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County Waterford

On the quays of Waterford city, we are witness to a trading and seafaring tradition which goes back at least 1,150 years. But this sense of history also looks to the future, as Waterford – traditionally the city of crystal and quality glassware – is popular as a Tall Shjps assembly port.  Today's larger commercial ships may be berthed downstream on the other side of the river at Belview, but the old cityside quays on the south bank retain a nautical flavour which is accentuated by very useful marina berthing facilities in the heart of town.

This fine port was founded in 853 AD when the Vikings - Danes for the most part - established the trading settlement of Vadrefjord. Its strategic location in a sheltered spot at the head of the estuary near the confluence of the Suir and Barrow rivers guaranteed its continuing success under different administrators, particularly the Normans, so much so that it tended to overshadow the county of Waterford, almost all of which is actually to the west of the city.

But for many years now, the county town has been Dungarvan, which is two-thirds of the way westward along Waterford's extensive south coast, which includes the attractive Copper Coast - between Fenor and Stradbally - in its midst. This spreading of the administrative centres of gravity has to some extent balanced the life of the Waterford region. But even so, the extreme west of the county is still one of Ireland's best kept secrets, a place of remarkable beauty between the Knockmealdown, Comeragh and Monavullagh mountains, where fish-filled rivers such as the Bride, the Blackwater, and the Nire make their way seawards at different speeds through valleys of remarkable variety and beauty, past pretty towns and villages such as romantic, castle-bedecked Lismore which has been an overall winner in the Tidy Towns awards, and is architecturally all of a piece.

West Waterford is a place of surprises. For instance, around the delightful coastal village of Ardmore, ancient monuments suggest that the local holy man, St Declan, introduced Christianity to the area quite a few years before St Patrick went to work in the rest of Ireland. And across the bay from Ardmore, the Ring neighbourhood is a Gaeltacht  (Irish-speaking) area with its own bustling fishing port at Helvick.

Dungarvan itself is enjoying the fruits of an attractive revival. It has relinquished its role as a commercial port, but is enthusiastically taking to recreational boating and harbourside regeneration instead. Along the bluff south coast, secret coves gave smugglers and others access to charming villages like Stradbally and Bunmahon. Further east, the increased tempo of the presence of Waterford city is felt both at the traditional resort of Tramore, and around the fishing/sailing harbour of Dunmore East.


Local Attractions and Information:

Ballymacarbry Nire Valley & Comeraghs on Horseback +353 (0)52 36147

Cappoquin Mount Melleray Activity Centre +353 (0)58 54322

Cappoquin Tourism Information +353 (0)58 53333

Dungarvan Tourism Information +353 (0)58 41741

Kilmeaden Old School House Craft Centre +353 (0)51 853567

Lismore Lismore Castle & Gardens +353 (0)58 54424

Passage East Car Ferry (to Ballyhack, Co Wexford) +353 (0)51 382480

Tramore Tramore House Gardens +353 (0)51 386303

Waterford Airport +353 (0)51 875589

Waterford Christ Church Cathedral (18c Neoclassical) +353 (0)51 858958

Waterford Waterford Crystal Glass Centre +353 (0)51 332500

Waterford Heritage Museum +353 (0)51 871227

Waterford Int. Festival of Light Opera (Sept) +353 (0)51 375437

Waterford Reginald's Tower 13th C Circular Tower +353 (0)51 304220

Waterford Theatre Royal +353 (0)51 874402

Waterford Tourism Information +353 (0)51 875823

Waterford Waterford Treasures at the Granary +353 (0)51 304500

Gardens

Mount Congreve - Garden County Waterford ireland
Mount Congreve
Kilmeaden, Co. Waterford
Mount Congreve represents gardening on a very grand scale indeed. And in late spring and early summer the 100 acre demesne is surely one of the wonders of the floral world to be ranked alongside sights like the flower carpets of Namaqualand. At t ...

Golf

Tramore Golf Club - Tramore County Waterford Ireland
Tramore Golf Club
Tramore, Co. Waterford
Course Type: Parkland
This beautiful, exciting and challenging championship golf course features 27 holes providing a test for the low handicapper whilst also being enjoyable for the middle to high handicapper.  At just under 6,700 yards off the tips, Tramore i ...

Self Catering

Waterford Castle Hotel - Waterford County Waterford Ireland - Self Catering
Waterford Castle Lodges
Waterford, Co. Waterford
Castle Gardens’ architects and interior designers have pooled cutting edge design, technology and glamour to achieve something very desirable indeed. These 3 bedroom semi detached lodges are set on the beautiful island of Waterford Cast ...

What's On

There is no featured What's On in this county

Tourist Attractions

Dungarvan Castle - Dungarvan County Waterford Ireland
Dungarvan Castle
Dungarvan, Co. Waterford
Dungarvan Castle (also known as King John's Castle) was built by the Normans in the 12th century and strengthened by King John of Robin Hood fame in the early 1200's. The Castle consists of a polygonal shell keep with an enclosing curtain wall, a ...

Wedding Venues

Wedding
Faithlegg House Hotel
Faithlegg, Co. Waterford
Set in wooded landscape with magnificent views over the Suir estuary and its own 18-hole championship golf course, this hotel has been developed around a lovely 18th century manor house, which has retained elements of old world charm and decor. ...
  • Granville Hotel

    2023 marks the 200th birthday of Thomas Francis Meagher, famous for designing the Irish Tricolour. Meagher was born in what is now the site of The Granville Hotel, owned locally by the Cusack family for the last 40 years. To celebrate the event, the Granville Hotel have a superb package available which offers unbeatable value for an early autumn break.
  • GRANVILLE HOTEL'S WINTER WINE & DINE PACKAGE EXTENDED

    GRANVILLE HOTEL'S WINTER WINE & DINE PACKAGE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO END FEBRUARY 2024

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