Waterford

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 53,504 in 2016, 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.

By plane
Dublin is usually the best option, for its range of flights and good onward transport. You might also fly into Cork or Shannon and hire a car from there.

Waterford Airport, 7 km south, has had no scheduled flights since 2016. Since then, large amounts of money have been poured in to create a bigger airport than Cork, nicely in time for Covid to ruin the air travel business.

Ryanair's first flight was here on 8 July 1985, flying an Embraer Bandeirante 15-seater turboprop between Waterford and London Gatwick. In 1986 they added the Dublin-Luton route, competing with the flag-carrier airlines, assisted by EEC deregulation rules. In the new few years they moved to a budget carrier model, web-based booking and demand-priced fares, and began their march towards European domination. In 1992 they declined to pay Waterford Airport's charges, and axed the route.

By train
Direct trains run from Dublin Heuston, taking 2 hr 15 min to Waterford via Newbridge, Kildare, Athy, Carlow, Bagenalstown / Muine Bheag, Kilkenny and Thomastown. There are seven M-Sa and four on Sunday.

There are two trains 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.

Waterford railway station is 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.

By bus
Expressway Bus 4 / X4 runs every hour or two from Dublin Airport, taking 3 hours to Waterford via Dublin Busáras and Heuston, Carlow and Thomastown; two of these continue to New Ross. A single adult fare is around €20.

JJ Kavanagh competes on this route, with Bus 736 every hour or two from Dublin Airport and several city stops but not Busáras, via Carlow and Kilkenny to Waterford, with some buses continuing to Tramore. They have at least one overnight run.

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

Bus Éireann 73 trundles across the midlands from Athlone to Tullamore, Portlaoise, Carlow, Kilkenny, Thomastown and Waterford. There are two M-Sa and one on Sunday.

Expressway Bus 40 runs hourly from Cork via Youghal and Dungarvan to Waterford, and continues to New Ross, Wexford and Rosslare Harbour, for ferries to Wales and the Continent.

Waterford is on Merchants Quay by the riverside.

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

From Wexford follow N25. You can take that route from Rosslare, but there's a shortcut along the minor roads and across the from Ballyhack. It sails 07:00-20:00 every 15 min or so; a car and its passengers is €8 single and €12 return.

The N25 bypassing the city to the west has a toll bridge: cars €1.90.

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. These don't go into the bus station, but 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, which does start from the bus station.

The fare within the city (as of Sept 2020) is €2.40 adult and €1.40 child by cash, or €1.68 adult, 98c child by Leap Card. To Tramore is €2.80 adult by cash, €1.96 by Leap Card. 24 hour, 7 day and monthly tickets are also available.

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

Taxi: fares are nationally regulated and taxis must use the meter. As of March 2021, fares M-Sa 08:00 to 20:00 are €3.80 flagfall then €1.14-1.50 per km, 20:00 to 08:00 and Sunday €4.20 flagfall then €1.45-1.80 per km. In slow traffic or if asked to wait they charge by the minute, 40-50 cents. The most reliable operator is Rapid Cabs, +353 51 858585 or book online.

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.

City centre

 * Waterford Treasures consists of two museums: Medieval Museum and Bishop's Palace. Both have a guided tour lasting 45 min, after which you can explore at liberty. (A third, Reginald's Tower, is closed in 2020 for restoration.) They're open daily M-F 10:00-17:00, Sa Su 11:00-17:00. Admission to one is adult €10, conc €8, under-12 with paying adult free. For both museums it's adult €15, conc €14. There's also a combi-ticket with Mount Congreve Gardens.
 * Other towers: seven still stand: Semi-Lunar Tower, Beach Tower, Turgesius’s Tower, St Martin’s Gate, The Watch Tower, The Double Tower and The French Tower. Sections of the city walls remain, linking the towers, west crossing Patrick St and south in a loop across Parnell St and John's Lane.
 * The 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.
 * King of the Vikings is a virtual-reality museum next to the tower, open daily 11:00-17:00. Adult €10, child under 12 €5.
 * Christ Church Cathedral is the C of I (Protestant) building in Cathedral Square next to the two 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 the remarkable medieval vestments now in the museum.
 * Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity is the RC building 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.
 * King of the Vikings is a virtual-reality museum next to the tower, open daily 11:00-17:00. Adult €10, child under 12 €5.
 * Christ Church Cathedral is the C of I (Protestant) building in Cathedral Square next to the two 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 the remarkable medieval vestments now in the museum.
 * Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity is the RC building 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.

