Waterford, Ireland

 In my last blog post about our recent trip to Ireland and Scotland, which we began in Dublin --see that post here--after visiting Kilkenny we drove further south in Ireland to the city of  Waterford.  Waterford, located in the province of Munster,  is situated at the head of Waterford Harbor. It is the oldest and the fifth most populous city in the Republic of Ireland.   

My husband and I visited Waterford for the second time. Our first visit was about 15 years ago when we were on a tour. During that visit, I bought a few beautiful pieces of Waterford crystal, which we have enjoyed using over the years.

Waterford was founded by Vikings in 914 A.D. and parts of its ancient walled core remain.  Throughout the city, there were many interesting and fun displays profiling its Viking beginning 

Thomas Francis Meagher was born on 3 August 1823 in Waterford and a statue of him on horseback stands on the mall. He was one of Waterford’s and Ireland’s most famous nationalist leaders, and he also has an American connection. Meagher protested and fought vehemently for Irish Independence from British Rule and during the battle for independence he designed and introduced the green, white, and gold tricolor flag which later became the national flag of Ireland still used today. 

Meagher was arrested and convicted by the British authorities on charges of sedition and was subsequently sentenced to death. This sentence was later changed and Meagher was instead exiled to Tasmania in Australia, then known as Van Diemen’s Land. In 1852 Meagher escaped to America where he studied journalism and law and later joined the U.S. Army where he gained the rank of Brigadier General and led the Irish Brigade during the American Civil War. Before his death by drowning accident in 1897, Meagher had served as Governor of Montana. A similar statue of him stands in front of the Montana State Capital in Helena. 

 We had a few hours of free time to explore the city on foot.

I enjoyed seeing the architecture and walking along the riverfront.

There were many beautiful murals painted all around Waterford!

They are part of the Waterford Wall Project, where in 2022, over 30 national and international artists created large-scale mural artworks around Waterford City and the surrounding areas. The Festival consisted of 10 days of live art, music, workshops, guided tours, and much more. You can see some more photos of the murals on this link.

We stopped at the new  House of Waterford Crystal Visitor Center. 

Waterford is known for its former glassmaking industry, including at the Waterford Crystal factory, with decorative glass being manufactured in the city from 1783 until early 2009 when the factory sadly closed following the receivership of Waterford Wedgwood. The Waterford Crystal visitor center was opened in the city's Viking Quarter in 2010 under new ownership by Fiskers. Visitors can take a tour to see the glassmaking and cutting process, although most of the crystal is now made outside of Ireland. The 12,000-square-foot retail store inside the center has the largest collection of Waterford in the world, and pieces are available for sale. I admired many pieces but did not purchase anything on this trip as I have entered a more minimalistic stage of life.

 

We walked by Christ Church Cathedral--a Church of Ireland/Anglican Episcopalian church that has been a place of Christian worship for over 1,000 years. The first church on the site was built in the 11th century. In 1170 it was the venue for the marriage of Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke also known as "Strongbow", and Aoife Ní Diarmait. Strongbow was the first Norman conqueror of Waterford and Dublin. Aoife was an Irish Princess, the daughter of King Dermot MacMurrough. The marriage built a political bond between the Irish Gaelic and the Anglo-Normans. The chairs/sculptures by Eithne Ring and Liam Lavery were installed in Bishop’s Palace Garden in 2014 located next to the cathedral.

Please double-click on the photo above to enlarge it.

Information about Strongbow and Aoife is given in this informational display nearby.

I was surprised to see flowers still blooming in late October and a very unusual tree!

A close-up of the tree...

it had its eyes on us! 

<Smile>

As our tour bus drove away from Waterford we saw beautiful rolling green hills and fluffy white clouds in the sky. 

I'll be blogging about our next tour stops at the thatched-roof cottages of Dunmore East, Tramore, and Blarney, Ireland in the future. 

I can't believe that Christmas is only a month away--a busy time ahead!

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