was presented by Henry VIII; the Great Parchment Book is the city records from 1356 to 1649. The Luker chalice is from 1595. Finally the Mayor's Treasury is a summary of civic history.

Bishop's Palace. Grand Georgian residence with decor and items mostly from that era, including a 1789 piece of Waterford Crystal and a Napoleon Mourning Cross. The Hucklebuck shoes are from 1963 (from pop group Royal Showband) yet resemble the attire of a Regency buck. Costumed docents lead guided tours on the hour.

King of the Vikings is a virtual reality show within the museum complex at 10 Bailey's New St, hours and prices as above. No under-8s admitted.

Irish Wake Museum. Hourly show on Irish funeral rites, in a 15th century almshouse.

Reginald's Tower. It's named for Røgnvaldr, a common name among Viking rulers, so he may or may not be the fellow who founded Waterford in 914. The tower was probably built in the late 13th century; Prince (and later King) John had begun fortification of the city with stout walls and towers a century earlier. It's been variously a mint, a prison, a military bastion and munitions store, and the residence of the Chief Constable. It's now part of Waterford Treasures museum and displays the Viking era.

Vadrarfjordr is a replica Viking longship in the street outside Reginald's Tower. More correctly it would be Veðrafjǫrðr. French Church or Greyfriars Abbey is a ruin next to Reginald's Tower. It was built in 1241 and the bell tower added in the 15th century; the friary was dissolved in 1540. In the 17th century the church was used by French Huguenots working in the local linen industry. Other towers that still just-about stand are: off Stephen St, on Little Patrick St, on Spring Garden Alley, on Manor St, on Castle St, and , junction of Castle St with Hennessy's Rd. City walls also remain, linking the towers, west crossing Patrick St and south in a loop across Parnell St and John's Lane.

Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity. The Roman Catholic cathedral stands on the Quays. It was completed in 1793 on the site of a chapel when the Penal Laws against Catholic assemblies were relaxed. It's in Romanesque style resembling a particularly august bank.

Edmund Rice Heritage Centre. Chapel, shrine and museum commemorating the work of the Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice (1762-1844). Widowed young, he gave up his business and threw himself into the education of the city's impoverished youngsters. Others joined him and by 1803 Mount Sion was established as a school, monastery, and teacher-training centre, in an era when Roman Catholic education was slowly recovering from the Penal days of "hedge schools". But as the initiative expanded, Rice as a layman had no authority in the church, and had to laboriously seek permission from the local bishop whenever one of his teacher-priest Brothers was to be relocated. In 1820 he obtained papal authority to manage these Christian Brothers, and the scheme extended geographically and to secondary education. A minority remained subject to the bishops under the earlier arrangements and these were called the Presentation Brothers. Both societies remain active internationally, but the Christian Brothers' regime in the 20th and 21st centuries was marked by systematic physical and sexual abuse of their pupils. Rice lived in retirement at Mount Sion and died there. In the 20th century a campaign began for his beautification. In 1976 a boy who seemed sure to die of a gangrenous colon had a relic of Rice placed at his bedside and recovered fully; post hoc ergo propter hoc and in 1996 Rice was declared a saint.

House of Waterford Crystal. Waterford Crystal is the brand name of a fine flint glass used in tumblers, chandeliers, decorative bowls, trophies and similar luxury wares. The brand is owned by the Finnish company Fiskars. It's almost all manufactured abroad: the main factory in Kilbarry, south edge of Waterford city, closed in 2009 but there's small-scale production here. Visits are by guided tour, taking 50 min and demonstrating the glass-making process. Then, of course, you troop to the gift shop.

Mount Congreve Gardens. 70 acres (28 hectares) of woodland garden and a 4-acre walled garden, a riot of colour in summer. The Georgian mansion isn't open to visit.

is the stump of a tower house built late 17th century, glimpsed from the Greenway between Mount Congreve and the WSVR station (see below). It's not worth thrashing through the undergrowth for a closer view.

Fairbrook House. An old wool mill turned into an art-space and gardens. No dogs.

is a palatial grand mansion, mostly 18th and 19th century, the home of the Marquess of Waterford. It can only be visited by pre-arranged group tour; its grounds sometimes hold events. County Kilkenny lies just north of the city, and some of its sights are easier to reach from Waterford than from there. is a crumbling medieval turret, off N24 about 500 m west of Meagher Bridge. It was wrecked in 1650 by Cromwell's forces. great name, too bad it's just a nondescript modern village straggling along N24 10 miles northwest of the city. But then again, Móin Choinn means "the bogland of Coyne". You might look into the parish church. Or you might croon "Rose of Mooncoin", the mawkish ballad penned by Watt Murphy, sundered from his dear Molly by her flint-hearted father the vicar. The first problem was, Watt was 56 and Molly was 20. Second, he had rebel sympathies, with the Young Irelander rebellion of 1848 threatening a return to the bad old days. Molly's father had every reason to believe he was saving his entire family's lives by decamping to London. The ballad has been adopted as the anthem of Kilkenny GAA, who can have no complaints if their sporting hopes are crushed by teams half their age. has a "sham castle", a Napoleonic-era monument that's now a water tower. However it's not the birthplace of the sham "Piltdown Man", that's near Uckfield in East Sussex, England. Stay on N24 to cross into County Tipperary and the genuine castle of Carrick-on-Suir. is 16 km north, with Poulanassy waterfall 1 km west of the village.