Further out

 * Kilmeadan Castle is the stump of a tower house built late 17th C, 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.
 * is an old wool mill turned into an art-space and gardens. It's open May-Sept W-Su, adult €7, no dogs. It's 1 km west of Kilmeadan along Greenway, or follow N25 from Carrick Road Roundabout.
 * is a palatial grand mansion, mostly 18th / 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.
 * Grannagh Castle 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 ten 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 (aka Elizabeth) by her flint-hearted father the vicar. The first problem was, Watt was 56 and Molly was 20. And 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.
 * 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.
 * Theatre Royal is on The Mall, box office +353 51 874 402.
 * Central Arts is at 123A Parade Quay and includes Red Kettle Theatre. Box office +353 86 545 3246. The Film Festival is held here in November: the next event is 20-22 Nov 2020.
 * Garter Lane Arts Centre on O'Connel St has theatre, film and dance. Box office +353 51 855 038.
 * Cinema: the Omniplex is on Patrick St, the Odeon is 500 m south on Poleberry Link Rd.
 * People's Park is the pleasant green space just south of the smaller river.
 * Gaelic games: the County GAA plays hurling and Gaelic football at Walsh Park, on Keane's Road 1 km southwest of city centre. Its capacity of 11,000 is expected to increase to 16,500 in 2021. There's a secondary home stadium in Dungarvan.
 * Football: Waterford FC were promoted in 2023 so they now play soccer in the Premier Division, the Republic's top tier. They play at the Regional Sports Centre (capacity 5150) on Tramore Rd 1 km south of town centre. The playing season is March-Nov.
 * is north bank of the river on Newrath Road. Blue tees 5652 yards, par 70.
 * 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.
 * All Together Now is a modern music festival held around the August holiday weekend. The next event is 30 July - 1 Aug 2021 at Curraghmore House 10 km west of the city.
 * All Together Now is a modern music festival held around the August holiday weekend. The next event is 30 July - 1 Aug 2021 at Curraghmore House 10 km west of the city.

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. 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.
 * Dry Dock Bar is within Dooley’s Hotel on Merchant's Quay, see Sleep. It wins good reviews as much for its food as its ambiance and has live music at weekends; open daily 09:00-00:00.
 * Dry Dock Bar is within Dooley’s Hotel on Merchant's Quay, see Sleep. It wins good reviews as much for its food as its ambiance and has live music at weekends; open daily 09:00-00:00.
 * Dry Dock Bar is within Dooley’s Hotel on Merchant's Quay, see Sleep. It wins good reviews as much for its food as its ambiance and has live music at weekends; open daily 09:00-00:00.

Drink

 * Other popular pubs are The Gingerman, Phil Grimes, The Tap Room, The Three Shippes, and Tom Maher.
 * Metalman Brewing Co on Tycor Business Park produce an off-beat collection of beers. No tours.
 * Waterford Distillery on Grattan Quay makes whiskey. The shop is open M-F 08:00-16:30 but in 2020 they don't offer tours.
 * Other popular pubs are The Gingerman, Phil Grimes, The Tap Room, The Three Shippes, and Tom Maher.
 * Metalman Brewing Co on Tycor Business Park produce an off-beat collection of beers. No tours.
 * Waterford Distillery on Grattan Quay makes whiskey. The shop is open M-F 08:00-16:30 but in 2020 they don't offer tours.
 * Other popular pubs are The Gingerman, Phil Grimes, The Tap Room, The Three Shippes, and Tom Maher.
 * Metalman Brewing Co on Tycor Business Park produce an off-beat collection of beers. No tours.
 * Waterford Distillery on Grattan Quay makes whiskey. The shop is open M-F 08:00-16:30 but in 2020 they don't offer tours.
 * Waterford Distillery on Grattan Quay makes whiskey. The shop is open M-F 08:00-16:30 but in 2020 they don't offer tours.

Stay safe
Standard advice about road safety and avoiding drunks. The city centre is safe day and night, and the revellers are noisy rather than threatening.

Connect
The city has a good mobile and 4G signal from all Irish carriers. As of Sept 2020, 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Along the coast nearby are the resorts of Dunmore East and Tramore; further west is the "Copper Coast" towards Dungarvan.
 * The Comeragh Mountains form the border with Tipperary to the northeast, similarly the Knockmealdown Mountains northwest. They're scenic and easy to access.
 * Cahir, across the mountains in County Tipperary, has a river-island castle and the playful Swiss Cottage.
 * Inistioge is a picture-postcard village north in County Kilkenny.