Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
County Waterford Attractions
A Walk to Mahon Falls
The point where the narrow Mahon River reaches the top of the Comeragh Mountains makes for a beautiful, rugged view, as it tumbles hundreds of feet down the rocky slopes in a spray of silvery white. The walk to the falls is popular with hikers, both for the sheer stony loveliness of it (you can see all the way from the falls to the sea), and because it’s a fairly short distance—about a 15-minute walk in each direction. The 80m (262 1/2 ft.) waterfalls are on the R676 between Carrick-on-Suir and Dungarvan. At the tiny village of Mahon Bridge, 26km (16 miles) south of Carrick-on-Suir, turn west on the road marked for Mahon Falls, then follow signs for the falls and the Comeragh Drive. In about 5km (3 miles), you reach a parking lot along the Mahon River (in fact, just a tiny stream). The trail begins across the road. Follow the stream along the floor of the valley to the base of the falls. From here you can see the fields of Waterford spread out below you, and the sea a glittering mirror beyond. Walking time is about 30 minutes round-trip.
Vast flotillas of colorful sails and wet-suited windsurfers spring up all along Ireland’s coasts these days as the sport of windsurfing continues to boom in popularity. Windsurfing schools with boards for rent can be found in most regions of the country, with the greatest concentration on the southeast and southwest coasts.
In the southeast, the top spots are Cahore and Rosslare in County Wexford, and Dunmore East and Dungarvan in County Waterford. Beyond the southeast, check out Cobh in County Cork, Brandon Bay on the Dingle Peninsula, Roundstone in Galway, Achill Island in Mayo, and in Donegal, Magheroarty and Rossnowlagh.
14 Results
- Religious Site
Ardmore High Cross
Ardmore (Irish for “the great height”) is a very ancient Christian site—St. Declan, its founder, is said to have been a bishop in Munster as early as the mid–4th century, well before St. Patrick came to Ireland. Tradition has it that the small stone oratory in a cemetery high above… - Museum
Bishop's Palace
One of three separate museums that are known collectively as Waterford Treasures, the Bishop’s Palace focuses on life in the city from 1700 until the mid-20th century. The collection covering the 18th century is by far the most impressive, including furniture, art, fashion, and some… - Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral
Waterford’s most important church building is a beautiful example of late 18th-century architecture. The Italianate style that so enthralled the Georgians is on full display here—so much so that the interior looks almost like a stately home rather than a place of worship. Corinthian… - Landmark
City Hall
Headquarters of the local city government, this late-18th-century building houses a few pieces of interesting local memorabilia, including an exhibit on the extraordinary life of the Zelig-like 19th-century politician Thomas Francis Meagher. - Cultural complex
Garter Lane Arts Centre
One of Ireland's largest arts centers, the Garter Lane occupies two buildings on O’Connell Street. Number 5 holds exhibition rooms and artists’ studios, and no. 22a, a former Friends meetinghouse, is home of the Garter Lane Theatre, along with an art gallery and courtyard. The… - Cathedral
Holy Trinity Cathedral
Waterford has two impressive cathedrals, one Catholic and the other Protestant, both built by one equal-opportunity architect, John Roberts (the other being Christ Church Cathedral in Cathedral Square). This is the Catholic version, the only baroque cathedral in Ireland, which has 10… - Tour
House of Waterford Crystal
One of the best-known Irish brands in the world, Waterford Crystal has been made in the city (with significant periods of hiatus) since 1783. In 2009, the company filed for bankruptcy—perhaps Ireland’s most high-profile victim of the global financial crisis—and for a while it looked… - Garden/historic site
Lismore Castle Gardens
High above the River Blackwater, this turreted medieval fortress dates from 1185, when Prince John of England (later the infamously bad King John who signed the Magna Carta) established a castle on this site. The grounds, surrounded by thick defensive walls dating from 1626, are… - Historic Site
Lismore Heritage Centre