Do

What's on? Listen to WLR FM on 95.1 MHz or Beat 102 103 on, yes you guessed; or read Waterford News & Star, Munster Express or Waterford Today. Epic Walking Tour is led by the museum.

Theatre Royal. Staging mostly amateur productions.

Garter Lane Arts Centre. Has theatre, film and dance.

Cinema: is on Patrick St, is 500 m south on Poleberry Link Rd. is a pleasant green space just south of the smaller river. Gaelic games: the County GAA plays hurling and Gaelic football at , on Keane's Road 1 km southwest of city centre. Its capacity is expected to increase to 14,000 in 2025. There's a secondary home stadium in Dungarvan. Football: Waterford FC play soccer in the Premier Division, the Republic's top tier. They play at the (capacity 5150) on Tramore Rd 1 km south of town centre. The playing season is March-Nov, with most games Friday evenings. is north bank of the river on Newrath Road. White tees 5636 yards, par 71.

Waterford and Suir Valley Railway. The WSVR is a 3-foot (914-cm) railway along the south bank of the river, along the bed of an abandoned standard-gauge railway. Its diesel-hauled trains ply 10 km from Kilmeadan towards Waterford, with a halt at Mount Congreve. You normally have to board at Kilmeadan, as only occasional specials run as far as the city.

Deise Greenway is a 46-km walking and cycling route along an old railway track. It heads west from Waterford along the south bank of the river, alongside the WSV Railway as far as Kilmeadan. It continues west cross-country then turns south to the coast at Dungarvan. Altogether Now is a modern music festival held on Curraghmore Estate over the three days of the early August holiday weekend. It's Ireland’s largest independent festival and won the IMRO 2024 Festival of the Year award.

Buy

The main retail mall is a block back from the Quay.

Eat

A blaa is a floury bread bun unique to this region; see County Waterford#Eat. Walsh's Bakehouse and Hickey's Bakery still produce blaas in Waterford by the traditional method, as does Barron's Bakery in Cappoquin near Lismore. Peppers is an Indian restaurant within Granville Hotel at 61 Merchant's Quay.

Dry Dock Bar. Good reviews for food and ambiance with live music at weekends, see Sleep.

Mara. Upscale dining, go for the tasting menu.

Bodéga. Spanish name but French cuisine, seafood a speciality.

Espresso. Cheap and cheerful Italian pizza and pasta restaurant in city centre.

Momo. Eclectic modern cuisine with plenty of choice for veggies, vegans and GF. Gets great reviews.

Drink

Henry Downes. Grand old pub, a Waterford institution.

Tom Maher is at 20 O'Connell St next to Garter Lane Arts Centre. Tully's is opposite Tom Maher at 37 O'Connell St. is at 56 Ballybricken off Patrick St.

Jordan's. Trad Irish pub, popular with visitors and locals alike.

Kazbar. Buzzing bar, good food, TV sport, live music most nights.

Geoff's Cafe Bar. Big lively pub, good choice of beer and food.

Katty Barry's. Cosy trad Irish bar, often has live music.

The Tavern. Cosy friendly pub, good food.

The Gingerman is at 6 Arundel Lane by the shopping centre. is at 18 William St. Phil Grimes is at 60 Johnstown near the Odeon.

Sleep

Fitzwilton Hotel. Modern midrange hotel, very central. The car park is cramped, only 7 spaces which fill early.

Treacey's Hotel. Decent midrange hotel on Quays.

Dooley's Hotel. Midrange modern hotel with 112 rooms and conference suite. With Ship Restaurant and Dry Dock Bar, see Eat.

Granville Hotel. Good modern hotel within riverside shopping centre. Some street noise, but great reviews for comfort and service. Cheap parking.

Tower Hotel. Bright modern hotel on riverside, has parking, good reviews for comfort, service and food.

Travelodge Waterford Hotel. Basic chain hotel, clean and value for money. Free parking.

Waterford Castle Hotel. Gothic mansion built in 1895 over a medieval turret, and since the 1980s a plush hotel and golf resort. Gets great reviews for comfort, service and dining. Often booked for wedding parties, and also has self-catering lodges.

Viking Hotel Waterford. Decent budget-to-mid-range place at edge of town, convenient for motorists.