This interpretative center in the town's Old Courthouse tells the history of Lismore, a charming town founded by St. Carthage in the year 636. There's an interesting multimedia display on the town's unique treasures, including the Book of Lismore, which dates back 1,000 years, and… - Museum
Medieval Museum
The latest addition to the multi-site Waterford Treasures, the Medieval Museum has some beautiful artifacts from the city’s medieval period, including richly embroidered cloth-of-gold vestments, intricate metal badges worn by pilgrims to the Holy Land, and the lavishly illustrated… - Historic site/museum
Reginald's Tower
Claimed to be Ireland’s oldest building that’s still in day-to-day use, Reginald’s Tower was built around the year 1000 by the Viking invaders who founded the city. Today it houses a museum devoted to that period in Waterford’s history. While much of it is interpretive in nature,… - Tour
Waterford City Walking Tours
Local guide Jack Burtchaell is well versed in the history, folklore, and witty anecdotes of his home city. He conducts this engaging hour-long tour of the old city twice daily, leaving from the tourist office at 11:45am and 1:45pm, and the reception area of the Granville Hotel on the… - Historic Site
Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre
Since it was founded in 1783, Waterford has been a byword for the crystal of connoisseurs, and for good reason. The solid, faceted hand-carved crystal produced in Waterford is among the best in the world. For centuries Waterford's glittering product has been shipped around the world,… - Historic Site
Waterford Heritage Services
Did your ancestors come from Waterford? If so, follow the small lane between George's and Patrick streets to this historic building adjoining St. Patrick's and get the trained staff to trace your local ancestry. Church registers dating from 1655, surveys, rolls, and census lists are…
County Waterford Shopping
Waterford has a good selection of interesting little craft stores, plus three multilevel enclosed shopping centers: George's Court, off Barronstrand Street, Broad Street Centre, on Broad Street, and City Square, off Broad Street. Hours are usually Monday to Saturday from 9 or 9:30am to 6 or 6:30pm. Some shops are open until 9pm on Thursday and Friday.
Waterford Crystal: A New Era Begins
In 2009, the global recession claimed its most famous Irish victim to date when the Waterford Crystal Factory in Waterford City closed after more than 2 centuries. It had long been the county's top visitor attraction, and the fourth-most-popular tourist site in the country, so its closure came as a huge blow.
However, as the old saying goes "from the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success," and in 2010 the crystal company found new owners, who promptly began work on a new visitor center.
When we called the closed factory in 2009, a sad-sounding man offered to make us a cup of tea and show us around himself if we cared to drop by. When we checked on them in 2011, the manufacturing facility was churning out 40,000 pieces of crystal a year, and the shiny new visitor center was about to open. The man who answered the phone sounded genuinely happy.
Just for that, we hope you'll stop by.
County Waterford Nightlife
Waterford has two main entertainment centers. The 170-seat Garter Lane Arts Centre Theatre, 22a O'Connell St. (tel. 051/855038), presents the work of local production companies such as the Red Kettle and Waterford Youth Drama. Visiting troupes from all over Ireland also perform contemporary and traditional works here. Performances are usually Tuesday to Saturday, and tickets average €12 to €25 for most events. Concerts -- which tend toward the intimate, folky, and alternative -- cost €10 to €25. There are also film screenings, which usually cost €9 for adults and €6 for children and seniors. The box office is open Tuesday to Saturday noon to 6pm, and accepts MasterCard and Visa.
When big-name Irish and international talents come to Waterford, they usually perform at the Forum Theatre at the Glen (tel. 051/871111; www.forumwaterford.com), a 1,000-seat house off Bridge Street. Tickets average €10 to €25, depending on the event. The box office is open Monday to Friday 11am to 1pm and 2 to 4pm. In addition to concerts, stand-up comedy, and theatrical productions, there are special regular themed club nights, including "Traffik" (indie) every Saturday and "Bubble" (gay disco) on the first Friday of the month. The price for all club nights is €10.
Otherwise, Waterford's nightlife is centered in the hotel lounges and in the city's interesting assortment of pubs.
